A lot changed this past offseason in high school boys soccer, including plenty within Northwestern Lehigh’s program.
Logan Mesics and Caelan Stangil – two seniors who combined for 66 goals and 57 assists last season – graduated while exciting freshman Lyle Good was one of many in the area claimed by the MLS Next Homegrown program that forced players to make a choice between club and high school soccer.
One constant from that 24-2 team that reached the PIAA 2A quarterfinal round was Cole Mertz who was easily the top returning point scorer in the area after posting 35 goals and 30 assists in his junior year. He’s on an even better pace through eight games in his final season with the Tigers.
With goals in all eight wins for the Colonial League heavy favorites, including five against Jim Thorpe, Mertz is out to a commanding lead with 18 goals scored, which at least doubles almost every other player in the area. Combine that with five assists and timely star performances in close wins over Notre Dame-Green Pond, Bangor and Southern Lehigh, and you find an early favorite for the all-area boys soccer player of the year.
That recognition won’t come easily, especially with the target that will come with his recent brilliance, but it’s hard to overlook what the Muhlenberg commit has done in a few short weeks to begin the season.
Here’s a look at what else is going on in local high school boys soccer:
John Cari officially becomes the Lehigh Valley’s wins leader
A 2-0 statement road victory over previously undefeated Northampton brought Emmaus coach John Cari into a tie with longtime Salisbury coach Mark Allinson at 364 wins, which was the most among boys soccer coaches in the Lehigh Valley for some time. A 5-0 home win over Dieruff, on what was ironically a celebration of the student-athlete’s mentors, provided the 22-year Emmaus veteran, who is likely a mentor to many of the players who he coached throughout the years, with the Lehigh Valley’s wins record all on his own.
A seventh consecutive win to start the season against Easton on Saturday kept the good times rolling and cemented the Green Hornets as the early favorite in the EPC thanks as always to an incredible defensive resolve. Although they gave up their first goal of the season in that 2-1 victory over Easton, the Green Hornets remain the most impressive defense in the area and one of the best in the state heading into the final days of September.
Standout Players
Joao Pedro Alves, Liberty Hurricanes
The Hurricanes are winners of four games in a row and one of their most consistent players, Joao Pedro Alves, was at the heart of that stretch last week. The senior scored in the first three wins, which included a second-half game-winning goal against Nazareth on Thursday afternoon. It was the first setback of the season for the Blue Eagles since an opening day loss to Freedom, and a momentum boost for Liberty ahead of a 3-0 win over William Allen on Saturday to close a dominant week without conceding a goal.
Liam Behrens, Notre Dame-Green Pond Crusaders
It was a shaky start to the season for the Crusaders but things are starting to turn around following three consecutive shutout wins over Lehighton, Saucon Valley and Catasauqua. Behrens was at the heart of it all, netting a hat trick against Lehighton to kickstart the winning trend and burying a goal in back-to-back wins over the Panthers and Rough Riders to close it out.
Alex Hurwitz, Parkland Trojans
Hurwitz entered the season as one of the players to watch in the Lehigh Valley, and he’s living up to the billing through the first few weeks of the season. The senior has scored or assisted in every game this season and now leads the area with nine assists after setting up a pair of goals in a 5-0 win over Pleasant Valley on Saturday.
Player of the Week
Cole Mertz, Northwestern Lehigh Tigers
In what will likely be the toughest stretch of the regular season for the Tigers, Mertz ensured his team would get through unscathed with his aforementioned clutch and incessant goal scoring. The area’s runaway points leader is relishing the spotlight so far and showing no signs of slowing down in the process.
Mertz scored three of Northwestern Lehigh’s four goals against Palisades, one of two goals in 2-0 wins over Southern Lehigh and Notre Dame and a brace in a 3-1 win over Bangor, making him an easy choice for the boys soccer player of the week.
Other Notes
Moravian Academy freshman Ethan Esembseon buried a hat trick for the first three goals of his career against Jim Thorpe. The Lions remain unbeaten through seven games as well … Luca Nagy scored in three of the last four games for Freedom, including a late winner against Pocono Mountain East, to help the Patriots improve to 6-1 on the season … Despite a loss and a tie to finish the week against mighty Northernwestern Lehigh and Palisades, Pen Argyl jumped to six wins on the season with wins over Notre Dame-ES, Palmerton and Saucon Valley as Kevin Levan leads the way with five goals on the year … Pleasant Valley’s Jasper Porter scored in each of the team’s narrow 2-0 victories over Allen and Whitehall to improve to 5-1-2 on the season … Wilson’s Dillard Jones continues to be an offensive weapon with nine goals and five assists on the year for the 6-2-1 Warriors … Nazareth’s Evan Crescenzo continues to be the orchestrator of the Blue Eagle attack, playing a part in 11 of the team’s 16 goals this season. The Blue Eagles have just one loss since opening day because of it ahead of a challenging week … The Bauer brothers, Michael and Kellen, catalyzed four consecutive results to help Northern Lehigh get back on track as Kellen notched a hat trick in a 4-2 win over Saucon before adding two goals to complement his brother’s hat trick against Lehighton.
Derek Bast is a freelance reporter who can be found on Twitter/X at @derek_bast or reached by email at derekbast11@gmail.com.
Standings
As of 9/20/25
Eastern Pennsylvania Conference
(overall and conference record)
Emmaus; 7-0; 6-0
Northampton; 6-1; 6-1
Parkland; 6-1; 6-1
Liberty; 6-2; 6-1
Freedom; 6-1; 5-1
Pleasant Valley; 5-1-2; 5-1-1
Whitehall; 5-2-1; 4-2-1
Nazareth; 4-2-2; 4-2-1
Stroudsburg; 3-4; 3-4
Easton; 2-3-1; 2-3-1
ES South; 3-4-1; 2-4-1
PM West; 2-5; 2-4
PM East; 2-5-1; 2-5
ACCHS; 2-3-1; 1-3-1
William Allen; 2-5; 1-5
Becahi; 0-5-1; 0-5-1
ES North; 0-7-1; 0-6-1
Dieruff; 0-7; 0-6
Colonial League
(overall and conference record)
NW Lehigh; 8-0; 7-0
Moravian Academy; 5-0-2; 5-0-2
Salisbury; 4-3-1; 4-1-1
NDGP; 4-2-1; 4-2-1
Bangor; 5-2-2; 4-2-1
Southern Lehigh; 2-3-4; 2-1-3
Wilson Area; 6-2-1; 3-2-1
Pen Argyl; 6-2-2; 3-2-1
Palisades; 2-2-2; 2-2-2
Northern Lehigh; 3-4-1; 3-3-1
Saucon Valley; 1-6-1; 1-5-1
Jim Thorpe; 2-7; 1-5
Lehighton; 1-6-1; 1-5-1
Palmerton; 2-7; 1-6
Catasauqua; 1-7-1; 0-6-1
Rankings
1. Emmaus
2. NW Lehigh
3. Northampton
4. Parkland
5. Freedom
6. Pleasant Valley
7. Liberty
8. Moravian Academy
9. Whitehall
10. Easton
Point leaders
(goals, assists, points)
As of 9/20/25
Cole Mertz; NW Lehigh; 18; 5; 41
Jariel Medina; Northampton; 11; 5; 27
Jacob Fallenstein; Northampton; 10; 6; 26
Joseph Gonzales; Northampton; 9; 7; 25
Dillard Jones; Wilson; 9; 5; 23
Alex Hurwitz; Parkland; 6; 9; 21
Ethan Frey; Parkland; 9; 1; 19
Evan Crescenzo; Nazareth; 8; 3; 19
Raul Sarango; Bangor; 5; 8; 18
Justin Hetrick; Wilson; 5; 5; 15
Eddie Curelar; Parkland; 7; 0; 14
Kellen Bauer; NL; 6; 2; 14
Alex Vasquez; Bangor; 6; 1; 13
Braden Benevides; Wilson; 5; 3; 13
Caden Grimmer; Freedom; 5; 3; 13