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Monroe's Matt Mischler is the HNT All-Area Boys Soccer Player of the Year

Lauren Knego
@laurenknego
Monroe's Matt Mischler is the HNT All-Area Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

Heading into this season, Matt Mischler of the Monroe High School boys soccer team had no expectations. He just wanted to go out, play soccer and help his team win games.

Mischler ended up doing just that, finishing with 31 goals and 15 assists as the Falcons ended the season with a 16-4-1 record, won the Greater Middlesex Conference Red Division for the first time since 2005 and advanced to the NJSIAA Central Group IV semifinals.

For his efforts, Mischler is the 2016 Home News Tribune All-Area Boys Soccer Player of the Year.

"He’s the ultimate competitor, he’s the ultimate teammates and player in general," Monroe coach Steven Mackenzie said. "He’s an All-American type kid, how he leads his life translates onto the field. In my years, outside of Brandon Allen, he’s had the most dominant run in our division that I’ve seen. He’s played at a high level but what takes him above and beyond is he’s just the ultimate competitor. He takes pride in his school, his town and what he does and it definitely translates into the season."

READ: NORTH BRUNSWICK'S LIDDY IS THE HNT ALL-AREA BOYS SOCCER COACH OF THE YEAR

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Mischler, who has played soccer since he was about six years old, didn't always play at the midfielder and forward positions. He said his freshman year he didn't really play, and his sophomore and junior seasons he played more defense. He didn't move up until the end of his junior season.

"I was more of a defensive player, getting tackles and winning balls was basically my job, and then this year I feel like with the team I brought some physicality to us and some intensity, and I allowed us to do pretty well this season," Mischler said. "Towards the end of my junior season I scored a few goals and my coach decided it would be worth it to try and put me up top, so he put me up top and it worked out pretty well."

After tallying just six goals and nine assists last year, Mischler exploded this season, recording at least one point in 17 games. He posted hat tricks in five games, including the Central Group IV quarterfinals against Trenton, and had three games in which he recorded two goals and two assists.

"He’s our goal scorer, he’s very versatile," Mackenzie said. "He played in the midfield and allowed us to become stable in games when we needed him, he was a difference maker on attack, half his goals came out of midfield, he had a lot of opportunities and when he was the most dangerous he came out of the midfield."

Mischler credits the midfield for helping Monroe have such a quality season, in which the Falcons started the season 7-0 and went 13-2-1 in the Red Division, as well as earned the No. 1 seed in the GMC Tournament and the No. 4 seed in the Central Group IV Tournament.

"I think our midfield, we had a lot of hard workers in the midfield who would just outwork to constantly get the ball back and find people’s feet and keep the ball," Mischler said. "Our defense and goal keeper were just stellar the entire year, always switched on and ready to play."

Mischler, who will be attending the naval academy next season, is one of a large group of seniors who hope to leave a strong legacy behind at Monroe for the underclassmen to follow.

"I just hope we leave a good work ethic and that they understand it’s important to work in the offseason and not only as the season begins," Mischler said. "Work throughout the whole thing to make yourself better."

Staff Writer Lauren Knego: lknego@gannettnj.com; on Twitter: @laurenknego