They don’t call them Bears for nothing. East Brunswick’s boys soccer team has never been satisfied to finish first in the rugged Greater Middlesex Conference’s Red Division like it did last season. Just like their nickname, the Bears are on the prowl to gobble up every possible title, whether it’s the conference tournament championship, state sectional title and even beyond.
Why not? In sixth-year coach Terry McGibbin’s tenure, East Brunswick has achieved a 66- 33-8 mark and has won its share of tournament championships. They will settle for nothing less this season.
“We’re going to have a youthful look compared to past seasons,” McGibbin said. “But the talent is there, especially on defense where we return three key back liners. The concern is replacing Josh Alvarez, who scored 28 goals last year. But we expect our experienced players to step up.”
Alex Segura, senior forward, leads the veteran front with five goals and five assists. Abu Bestawros, junior forward, notched four goals and two assists, while Jake Weinreb, senior midfielder, contributed three goals and four assists.
Other key players who are expected to see significant playing time are Robert Bierman, senior midfielder (one goal, two assists), Zain Nandedwalla, senior forward (one goal, two assists), Nigel Joseph, junior midfielder (one goal, five assists), and Sameh Mahrous, junior midfielder (one goal, three assists).
The newcomers to the offense include: Coby Kelner, junior midfielder; Chris Bradley, junior forward; Nick Canonaco, junior midfielder; and Dom Pizzano, junior midfielder.
While East Brunswick will push forward with its attack, it is confident that the defense will hold the fort when the opponents transition to their offense. Seniors Brandon Yu (one goal, one assist), Joe Carrieri-Russo (two assists) and Livio Scire-Cirneco (one goal, one assist) are the three veterans who blend well to form a formidable front line. Rich Kehoe, who saw playing time last season as a freshman, is a welcome addition. The veterans are joined by first-year varsity playersAlecMetsch and Rob Shalikar, both juniors.
In the nets, East Brunswick relies on a duo that is capable of stopping opponents. Grant Korten, junior, posted two shutouts in limited starting opportunities and is a proven player. However, Emilio Rodriguez, another junior, has played well during preseason and will likely get significant playing time. This was evident as the goaltenders split duty in an impressive 5-2 season opening victory over St. Joseph of Metuchen Saturday.
Stelicos led the scoring with two goals, while Joseph chipped in with a goal and an assist.
The schedule continued with games versus the two recent additions to the Red Division, at Monroe Township (Tuesday) and North Brunswick, (Thursday).