Brick Township boys return many starters from a year ago

About 60 players took to the Brick Township field last Friday for the start of boys soccer practice as the team looks to repeat last year's season when it made the NJSIAA and Shore Conference tournaments for the first time in a decade.

"We've moved up a level," said coach Ken Lynch. "It's definitely a different feeling. It's a more positive atmosphere. We know now we can win. We feel more confident."

And the team proved that when it at least split its home-and-home games in Shore Conference A South last season.

"There are a lot of seniors this year. That's a key element," Lynch said while preparing his team for its Sept. 13 opener at home against Toms River North. "Many have been on varsity for four years."

Ten starters return, but the loss is a huge one — Andrew Smith, who moved from midfield to center back, where he earned All- Shore and Central Jersey Group IV commendations. Smith is at Old Dominion.

To offset the loss, Rob Wroblewski will move to the middle on defense with fellow senior A.J Kolesa, one of two leftfooted players on the team. Lynch calls Kolesa the "most athletic player on the team" who advances out of the back often to initiate and finish scoring threats as well as adroitly clearing away many forays by opposing teams.

Wroblewski will look to seal the back line for his brother Dan, who is the goalie. Both are part of a set of triplets in the family that includes sister Jenna, a defender on the school's girls soccer team.

"It's really good to have him behind me," Rob Wroblewski said of his brother. "It's like we read each other's minds and I know when he's coming out for the ball."

"He's probably our most important defender, not to take away from the other guys," goalie Dan Wroblewski said in return about his brother. "It's a special bond we have when we play."

"I'm looking to Dan as the key to our success," said Lynch. "He has a shot to be one of the best goalies in the league, if not the best. He's more mature, more confident. He's very strong, a good athlete who always had good hands, and now we're working on his technique, which is better [than last season]."

And defense, said Dan, "was the big reason why we did well. Now with Andrew Smith gone, the defense has to step up and, hopefully, can bond together."

Rob said the team's defense "is really strong this year." Kyle Morrill, the other left-footed player, moves from midfield to left fullback, and Marc DeCorso plays a good, strong physical style on the right side.

Both Wroblewski brothers play on the New Jersey United club team along with center midfielder Dan Durnian, senior midfielder Tom Bastides, whose dad, Jose, is a volunteer assistant coach, and junior midfielder Christian Tunis, who joined United this year. Dan Wroblewski and Durnian are co-captains.

"It definitely helps," Dan Wroblewski said of playing with his brother and three other starters on the same club team. "We've played with each other, so we know what each other is thinking."

"Club is a lot different from high school ball, where there is more bumping," said Dan Wroblewski. "Playing club, we should know what each other does. It's good playing all year."

It goes well beyond that. Junior midfielder Kris Barr led the team with seven goals last season as it was locked in many low-scoring games. Barr is generally regarded by some teammates as the most skilled player on the team.

"We're looking for him to step up this season," said Lynch.

Also expected to increase on his five goals he scored last season is senior forward Jorge Rivera, pointing to his third year as a starter. Russ Seervai, a fourthyear player on the varsity, looks to move up from the midfield and help the scoring while playing his physical style. Lynch said senior David Guedes was "very composed" as the right halfback last season.

"If we can get our passes down and pass the ball, we can do well," said Dan Wroblewski.

That will begin to unfold when the team scrimmages on Friday at Freehold Borough at 10 a.m. and has a scrimmage the following Friday against Shore preseason favorite Howell. The team also scrimmages Dumont, which is coached by former Brick Township player Chuck Hogan, who went on to play at Ocean County College while Lynch coached there and was the top scorer on a team that reached the region tournament finals.