By Griffin Bobnick ’25
RAMSEY, NJ – The Don Bosco Prep Varsity Soccer team finished with an impressive 12-5-1 record in Head Coach Roy Nygren’s final season. The Ironmen’s defensive resolve shone through in great performances against Bergen Catholic and Newark Academy, and their attacking prowess was evident against St. Joseph’s Regional High School and Paramus Catholic. The Ironmen ultimately fell to #1 ranked Delbarton in the Section Semifinal. In the rest of the program, the JV squad were Bergen County runner-ups, and the Freshman team held their own against the best competition in the State. Despite a disappointing end to the season, many on the Varsity team earned accolades for their performances throughout the year.
Bergen Catholic
The Ironmen opened their season at home against rival Bergen Catholic. The Crusaders, projected to win, were quickly met with adversity posed by the Don Bosco defense, and compounded by the large student section and poor weather. The Ironmen threatened on the attack as well, calling the Bergen Catholic goalkeeper into action many times, but the match remained scoreless into the first rain delay. The players returned to the field thirty minutes after the final lightning strike to resume play. Both sides had good chances throughout the remainder of the first and beginning of the second halves, yet neither side broke through. In the end, the game was decided as a draw after lightning struck once more mid-way through the second half.
The starting players huddle before kickoff against Bergen Catholic. Photo courtesy of Zachary Qureshi.
Paramus Catholic and St. Joe’s
Following a goalless opening match, the Ironmen responded to early season doubts surrounding goal production by scoring 14 goals combined in their first meetings against Paramus Catholic and St. Joseph’s Regional High School. Against St. Joe’s, seven different Ironmen found the back of the net, and against Paramus Catholic, six different players scored for Don Bosco.
County Tournament
The Don Bosco Prep Varsity Soccer team reached the Semifinal of the Bergen County Tournament, defeating Demarest and Tenafly, ultimately falling to Ramapo. The Ironmen’s defensive principles shone through once again in the tournament, conceding only one goal across the three matches. In the first match of the tournament, the Ironmen hosted Demarest. In a relatively uneventful first half, neither side had great chances, and the score remained 0-0 at halftime. After a rallying team talk, Ryan Ypelaar opened the scoring three minutes into the second half. Max Velez scored again for Don Bosco twenty minutes later to seal the match. Three days later, the Ironmen traveled to Ramapo, where they faced #2 seeded Tenafly on a neutral site. Don Bosco struck early twice; A.J. Cottini scored the first goal, and Matt Skinner scored the second. The Ironmen went into the halftime break up 2-0, but understood that the job was far from finished. In the second half, Don Bosco retained its lead and comfortably won the match. In the final match of Bosco’s County Tournament run, the Ironmen once again traveled to Ramapo High School, where they faced the home team. Both sides were menacing early and often, but neither was able to separate itself, and the first half ended 0-0. The Ironmen fought valiantly throughout the rest of the match, but with less than two minutes to go, Ramapo scored a free kick, which would ultimately decide the match.
The team joins in prayer prior to their match against Ramapo. Photo courtesy of Zachary Qureshi.
State Tournament
The Ironmen’s impressive performances in the County Tournament and rest of the season earned them a “first round bye” in the State Tournament. In the second round of the tournament, Bosco faced the Minutemen of Newark Academy at home. The game picked up quickly, and after just four minutes Don Bosco was leading 1-0, courtesy of Noah Granados. Throughout the rest of the match, the Ironmen had great chances, but could not capitalize. Similarly, Newark Academy was threatening on the attack, but was thwarted by the Don Bosco defense. The rest of the match remained scoreless, and ended 1-0 in favor of the Ironmen. Just three days later, the team traveled to Delbarton to compete in the Sectional Semifinal. After a back-and-forth first half, neither side broke through, and the halftime score was 0-0. Eight minutes after the conclusion of the halftime break, Delbarton scored. Although they had great chances, the Ironmen were unable to score, and the match ended 1-0, marking the end of the Don Bosco Prep Varsity Soccer team’s 2023 season.
The starting eleven in what would be the Varsity team’s last game of the 2023 campaign. Photo courtesy of Zachary Qureshi.
Freshman and J.V.
The future looks bright for the Ironmen Varsity Soccer team, based on the great performances and standouts at the Freshman and JV levels. In the County Tournament, the Freshman team, after receiving a “first round bye,” defeated #11 seeded Riverdell, to advance to the next round. The Freshman Ironmen then traveled to #3 seeded Ramapo in the County Quarterfinal, where they fell, by a score of 1-0. In the end, the Freshman team had an impressive 9-7-2 record, considering the tough schedule which they faced (including two J.V. teams). At the J.V. level, Don Bosco Prep showed true character and determination as the team attempted to match its 2022 County Championship Season. After a difficult road, winning in a sudden death penalty kick shootout and upsetting the #1 seed Tenafly, the Don Bosco J.V. team reached the County Championship for the second year in a row. In the Championship match, the Ironmen faced Bergen Catholic away from home. After a nail-biting game, the J.V. team fell just short, losing 2-1. However, they ended their season with an incredible 15-6 record, sparking hope as many will join the Varsity squad next year.
End of Season Accolades
All-County:
- Zeno Bang – 1st team
- Shahan Zamanian Rad – 1st team
- Nicholas Swierkosz – 3rd team
Senior All Star Game:
- Zeno Bang
- Shahan Zamanian Rad
- Nicholas Swierkosz
County Tournament (Top 11) Select team:
- Griffin Bobnick
- Luke Eitner
All-League (Big North United Division):
- Zeno Bang – 1st team
- Harrison Carolan – 1st team
- Nicholas Swierkosz – 1st team
- Shahan Zamanian Rad – 1st team
- Griffin Bobnick – 2nd team
- AJ Cottini – 2nd team
- Luke Eitner – 2nd team
- Noah Granados – 2nd team
- Lucien Yu – 2nd team
- Ryan Ypelaar – Honorable Mention
Scholar/Athlete Award:
- Noah Granados
Unsung Hero Award:
- Ryan Ypelaar
Richard Zawacki Champions Award:
- Luke Eitner
Coach Nygren’s Remarks
At the conclusion of his final season, Roy Nygren reminisced about the program that he had so greatly influenced, “When we got here three years ago, the third base dugout was reserved for Seniors; everyone else either used the first base dugout, or left their belongings in the infield. This year, every single player, across all three levels, used the third base dugout.” Nygren used the image of the dugout, not because he literally cares where the players kept their equipment, but rather figuratively, to show how camaraderie and team spirit became second nature to all of his players. As he prepared to leave his team, Nygren reminded them that, “Wins and losses will take care of themselves, so long as you are honest, self-less, and give your best effort.”
The entire Don Bosco Community thanks Head Coach Roy Nygren for his many years of contribution to the Varsity Soccer team, and we wish him the very best in his retirement. The Soccer program would also like to thank Varsity Assistant Coaches Ed Wallace and Nelson Ramirez, J.V. Head Coach Kieran Walsh, Freshman Head Coach Casey Schick, Goalkeeper Coach Graeham Gotrell, and Director of Soccer Operations Victor Ortiz for their efforts in making this season a success.