Winning is fun.
So claimed Matteo Ucciferri, one of the four senior captains on the Bridgewater-Raritan High School boys’ soccer team for the 2026 season.
“We are having fun and we enjoy being around each other,” Ucciferri said during a recent practice at the Turf Field located at Basilone Memorial Field. “We have a good team with a lot of experience and a lot of seniors.”
“ The coaches are solid, too, ” the center back declared.
Plus, he added.
“And winning is fun.”
A team that is loaded with experience—-13 returning layers, including eight starters, have returned to bring plenty of optimism this autumn at the soccer fields of Bridgewater-Raritan.
“We are hoping that having experienced players leads to success on the field,” Bridgewater-Raritan Coach Mark Heinbach shared.
But Coach Heinbach did reveal that there is one position where a rookie starter must step up.
“One position where we are inexperienced is goalkeeper, after having graduated a three-year starter,” Coach Heinbach said.
Four seniors are vying for the starting job in the net—-Andrew Avellan, Eli Barnwell
Raul Cabrera Guzman and Evan Francz.
But there are plenty of skills and experience positioned in front of the goal.
Senior captain Conor Rosander, a midfielder and forward, is the second-leading goal scorer from a year ago, when he was named First Team All-Skyland Conference and Second Team All-Somerset County.
Senior Liam Rivera, a back and midfielder, received Second Team All-Skyland Conference and Honorable Mention All-Somerset County recognition a season ago
Senior captain David Escobar Mora, a midfielder, placed second on the team in 2025 in assists and Bridgewater-Raritan’s fourth senior captain, Luke Perry, a midfielder and back, is healthy after missing some time last season due to an injury.
Senior midfielder and forward Ivan Sumba, who finished third on the team with goals scored in 2025, and senior midfielder Jayden Ojeda will begin their third seasons as starters.
Bridgewater-Raritan will bid to improve on its 8-10-2 record from 2025 when the Panthers open their season against Gill St. Bernard’s School in Gladstone on Wednesday, September 2. Game time is 4:15 p.m.
Bridgewater-Raritan’s home opener is set for Saturday, September 5, against Watchung Hills Regional High School at 10 a.m.
Here is the Bridgewater-Raritan High School boys’ soccer 2026 roster
Number Name Grade Position
1 Ian Singh Sr. M
2 Matteo Ucciferri Sr. B
3 Pranavesh Prasad Sr. M, B
4 Pennell Kirk Sr. B
5 Aarush Shah Sr. B, M
6 Jayden Ojeda Sr. M
7 David Escobar Mora Sr. M
8 Luke Perry Sr. M, B
9 Joshua Kinsley Sr. F
10 Liam Rivera Sr. B, M
11 Anthony Galvez Sr. B, M
12 Conor Rosander Sr. M, F
13 Steven Villalba Sr. M
14 Steve Urena Jr. M, F
15 Dhruv Mehrish Sr. F
16 Ivan Sumba Sr. M, F
17 Abraham Garcia-Tapia Sr. B
19 Santiago Castro-Sandi Sr. M, B
20 Tyler Valeira Jr. M, F
21 Thatcher Kirk Jr. M
23 Jonathan Ahator Sr. F
51 Evan Francz Sr. G
52 Raul Cabrera Guzman Sr. G
55 Eli Barnwell Sr. G
99 Andrew Avellan Sr. G