Glen Ridge HS boys soccer team eyes repeat sectional title this season

GLEN RIDGE, NJ — The Glen Ridge High School boys soccer team is looking forward to another great season.

The Ridgers, who won the state sectional tournament title last season, will be playing this season with heavy hearts. Nathan Latifi, who was a strong contributor last year as a junior, died in a car accident in January. His teammates will keep his memory alive throughout the season.

The senior captains are Aiden Arnett, Yuki Kishimoto, Nick Overholtzer and Matt Koskuba. Arnett and sophomore center back Alex Stolte unfortunately will be out for the season due to injuries.

The Ridgers have 18 seniors and 74 players overall in the program.

“It has certainly been a long nine months for the boys, but I look forward to seeing them start this season to see if we can repeat as sectional champions,” said fourth-year head coach Brian Ianni. “With the passing of Nathan, the loss of graduating seniors John Lee, Oliver Peake, Nick Kiligan, and the season-ending injuries to two starters in senior captain Aidan Arnett  – torn anterior cruciate ligament in April – and sophomore center back Alex Stolte  – fractured hip in the last preseason – we have a lot of great players to replace. 

“We are a young team this year, with only three senior starters, but we come in with experience and we embrace the adversity that has been thrown to us. The boys understand that our first few games are an extension of our preseason, and with the late loss of Alex, we have some chemistry-building to do with new personnel on the pitch. We face a difficult schedule, but we look forward to it and look forward to competing for another sectional title.”

The Ridgers will host Verona in the season opener on Thursday, Sept. 7, at Watsessing Park field in a Super Essex Conference crossover game. Glen Ridge is in the SEC–Liberty Division, which is the second highest of the four divisions. The other teams in the Liberty Division are Bloomfield, Caldwell, Cedar Grove, Irvington, Millburn, Montclair Kimberley Academy and Newark Academy. Following the season opener, the Ridgers will host West Essex on Saturday, Sept. 9, at 2 p.m. at Watsessing Park and visit Montclair Kimberley Academy on Tuesday, Sept. 12, at 4 p.m.

Ianni was an assistant coach for the GRHS girls soccer team for 12 seasons under head coach Oscar Viteri, who enters his 23rd season at the helm.

Latifi had a goal and an assist in the 5-0 win over No. 10 seed Palisades Park in the first round and he had an assist in the 3-2 victory over No. 2 seed Ridgefield in the quarterfinal round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 state tournament. Seventh-seeded Glen Ridge defeated No. 3 seed North Arlington, 2-1, in the semifinal round and prevailed over top-seeded David Brearley of Kenilworth in a game that was decided by kicks from the penalty area in the sectional final after the game was scoreless through regulation and two overtime periods. Glen Ridge fell to Section 1 champion Waldwick in the Group 1 state semifinals to end with a 9-9-3 record.

Here is the GRHS roster

Seniors

• Yuki Kishimoto, No. 22
• Matt Koskuba, No. 23
• Aidan Arnett, No. 8
• Jaden Segal, No. 2
• Caden Lonergan, No. 19
• Eppa Cappra, No. 83
• Dylan Gaul, No. 38
• Luke Janofsky, No. 35
• Lawson Jordan, No. 33
• Charlie Van Wayenberg, No. 25
• Owen Kristal, No. 55
• Samir Sostre, No. 30
• Alessio Giantomenico, No. 31
• Noah Pockriss, No. 18
• Jean-Nicolas Roy, No. 42
• Renald Roy, No. 60
• Matt Ostermann, No. 37
• Nick Overholtzer, No. 1

Juniors

• Cameron Atkinson, No. 5
• Cole Moshos, No. 9
• Kyle Piano, No. 16
• Mason Giamo, No. 14

Sophomores

• Dylan Arnett, No. 17
• Chris Cabrera, No. 3
• Nate Kastenmeier, No. 24
• Ryan Bressler, No. 11
• Alex Stolte, No. 4
• Alex Hinkis, No. 28
• Gabe Hertz, No. 21
• Nico Frazier, No. 47
• Jacob Javier, No. 26
• Liam Federer, 00

Freshman

• Max Fleischer, No. 27

To make a donation to The Nathan Latifi Scholarship Fund, visit rememberingnathan.org.

  Glen Ridge High School boys soccer