By BRIAN TORTELLA
Correspondent
@tortreports on Instagram
RICHLAND — St. Augustine Prep is back — and the Hermits were sure firing on all cylinders on Tuesday.
The top boys soccer program in South Jersey couldn’t have looked more efficient in an 8-0 rout of visiting Ocean City in season-opening Cape Atlantic League action.
“Every year we have a new team. I have a lot of returners, but we have a whole new defense that we put in. Our experience and our age showed today. It was what I was hoping to see,” Hermits’ fourth-year coach Justin Abbey said. “This class has been building for a few years. With Mike and John returning and all of those seniors, we’re an older team now. It’s exciting for them to come out and get some momentum like this today.”
Momentum was certainly gained for the Hermits’ elite senior class that is headlined by John Lamanteer and Mike Coluzzi. Lamanteer recorded a hat trick and Coluzzi scored two goals of his own in the triumph. Jackson Reichard, Frankie Brown, and Luke Whelan also tallied a goal each for the Hermits.
“I’m just so happy for that guy,” Abbey said of Lamanteer, who remains currently uncommitted to a collegiate program. “There are college coaches here today watching, and to see him go off and do his thing with people in the stands is exciting for me to watch. He’s such a hard worker and a great guy. To see him get that on Day One is awesome for him.”
The forward was second on the team with 14 goals during his junior campaign in 2025. He’s expected to crush that number this season, and Tuesday’s contest was a start as he notched his first career hat trick.
“It was a great team win,” Lamanteer said. “We came out here and expected to do it, and we did it. It’s amazing. With the guys we have, we’re so deep in our lineup. Everyone can get it done and we did get it done today.”
St. Augustine (1-0, 1-0 CAL American) finished 18-3-1 last fall, falling short of a sectional title with a 2-1 overtime setback to Christian Brothers Academy in the semifinal round of the South Jersey Non-Public A playoffs. The Hermits also fell 1-0 in overtime to Washington Township in the South Jersey Coaches Association Tournament Final, which effectively determines the top-ranked program in the region before the start of the state tournament.
Despite the rough ending to last year, it’s now a new season, and the Hermits couldn’t be more thrilled to start on such a positive note. The first big challenge for St. Augustine will come against state power Delbarton on Friday on the road.
“We’ve been consistent over the last several years of being what I think is the best program in South Jersey,” Abbey said. “We haven’t been able to win the Coaches Cup, but we’ve been (to the finals). It’s another team this year that gives us a chance to make that run again and we’ll see if we can go ahead and push through to victory.”
WHAT’S NEXT: St. Augustine Prep travels to Delbarton on Friday at 4 p.m. Ocean City travels to Mainland Regional on Thursday at 4 p.m.
