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Schools

2010 Loss Fuels Drive in Boys Soccer Team

Though the team graduated several seniors, a core unit of returning players and head coach have high hopes for this season.

The boys soccer team is coming off of an unbelievably successful 2010 campaign, and everyone involved is hoping for the same in 2011.

In 2010, the Cougars rolled to an impressive 22-2-1 record, earning their first sectional championship in more than 10 years with a 3-0 win over Scotch Plains in the North Jersey Section 2, Group III final. After earning the monumental sectional title, Chatham went on to play Homedale in the state finals, where they saw their season end with a 2-1 loss.

That loss still resonates with members of this team, and fuels them for great things in 2011.

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Returning is the 2010 Morris County Coach of the Year, Gene Foca, along with senior captains Brian Schafer, Thomas Stephan, Trip Burke and Matt Prato. But gone are the well-known names of Conor Goepel, Brian Ballard, John Gildersleeve, Matt Romei and others.

Those losses aren’t as colossal, though, as the loss in the state finals last year.

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“Whoever is returning right now is bigger and stronger,” senior defender and captain Matt Prato said. “They definitely put in work and that just shows how much we want it.”

But lets not pretend like this team isn’t just as capable as the group of guys out there in 2010, as the Chatham roster is loaded with athletes who spent their summer working out and playing for club teams.

Step one for the Cougars to get back into form, though, is to develop chemistry on the field.

“The key this year will be developing the chemistry to the point that we had it last year,” Foca explained, “and also getting seven or eight guys from the younger group to be able to contribute at a significant level.”

But with a strong group of returning starters, coupled with loads of talented underclassmen, means big things could be on the horizon for Chatham boys soccer.

LAST SEASON’S RESULTS:

The 2010 varsity team finished with a record of 22-2-1, earning a state sectional title before falling 2-1 to Homedale High in the Group III state finals.

LOOK OUT FOR:

Matt Prato, Defense (Sr.) – The senior captain returns for 2011 as one of two returning starters on one of the states best defenses. Look for big things from Prato.

Trip Burke, Forward (Sr.) – Burke’s been a starter for Chatham for three years, last season recording 12 goals and 6 assists, and this season steps in as team captain. Look for the forward to take over games with his offensive ability.

Thomas Stephan, Defense (Sr.) – The other returning defensive starter from a year ago, Stephan, also a Chatham captain in 2011, looks to lead a young defensive group to the promise land

Brian Schafer, Center Mid (Sr.)- Another Chatham captain, Schafer returns to the team after netting six goals and dishing eight assists in 2010. Look for an even bigger impact this season.

WHO’S GONE:

Conor Goepel, The senior put up great numbers in 2010, recording 13 goals to go along with 7 assists. Goepel, who Foca called one of last seasons best players in the state, is now playing at Cornell University.

Matt Romei, Romei secured Third Team All-County and Second Team All-Conference Honors with Chatham in 2010. Romei is currently playing tennis at Haverford College.

Brian Ballard, Ballard was the starting goalkeeper at Chatham for three seasons, providing them with a great athlete as their last line of defense.

John Gildersleeve, The defensive center midfielder helped lead a terrific Chatham group in 2010 and is now playing at Wheaton College.

COACH’S TAKE:

“This year we have 11 or so seniors, and we’ve got a whole bunch of sophomore and juniors, and a freshman. They're less experienced as a group and they bring varying degrees of soccer experience to the team, but they're all good guys. The key this year will be developing the chemistry to the point that we had it last year, and also getting seven or eight guys from the younger group to be able to contribute at a significant level. We have a philosophy of trying very hard, at least in soccer terms, to play a deep team. So I don’t believe in an ‘iron 11’ in general. I think you are more successful over a long, hard season, against tougher opponents, when you can play more guys and give guys a rest.”-Coach Foca

 

THEY SAID IT:

“I think we’re going to be very good this year. Our strength is probably our athleticism, and we have a couple of strong kids coming off of club teams, and a couple of those kids made it to regionals, so I think we’ll be strong all around.”- Schafer

“Last year we were one of the best defenses in the state, and this year we return two guys and I think we’ll be just as good. We’ll probably be bringing the same things that we did last year in terms of team concept and hopefully we mesh together well. Confidence is definitely high, but obviously expectations are going to be high with that, so we’re trying to manage that and take it game by game.”– Stephan

We want to be the same team as we were last year, and do even better if we can. We’ve got a good team this year, a lot of good players. We had a lot of depth last year which really helped, and those kids are going to get a chance to start this year and I think we can do it.” - Burke

“We just want to get everyone on the same page defensively, keep them talking, keep them heads up. We’re all friends on the team and we all push each other in practice, and that helps a lot. We come out here just to kick it around ourselves, even that just helps. We know each others strengths and weaknesses and that’s how we build off of each other.” – Prato

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