Off to a Solid Start
September 13, 2005
With the 2005 NCAA college soccer season underway for two weeks, several Jersey Shore Boca club standouts are competing well for their respective college teams while three, including Andrew Hawtin pictured here, are making a very impressive start in helping their Big East Conference schools remain undefeated on the year. Boca has a record fifty-five club standouts that are participating in intercollegiate soccer this fall.
Off to a Solid Start
Several Boca standouts doing well after two weeks of the 2005 college soccer season
McGrath, Hawtin and Konopka help their BIG EAST teams remain undefeated
TOMS RIVER, NJ (September 13, 2005) – With the 2005 NCAA college soccer season underway for two weeks, several Jersey Shore Boca club standouts are competing well for their respective college teams while three are making a very impressive start in helping their Big East Conference schools remain undefeated on the year.
Justin McGrath (Brick) a sophomore at Seton Hall University, Andrew Hawtin (Toms River) a junior at Syracuse University and Chris Konopka (Toms River) a junior at Providence College have all started in all four games for their respective schools during the 2005 college season.
McGrath, a 2004 Monsignor Donovan graduate, has helped the Pirates to their best start since 1986 with a 4-0-0 record after two weeks while outscoring their opponents 16-2. The talented midfielder has scored one goal thus far. Seton Hall is currently ranked 2nd among all Division I schools in the Mid-Atlantic Region and 18th nationally by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
Hawtin, a skillful stopper-back and 2003 Toms River East graduate, is part of a Syracuse defense that has allowed only one goal over four games which propelled the Orange to a 4-0-0 record and their best start since 1986. Syracuse is currently ranked 3rd in the New York Region by the NSCAA.
Konopka, another 2003 Toms River East graduate, has back-stopped Providence to their best start in men’s soccer since 1993 and a 2-0-2 record allowing only 2 goals in 400 minutes between the pipes. The Friars are currently ranked 6th in the New England Region by the NSCAA.
The stalwart goalkeeper also is among the Big East leaders in every goalkeeping category. Through all games of September 12, Konopka ranks third in saves (20), second in saves per game (5.0), is tied for fourth in shut-outs (2), is tied for seventh in shut-outs per game (0.50) and ranks fourth in goals against average (.045).
Konopka’s overall save percentage of .909 (20 saves out of 22 shots on goal) after four games places him as the fifteenth best in the nation among all NCAA Division I goalkeepers as of September 12.
McGrath, Hawtin and Konopka all long-time Jersey Shore Boca veterans, were members of the Boca U20 team this past summer that advanced to the semi-finals of the USASA U20 Regional Championship as well as the semi-finals of the MSSL Cup Championship.
Some of the other Boca U20 team members who are making contributions to their respective college teams during the first two weeks of the 2005 men’s college soccer season include:
Freshman midfielder Mark Petruniak (Hightstown) who has played in all 4 games at American University (1-2-1);
Junior defender Connor Bryant (Tinton Falls) who started 4 of 5 games for Bryant University (1-2-2);
Freshman midfielder Mark Schmiegel (Toms River) who started all 4 games for Bucknell University (3-1-0);
Freshman midfielder Daniel Brackley (Hamilton) who started both games for Carnegie Mellon University (2-0-0) and has recorded one assist;
Junior forward Jason Mancuso (Toms River) who played in all 3 games and started 2 for Central Connecticut State University (1-1-1);
Junior midfielder Jim McMichael (Pompton Plains) who started in all 5 games for Kings University (1-5-0);
Sophomore forward Andrew Perez (Brick) who played in all 4 games while starting 2 at LaSalle University (1-3-0) and has recorded one goal and one assist;
Junior defender Casey Zambor (Jackson) who played in 4 games while starting 3 at Lynchburg College (4-0-0) and has recorded one goal and one assist and
Senior forward Manny Nieves (Hammonton) who has started in all three games for Centenary College (0-3-0).
Other members of Boca’s U19 Super Y-League team from the summer who are also making contributions this college season include:
Freshman midfielder Andrew Finger (Mullica Hill) who has started in all 4 games for Neumann College (0-3-1);
Freshman defender Sean Babcock (Barrington) who has played in all six games for West Chester University (3-2-1) and has recorded one goal;
Freshman forward John Corcoran (Stratford) who has played in 1 of two games for Saint Joseph’s University (0-2-0);
Freshman defender James Daly (Bayville) who has played in 2 of four games for Methodist College (0-3-1);
Freshman defender Mike Juska (Wall Township) who has played in all four games while starting one for Rider University (0-3-1) and
Freshman midfielder Chip Fidler (Williamstown) who has played in all four games for Norwich University (3-1-0).
Jersey Shore Boca has a record fifty-five club standouts who previously played for Boca on either their Men’s, Super Y-League, PDL, Club or Youth teams that are participating in NCAA intercollegiate soccer this fall for their respective institutions.
This is the highest number of Jersey Shore Boca players to ever participate in NCAA intercollegiate soccer during the same season in the club’s 27 year history.
Jersey Shore Boca has been a fixture in the soccer community since 1978 and is one of the most respected soccer clubs on the East Coast.
The Club is celebrating their 27-year anniversary in 2005.
For more information on the Jersey Shore Boca Soccer Club, visit the Club’s official web site at www.jerseyshoreboca.com
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