Manalapan hoping to peak in Nov. again

BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer

After an unprecedented season in which it went all the way to the state championship final, the Manalapan Braves boys soccer team will look to regain that postseason magic in 2007.

John Natoli’s Braves peaked at the right time last season, capturing the Shore Conference Tournament and Central Jersey Group IV titles and advancing to the NJSIAA State Group IV title game, where they fell to West Orange.

“The team will again need to jell as the season progresses, and concentrating on peaking at the right time,” said Natoli.

Natoli has nine players back from that 20-4-1 squad, including seven starters who know something about playing their best in November.

Forward George Quintano, a senior, and keeper Jake Grinkevich, a junior, are the team’s marquee returners.

Quintano is one of the Shore’s most explosive and exciting players. A relentless worker who is a nightmare to mark because of the way he accelerates to top speed so quickly, he seemed to be in the middle of every big goal. The senior had 10 goals and 22 assists in 2006.

Grinkevich, now in his third season protecting the Manalapan goal, was never an underclassman. He was a difference maker in November and had 16 shutouts.

Midfielder Adam Rice and forward/midfielder Caner Semen will again play important offensive roles. Rice had six goals and dished out 10 assists, while Semen is the leading returning goal-scorer with 12 goals, while contributing four assists.

Backs Bryan Telzer, Jeff Weitz and Brandon Russo will look to make the Manalapan defense as tough as it was last year when it combined speed with a physical presence.

Greg Grzelak and Dustin Zaloom, both midfieldlers, were lettterwinners in ’06 and will have increased roles in ’07.

The newcomers are Anthony Vollaro (back), Kevin Mulvanerton (back), Chris DeFalco (midfield), Dylan Parisi (back), Nick Turchak (back), Jon Franklin (midfield), James Myers (keeper), Anthony Fleres ((keeper), Brandon Stanislaus (keeper), Bryan Rice (midfield) and Edwin Morales (forward/midfield).

They have their work cut out for them replacing the likes of graduated stars Eric Illisije and Dann DeLorenzo.

“The team did lose some key players and hopes to fill those big shoes with some promising newcomers,” said Natoli.

Starting his 16th year at the head of the Braves, Natoli can reach 200 career wins. He starts the season with a 191-93- 21 lifetime mark. Last year was the first time that a Manalapan team had won both the SCT and Central Jersey state sectional title in the same year. They beat Toms River East for the bragging rights to the Shore Conference and Hunterdon Central for the CJ IV crown.

Howell, which was No. 1 in the Shore for most of the season before the Braves knocked the Rebels off in both the SCT and Central Jersey, will again be Manalapan’s main rival. Howell did win the A North title, beating Manalapan in both regular season meetings.