By: Richie Adenau '27

Published: September 6, 2026

On Saturday, September 5, the Saint Joseph Falcons Soccer team took on the Hudson Catholic Hawks in their home opener. The Falcons looked to bounce back after suffering a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to Princeton in their season opener. 

Saint Joe's dominated from the start, scoring three goals within the first 10 minutes.  Luke Ortiz '27, Carter Stetz '27, and Braeden Sheppard '28 each found the back of the net to give the Falcons the early lead.  The Falcons continued to control the game, finishing the half up 7-0. Ortiz '27 added another goal, while Pat Cui '27, Brody Afonso '30, and Stelio Lyristis '27 also scored.

Even though the game was already out of reach for Hudson Catholic, Saint Joe's kept their foot on the gas.  Xavier Welbeck-Tavaras '27, Pano Lyristis '27, and Nate Wojton '29 each scored to extend the lead to 10-0.  Due to the Falcons' 10-goal lead, the game was called after the 60th minute.

"It feels very good to get our first win.  We have many more wins to come.  We just have to stay locked in and keep working," Luke Ortiz '27 said in a post-game interview.

"Every guy on the team has passion. They have grit. They really want to win," Carter Stetz '27 said.

The Falcons will look to build on their first win when they take on South Brunswick on Tuesday, September 8. 

Published: February 10th, 2026.

By: Eric Kautz '27

On Tuesday, January 20th, the Saint Joe’s soccer team was honored for their prestigious season. The team was honored at halftime of the Falcons' basketball win against Woodbridge.

The Falcons had one of the best seasons in program history. The boys coached under Sam Roca put together an 18-1 season with their only loss coming to Pingry in a heartbreaking 4-3 loss in the semifinal round of the NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public A Tournament. 

In the season, the Falcons claimed the title of back-to-back GMC Champions in a thrilling shootout win over Monroe, capped by a phenomenal Robert Boyke ‘26 save. The club went undefeated in the regular season, tallying ten shutout victories with a +55 point differential on the season.  

Alongside the team's GMC championship victory, one of the team's top signature wins came when they upset highly ranked Notre Dame Academy in front of a very vibrant student section, 4-0, behind a hat trick from Joe Marinello ‘26. 

The team included numerous individual awards for their outstanding play. Zachary Smith ‘26 and Marinello were both awarded First Team All-State Non-Public. Boyke, Ilan Mena ‘26 and Derian Wubbenhorst '26 were honored with Second Team All South Parochial. Coach Roca won the Private Coaches Coach of the Year Award. All players listed for those awards plus Phillip Cui ‘26 were also given GMC individual awards. 

In a very strong senior class, the team will send numerous seniors off to continue their soccer careers in college. Goalie Boyke will play at Stevens Institute of Technology, Wubbenhorst at Delaware Valley University, and Smith at Muhlenburg College.

Key contributor Caleb Ward '26 said, "being able to play with my brothers and dominate the way we did , its something ill never forget... the future is bright for the underclassmen and I am very excited for them." Ward recorded seven points on the season as a defender. 

A graduating class of twelve seniors will be big shoes for next year's Saint Joe’s soccer team to fill, but the 2025-2026 season will never be forgotten on Plainfield Ave and will be cemented in history forever.