New Jersey’s Top Goalies to Watch in the Class of 2024

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>As we continue to analyze New Jersey's top players to watch in the class of 2024, we move on to goalies after recently highlighting the other positional groups: </p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:list --> <ul><!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2024/01/new-jerseys-top-attackmen-to-watch-in-the-class-of-2024/?itm_source=parsely-api">Attackmen</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2024/02/new-jerseys-top-midfielders-to-watch-in-the-class-of-2024/">Midfield</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --> <!-- wp:list-item --> <li><a href="https://preplacrosse.com/2024/02/new-jerseys-top-defenders-to-watch-in-the-class-of-2024/">Defense/LSM</a></li> <!-- /wp:list-item --></ul> <!-- /wp:list --> <!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Goaltenders, of course, are the backbone of any great defensive unit, and New Jersey has no shortage of talent in this year's senior class. We take a deep dive into which of the top New Jersey goaltenders you will need to watch this spring.</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["14818"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"Heading into his senior season, Stevens is looking to cement his legacy at Pingry by leading his team to back-to-back Somerset County championships and eventually to a state title. New Jersey's only 5-star senior, Stevens is the whole package in net and is set to spend his college career at Harvard after one last go. Backstopping Leading Edge over the past few summers, two of his best attributes are how consistent he is in cage and how he doesn't get rattled after getting scored on. He's always quick to react: you better think twice if you expect an easy goal on the doorstep because Stevens will stand tall like a brick wall. He's able to read opponents, which helps him make the critical saves late in games and most times, it also helps swing the momentum in his team's favor as a result. After a save, he is quick to survey the field with his head up and throws dimes to players breaking out to get open. He loves to lay his body on the line for his team, often making highlight reel saves in the process. He also does a nice job of stepping out to the ball and cutting down shooting angles by hugging the pipe for optimal positioning.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["14832"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"Lawrenceville's lengthy list of players to watch keeps growing with the 4-star Cornell recruit in between the pipes for his final year with the Big Red. There is no doubt that a good amount of the Big Red's success can be attributed to none other than their goaltender, a consensus Top 50 recruit in the class and a four-year starter. What he has been able to do to opposing offenses through his high school career has been nothing short of spectacular, and Cornell should be excited to add another New Jersey native to the program. Piacentini exudes a ton of confidence in the way he plays, standing tall in the net with quick hands and great reaction time on shots in close. He has the athleticism to make some of the more acrobatic saves that you'll ever see and possesses a short memory, a great quality to have as a goalie. Piacentini shakes off any goal scored on him, keeping his head up and staying focused. He also possesses good footwork in the crease and great vision on long-distance shots, making the hard step-down shots look easy to save. On clears, he makes the right passes thanks to excellent stick skills and helps lead Lawrenceville's potent transition game. It'll be fun to see how Piacentini puts a stamp on his high school career this spring.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_player":["15462"],"_player_evaluations_2_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"The youngest Kirst brother was also the first sibling to commit to Rutgers as a high school recruit, choosing his late father's alma mater and playing the same position. Playing JV at Bernards as a sophomore, the recruiting process wasn't always easy for Caden, who reportedly got limited looks before the Rutgers staff reached out in November of his junior year, leading to a commitment in December 2022. Carrying a big frame and filling up cage, Kirst's style and leadership allow his defense to play with tremendous confidence, as he's always talking and getting his guys in the right spots. In his case, he doesn't care how he makes the stop as long as he makes it and has a knack for coming up big with body saves. Like Colin, he's excellent in the clearing game, where he throws precise outlets and makes quick decisions. In his first year as a varsity starter in 2023, Kirst made 14 or more saves on nine occasions and 15+ for five consecutive games in May before his squad ultimately fell to eventual state champ Rumson Fair Haven, finishing the year with 241 saves in 21 games.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["15246"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"Manasquan has a lot of talent on its roster this year, and Bounassi is certainly one of the most important pieces going into 2024. The 3-star High Point commit is listed at 6'2 but looks much bigger than that in between the pipes. His defensive presence is massive and he is the true quarterback of that defense with his communication and ability to make the most unlikely saves. He takes up a good amount of the net with his wide stance and uses his quick reactions when saving a step-down shot or a shot on the doorstep. He has great footwork and vision, great attributes for any goaltender. He is a very intelligent player and during clears, he keeps his head up after a save and makes the right play, whether that means dumping it off to a longstick and methodically working up the field or rifling one deep to start a fast break. He is a brick wall in net for the Warriors and will look to close out his high school career on top before heading to High Point in the fall.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_player":["15236"],"_player_evaluations_4_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"If Ridgewood wants to get back to a state title game, it starts with the Maroons' netminder [player_tooltip player_id='15236' first='Matthew' last='Roughgarden']. The 3-star Stony Brook signee was spectacular in net last season for the Maroons and will look to anchor their defensive unit for one last season. He does a good job of reading the offense and communicating with his defenders, which helps the entire defense. While Roughgarden isn't the tallest goalie, he makes sure the opponents know about him. He's very athletic and active in net, never not moving his feet it seems like, and doesn't mind leaving the crease to make a play on the ball if necessary. He tries to get the ball out quickly after a save, throwing the ball on a rope to start a possible transition opportunity. His vision on deep shots helps him, and he uses his quick hands and instincts on saves in close, which is always a big momentum swing for a team.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["15280"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Looking to have another outstanding year, Day is a massive 6'5 beast in net for Bergen Catholic. The 3-star Bucknell commit can do it all with his size, quick hands, and athleticism. He makes the tough saves look nonchalant and has the athleticism to get down on low shots or in ground ball scrums in front of the crease. His vision is good on long-distance shots and he has quick hands on shots that change planes. Although he has a solid defense in front of him limiting the number of shots in close, Day is still there to stonewall the opponent on the doorstep on the off chance that happens. He takes up a lot of the goal, so it's also hard for the shooter to find a spot to shoot, and Day is unafraid to come out of the net and get physical. He has good ground ball skills and can make plays happen with his passing in the clearing game.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":6,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65cb62944f683"} /-->