COLUMBUS: Greyhounds ready for challenge

BOYS SOCCER

By Josh Lashley, Special Writer
COLUMBUS — Teams in the Burlington County League Liberty Division and beyond believing that they are taking to the pitch with the same caliber Northern Burlington High School boys soccer program had last season may be in for a rude awakening.
The Greyhounds, whofinished with seven victories in 2013, are entering this season with the mental attitude, along with a strong work ethic,that can ultimately equal wins, a better performance against Liberty Division opponents and another spot in the playoffs.
Northern Burlington did make some considerable noise last fall as they entered the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III Sectional Tournament as the No. 15 seed and upset second seeded Hightstown, 1-0, in the opening round. They lost by a goal to Somerville in the quarterfinal round.
"I feel that we can make things interesting in our division," Northern Burlington head coach Justin Faust said. "If we stay healthy and mentally focused we can compete with the teams in our division."
Key returning student-athletes for the Greyhounds this season include Cam Allen (senior), Brian Ford (senior), Tyler Breuer (senior), Jace Rhinehart (senior), Kyle Adams (junior), Kyle Quigley (junior), Dean Bullard (junior), Brett Meyer (junior) and Matt Koller (sophomore).
Newcomers to the varsity lineup include Ryan Cooke (senior), Adam Chodes (senior), Zeb Khan (senior), Gavin Oko (senior), Jeff Riccianni (senior), Brad Forman (junior), Joe Lopez (junior), Wynton Britton (sophomore), Dillon Rose (sophomore), Abel Nunez (sophomore), Jake Iraca (sophomore), Sam Adenyi (freshman), Josh Eppolitto (freshman) and Zach Wille (freshman).
"Allen (midfielder/forward) is an incredibly skilled player who has great vision on the field," he said. "He’s one of the best leaders I have had the chance to coach; he is also a four-year starter. Adams is one of the best, if not the best forward in South and Central Jersey. He has 20 varsity goals in his first two seasons. He is just one of the best finishers and players in the area. Quigley is a very athletic goalie. He has superb shot stopping ability and is very good with his feet."
With several topnotch programs, the Liberty Division should prove once again to be quite challenging this season. Today, Sept. 11, the Greyhounds begin the regular season with a tough Liberty Division road game at Cinnaminson.
"Participation in our program is at an all-time high and our program is certainly on the upswing," he said.