Perhaps The Who said it best, “meet the new boss, same as the old boss.” For the Haddonfield Memorial High School soccer programs, that has been the case for this season and hopefully going forward.
Ryan Nixon and Lori Quintavalle are in their first seasons as the new boys and girls soccer coaches, respectively, and though the names on the coachs’ doors may have changed, the results have not. Through Nov. 7, the boys reeled off a 14–5–1 record, including a playoff win against Barnegat High School in the South Jersey Group II tournament. The girls opened the season 10–0 on their way to a 16–3 record and first round bye in the South Jersey Group II tournament.
Everything going according to plan, Coach?
“We came into the season with the expectation of being competitive. We didn’t set specific win-loss goals or what championships we wanted to win. We talked about coming together as a team and having a competitive season,” Nixon said. “We’ve had a number of accomplishments already to be proud of.”
Nixon said part of the focus of this season for him was finding his own unique voice for the program.
“It’s been a good ride. I’ve been trying to give the guys as much continuity as possible while I figure out my own style. I do want to put my own stamp on the program, but when you’re following a coach as great as Joe Falana, it will take a few years for that to happen,” Nixon said.
That is not just a current coach paying lip service to the former coach. Both he and Quintavalle came into the season with big shoes to fill. Falana coached the Dawgs for 38 years and is one of only two South Jersey boys’ soccer coaches to surpass the 600-win mark on his way to winning seven state titles, 18 South Jersey sectional titles, 24 Colonial Conference championships and one Coaches Cup title. In his nine years, Glenn Gess compiled a career record of 189–18–7 at HMHS, including three Group II championships and eight Colonial Conference titles.
Both teams credit their success on being strong defensively. Ten of the boys’ first 14 wins were shutout victories, while the girls recorded 11 shutout wins. The key for Nixon’s team has been contributions from not only senior players but sophomores and juniors as well.
“We’ve had a solid core of juniors that we’ve been able to count on all season, but what’s really been great is a group of sophomores that have stepped up and rounded out the team. It’s been huge for us this season and obviously is promising going forward as we have a solid group of younger guys coming up as well,” Nixon said.
Sophomore goalkeeper John Baxter is a huge part of that young core for the Dawgs.
“This is John’s first year playing varsity and he’s stepped up and filled the role in a big way. He’s showed poise and leadership beyond his years,” Nixon said. “He’s been someone we’ve counted on throughout this entire season.”
As the teams have developed, so has the relationship between Quintavalle and Nixon.
“It’s been great. Lori and I remain best of friends. We text, email constantly about different things we want to do or want to try,” Nixon said. “She’s a great coach and has an amazing team of talented girls.”
