Real Central New Jersey ready to showcase their homegrown talent in season four

Real Central New Jersey is back for a fourth season and once again features a roster filled with local players. (Courtesy of RCNJ)

When Ben Chrnelich was thinking about what he wanted Real Central New Jersey’s outfit in the Women’s Premier Soccer League to look like, this is it.

A strong team capable of winning a division title that is largely supported by local players from the greater Trenton area, rich in soccer tradition.

“Our mission is to continue to provide a professionally managed soccer organization program to the highest caliber and most committed players in the region,” said Chrnelich, who serves as athletic director for the women’s team. “We love seeing players who have competed in secondary and academy leagues come together at RCNJ to represent our region.”

RCNJ’s season begins Sunday night when it hosts West Mont United at 7 p.m. on the turf at Rider University’s Ben Cohen Field.

RCNJ will compete in the Colonial Division of the Mid-Atlantic Conference alongside the Delaware Ospreys, Fever SC, Penn Fusion, Philadelphia Hebrew Nationals, SJEB FC and West Mont United.

Both SJEB and Penn Fusion are ranked in the preseason top 25.

The 10-game schedule begins Sunday and runs through June 30, followed by the playoffs as teams compete for the Jerry Zanelli Cup. The rosters are comprised of collegiate, post-collegiate, international and standout prep athletes.

“The club has seen significant growth in programs offered, fan interest and community support,” Chrnelich said, noting the increase in attendance since moving from Mercer CC to Rider University for games at home last season.

“In addition to the women’s team consistently being one of the top-ranked WPSL teams, the club has had notable success with its youth teams (U13, U15 and U18) competing in the USL Academy Cup. Our attendance has increased each year with WPSL matches seeing over 250 fans in attendance, with many more watching the live stream. Our focus on a player-centered environment continues to attract top players to our program and recommendations from college coaches to play and train with Real Central NJ in preparation for the fall college season.

The list is highlighted by familiar names.

It includes former CVC Player of the Year Sophia Lis (Lehigh University/Princeton High) and this fall’s Prep and Area Co-Player of the Year, Morgan Kotch (Villanova University/Pennington School).

Other notable players include captains Ava Curtis (TCNJ/ Hillsborough High) and Stella Kahn (La Salle University/ Eastern Regional High), Brooke Steel (American University/ Shawnee High), Riley Hayes (Bucknell University/ Hun School), Kirsten Ruf (Rice University/Princeton Day) and Nicola Mosionek (Rider University/Hopewell Valley), among others.

Brian Thomson returns as head coach for his fourth season, and he will be assisted by former team goaltender Jamie Skarupsky and Allentown High head coach Kim Maurer.

“The roots of soccer in Trenton run deep and we are proud to play our part in continuing to ensure players can stay local while competing against the best talent on the East Coast,” Chrnelich said.