The Eagles Varsity Boys goalkeeper, George Kostis ‘25, has been named New Jersey’s top boys freshmen soccer player for the season, after being nominated as among the top freshman statewide. Out of a total of 58,733 votes, he received 11,336 votes.

Eagles’ starting goalkeeper Matthew Faria ‘22 graduated the previous year, leaving large shoes to fill coming into this season. When tryouts began, Kostis first caught the attention of Eagles Assistant Varsity Coach Charles Jammal as being “tall for a freshman.” When put in goal, Kostis’ agility and handling stood out, earning him a spot on the varsity roster.

In the past sixteen games, Kostis has made a total of 133 saves, nearing Faria’s 142 in the previous season. One such notable save was a penalty shot by  Woodbridge bound to the far-left corner, which Kostis kept out of the net. In addition, he maintained his first varsity clean sheet against Metuchen, defending all shots on goal. Jammal attributes these performances to Kostis’ efforts at self-improvement over the summer.

“George’s high school soccer career has just begun, and he has already made a name for himself in the county and now in the state on this new poll of top freshmen soccer players,” said Jammal.

Note: This article was updated on October 25 to reflect the poll results.