SEC Soccer Scene Fully Loaded
With Elite-Level Title Contenders

The Essex County Tournament does not seed its field until Oct. 13 with first round action commencing Oct. 21, which means there is still plenty of time for the top teams to jockey for position as far as what the order will be for the top seeds in 2025 boys soccer event; however, one clear fact is that it certainly appears the county is ‘up’ this year in terms of having talented sides to not only seriously compete for an ECT title, but also make significant noise in their respective state tournament sections as well.

On a national level, the county’s No. 1 team remains St. Benedict’s, which reentered the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) state tournament scene last fall and has been a dominant side as fully expected.

However, there are other teams in Essex who have to be reckoned with led by Seton Hall Prep, West Orange, Montclair Kimberley Academy and Montclair.

All compete in the elite-level Super Essex Conference-American Division, perhaps the best soccer loop in the state.

The Pirates, who were recently ranked No. 6 in the state according to nj.com, have had to reload in key areas, including at midfield and in the back, but remain a solid side under 40th-year head coach Marty Berman.

SHP edged Montclair, 2-1, Sept. 10, and visits West Orange on Wednesday, Sept. 24, in another pivotal SEC-American Division showdown.

Leading the Pirates up top at forward are junior William Pearce and senior Bernardo Tinajero, while Berman has been effectively utilizing three different goalkeepers in junior Liam Collins and seniors Rocco Quilici and Jack Snyder.

The Pirates, who were 15-6-1 last fall, began this season with shutout victories vs. Columbia, Glen Ridge and Newark East Side.

SHP is part of an absolutely loaded Non-Public A with other elite level programs such as St. Benedict’s, Delbarton, Pingry and St. Peter’s Prep all looming in the North A section come late October and early November.

West Orange, which was recently ranked No. 7 in the state, has a veteran side led by standouts including opportunistic senior forward Carl Hall, ace senior defenders Marcus Jackson and Luc Brown and experienced junior goalkeeper Agustin Arrieta.

Veteran coach Doug Nevins’ team has shown considerable defensive prowess in the early going and balanced scoring with seven different players scoring two or more goals, including Hall who had 7 goals and 8 assists in the first six matches of the season.

The Mountaineers improved to 7-0 with Wednesday’s (Sept. 17) 1-0 overtime triumph at Montclair.

The Mountaineers, who were in a Group 4 state final as recently as 2023 when they lost on penalty kicks to Cherokee following a 1-1 tie in regulation, will certainly be a major threat for ECT and Group 4 titles this season.

MKA, which was recently No. 13 in the state, returns a wealth of talent headed by senior all-state defender Braedan Keegan (8 goals last fall) and senior talented forward Nick Carrascosa (12 goals, 12 assists in 2024), while the Cougars also welcomed back MLS Next standout and senior Harvard commit Jan Hejna as the team’s very highly-regarded goalkeeper. 

Veteran coach Rob Leather’s Cougar booters are the favorite in Non-Public B and perhaps this is the season MKA knocks off longtime rival Gill St. Bernard’s in a Non-Public, North B final. MKA lost a tough match to Coach Tony Bednarsky’s Knights in that pivotal showdown last fall after knocking Gill off in the prep B tournament final.

Montclair, under veteran coach Toure Weaver, has absorbed early-season losses to state-ranked teams St. Benedict’s (3-1), SHP (2-1) and West Orange, but SEC coaches know that they certainly have to continue to take the Mounties very seriously come county and Group 4 state tourney time.

Senior Jack Swartz and juniors Florian Intres and Desmond Dosch are among the players to watch in the field for the senior-dominated Mounties, while senior Jesse Hand provides a reliable source as the team’s goalkeeper.
Montclair hosts neighborhood rival MKA on Sept. 24 in another key, upcoming SEC-American Division match to keep an eye on.