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The New Jersey high school lacrosse season just completed its first week-plus of action and already there are several individuals off to excellent starts to the 2022 campaign. Today marks our first edition of the Shore Sports Network Boys Lacrosse Player of the Week poll where we nominate multiple individuals for their accomplishments over the prior week and put it to a vote to determine the SSN Boys Lacrosse Player of the Week.

Scroll down to read through the list of nominees for Week 1 and cast your vote. The poll will run through Wednesday at midnight and the winner will be revealed on Thursday.

 

Week 1 SSN Boys Lacrosse Player of the Week Nominees (listed alphabetically)

Luke Barber, Jr., Midfield/FO, Toms River East

The Raiders have played just three games so far but Barber, who played last season as Toms River North, has already made a huge impact with a team-high seven goals and dominant work at the face-off X where he has won an astounding 83 percent of draws.

 

Grant Carle, So., Midfield/FO, Manalapan

The Braves may be in just their second year as a varsity program but they are already beginning to establish themselves as one of the Shore's stronger teams. A balanced offense has propelled the Shore's No. 10 team to a 3-2 start and Carle has done a little bit of everything with 10 goals, 3 assists, 31 ground balls, and a gaudy 78% face-off percentage.

 

Brady Derome, So., Attack, Toms River South

The Indians are off to their best start in years at 3-1 and are poised to eclipse their win totals from each of the past three seasons. Derome is the team's leading scorer through four games with 12 goals and four assists for 16 points, plus 15 ground balls. he had five goals and two assists when the Indians won 10-9 over Jackson Liberty to open the season.

 

Joey DeYoung, Jr., Midfield/Attack, Southern

After posting 43 goals and 60 points as a sophomore, the Hofstra recruit has sunk 11 goals in four goals to help the No. 3 Rams begin the season 4-0. He scored twice in Southern's 5-4 win over Ocean City this past Saturday in a matchup of returning state sectional champions.

 

Connor Durante, Sr., Midfield/Attack, Donovan Catholic

Durante has already surpassed his points total from last year and is two away from tying his goals total with nine goals, 11 assists, and 20 points through five games.

 

James Farinacci, Jr., Attack, Manasquan

Cracking Manasquan's starting attack line has been a tall order in recent years. Farinacci earned the starting spot this season after seeing playing time as a sophomore and has flourished through four games with a team-leading 18 goals and 23 points for a Warriors team ranked No. 2 in the Shore and No. 13 in New Jersey.

 

Blaine Grayson, Jr., Goalie, Ocean

After graduating the program's all-time saves leader, Garrett Schwab, following last season, goalie was a major void for the Spartans under first-year head coach Tom Ryan. Not anymore. Grayson has been excellent between the pipes for Ocean with 80 saves and a 70% save percentage through five games, including 22 saves in a 4-1 victory over Toms River East.

 

Charlie Harrison, Sr., Midfield/FO, Jackson Memorial

The Jaguars have a few potential nominees but we'll go with Harrison, who has added more offense to his game to the point where he has nearly reached his goal and point totals from all of last season while also boosting his win rate at the face-off X. The Jackson senior has a team-leading 15 goals and eight assists for 23 points, plus a team-best 24 ground balls and a sparkling 73% face-off percentage to help lead the way in a 4-1 start to the season.

 

Walker Hunter, Jr., Goalie, Shore Regional

A big year seems likely for Hunter, a returning Third Team All-Shore selection, after a fantastic start to the season in which he has 59 saves and a marvelous 75% save percentage through three games, and that includes a 14-3 loss to No. 1 Rumson where Hunter made some tremendous saves.

 

Kyle Kapcsos, Sr., Attack, Holmdel

The Hornets are 3-2 with their senior standout leading the way. Kapcsos has a team-best 20 points on 16 goals and four assists.

 

Aidan Kirk, Sr., Midfield, Point Boro

Kirk is off to a flying start as the Shore Conference's leading scorer and one of the top scorers in New Jersey with 20 goals and 14 assists for 34 points plus 23 ground balls to lead the Panthers to a 5-0 start for the first time in program history. Kirk also became the first player in program history to reach the 100-goal milestone.

 

Matthew LaBianca, So., Goalie, Jackson Liberty

Full marks to fellow sophomore Paul Capozzi for his team-leading 17 goals and 25 points, but we had to go with LaBianca for the nomination based on his tremendous numbers in goal. In five games, LaBianca has an astounding 105 saves (21 per game), including a ridiculous 33-save effort in a 7-6 win over Freehold Township. He also had 15 saves in a 7-6 win over St. John Vianney and made 22 saves in a 10-9 loss to Toms River South. It's been quality along with quantity, as well, with LaBianca sporting a 68% save percentage.

 

Nate Lorenzo, Jr., Attack, Howell

Lorenzo led Howell in scoring last season and is on a similar trajectory through the first 10 days of the season with 13 goals and nine assists for 22 points to spearhead a Rebels' offense with multiple dangerous options.

 

Ryan Martin, So., Attack, CBA

The Colts have a talented yet inexperienced roster to start the season and needed multiple players to step up and become go-to offensive options. Martin has been one of the players who have risen to the challenge so far with a team-high 17 goals plus five assists for 22 points as the Colts are 3-3 with impressive showings against state top-20 teams.

 

Paul Mazzeo, Sr., Goalie, Brick Memorial

The Mustangs are 3-2 to start the season and Mazzeo has been great in goal with 83 saves and a 66% save percentage so far. He has 17 or more saves in four of five games, including 25 saves in an 11-2 loss to No. 3 Southern.

 

John McCurry, Jr., Attack, Wall

The Navy-bound sniper is one of the most dangerous shooters in the Shore Conference and boasts a team-leading 14 goals plus three assists for 17 points as the Crimson Knights are 4-1, ranked No. 4 in the Shore Conference and No. 15 in New Jersey

 

Anthony Muniz, Sr., Attack/Midfield, Red Bank Catholic

With 17 goals and eight assists for 25 points through five games, Muniz is well on his way to eclipsing the 26 goals and 31 points he totaled last season. The senior had four points in a loss to No. 1 Rumson and tallied five goals and three assists in a big divisional win over Holmdel.

 

Aidan Reiser, Sr., Midfield, Barnegat

Who leads the Shore Conference in goals heading into this week? That would be Barnegat senior Aidan Reiser, who has 21 goals, 6 assists, and 21 ground balls for the Bengals. After a strong 2021 season, Barnegat is now 4-2 through six games.

 

Luke Rohrmann, Sr., Midfield, Middletown South

Rohrmann took over as the Eagles' leading scorer last season and has picked up right where he left off with 17 goals and four assists for 21 points to lead No. 8 Middletown South to a 5-0 start.

 

Quinn Stankovits, Jr., Attack, Rumson-Fair Haven

New faces, save results for the top-ranked Bulldogs. Rumson is still the top dog in the Shore Conference and ranked No. 4 in New Jersey despite some new offensive starters. One of the first-time starters is Stankovits, who leads the team with 12 goals and six assists through five games.

 

Ryder Villani, Jr., Attack, Red Bank

It was a tough start to the season for the No. 9 Bucs in a 12-1 loss to No. 5 Shore Regional but they have rebounded nicely with wins over Ocean and St. Joseph (Metuchen). Villani had two goals and one assist vs. Ocean before taking over against St. Joe's with six goals and one assist.

 

Nick Walano, Jr., Attack, Toms River North

Walano has started strong after a breakout junior year to post 12 goals and one assist through four games.

 

Colin Westhoven, Sr., Midfield/FO, St. Rose

The Purple Roses have sprinted out of the gates to the tune of a 5-0 start and Westhoven has helped lead the way with his scoring ability and superb work at the face-off X. The versatile middie has 9 goals, 5 assists, and 46 ground balls while winning 75% of faceoffs.

 

 

 

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