Much to Todd Briggs’ pleasant surprise, things have fallen in place quickly for his Freehold Township boys soccer team.
With 10 seniors having graduated from last year’s state playoff team, Briggs figured patience would be a virtue. The seniors were being replaced by underclassmen that had promise, but little to no varsity playing time. The first half of the season he thought would be spent finding what combinations clicked for the team while building for a second-half run to the playoffs.
“We’re loaded with youth,” Briggs said of his 4-0 squad. “I had to reconfigure things this year.
“The centerpieces are still there, but it’s a new day with all the new players,” he added.
With opening season wins over defending A North Division champion Howell (2-1 in overtime) and perennial power Christian Brothers Academy (2-1), it is a new day for the Patriots. The team has jelled much quicker than anticipated.
“The young guys far exceeded expectations,” Briggs remarked.
Sophomore strikers Mark Composto and Connor Egan have provided everything the Pats needed.
“They are head and shoulders above where I thought they’d be,” said Briggs. “The big question for us was if our young players would have the poise and confidence to score in big situations, so far the answer had been yes. They’ve come up with big plays.”
Composto had four goals and one assist in what were his first three varsity starts. He played limited minutes last year.
“Nick has a knack for getting in the right spot at the right time and finishing,” said Briggs.
Egan, who started a few games in 2006, has superb ball skills, according to Briggs.
The strikers complement each other and are getting great help from a pair of centermidfielders, Brenden Noesges and Ryan
Clark, both juniors.
Noesges played sweeper this year and has been moved to the playmaking center-midfield position that better utilizes his talents. Clark played the position last year. The upperclassmen have developed an almost immediate relationship with their strikers.
“They give us greater control of the tempo and they [are] putting our young guys in a position to score goals,” Briggs said of his midfielders.
In a 2-1 win over Colts Neck on Sept. 12, Egan scored the game winner off a feed from Clark. Composto had opened the scoring for Freehold Township.
The Patriots are getting plenty of help from their seniors led by two three-year starters, Logan Smith and Bryan Collins. Smith is a versatile outside midfielder who can play both defense and offense, while Collins is the team’s marking back, who draws the opposition’s best offensive player.
Ben Greenwald and Dan Mularz, who are two-year starters for Freehold Township, are the other senior co-captains.
Mularz returns to the soccer pitch after running cross country last year. He returned to his sweeper position, allowing Briggs to move Noesges to sweeper.
Jared Moskowitz, Bryan Foley and Eric Munsell round out the seniors on the squad.
Goalie Jeff Kurczeski has been clutch for the Pats. Starter Ben Locke went down with a broken foot before the season even started, and Kurczeski, another sophomore, has stepped right in and has done everything the Pats could have wanted and more.
“He’s been so calm and collected and under control,” said Briggs. “He’s not overwhelmed and he’s come up big for us.”
Juniors Zak Piccoline, Bobby Searby and Brian Matza are the other upperclassmen on the team. Anthony Fiorletti, Gregg Tilley, Dan Lisowski and Matt Guarino are sophomores who will see playing time, as could freshman Ross Caruso.
What is most striking about the Patriots is how well they have meshed as a unit. That can be directly linked to summer ball, according to Briggs.
The Pats participated in the GoodSports Summer League in Sea Girt. They won the championship but it was of greater importance that everyone participated this year. Play wasn’t optional.
“I wanted to build team unity,” said Briggs explaining his reason for making it mandatory for his players to play this summer.
That unity is a big reason that Freehold Township has jelled so quickly this year.
The CBA win on Sept. 10 was a historic one for the Township program. Composto scored both goals assisted first by Clark and by Noesges on the overtime game-winner.
“It was our first win over CBA,” Briggs said. “It got a big monkey off our backs and it gave us a world of confidence.”
As big as the Howell and CBA wins were, Briggs quickly put them in perspective.
“It was good work, but all it really is, is one week,” said Briggs.
The second week got off to a pretty good start with the win over Colts Neck, followed on Saturday by a 3-0 pasting of Middletown South, maintaining the early-season momentum. Noesges scored twice for the Pats with Searby putting in the other. Clark had two more assists and Egan had one. Kurczeski stopped seven shots in getting his first shutout of the season.

