South Jersey Soccer Hall of Fame to induct Class of 2024 on May 19 at Valleybrook CC
The South Jersey Soccer Hall of Fame will hold its annual induction banquet on May 19 at Ron Jaworski’s Valleybrook Country Club.
A social hour will start at 5 p.m. before the induction dinner at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $50 each and available at the organization’s website at sjsoccerhalloffame.teampages.com or email coachmcg11@comcast.net. The deadline for tickets is May 10. No tickets will be sold at the door.
The Class of 2024: Michael Boehme (posthumously), Jim Bonder, Anthony Casale, Ray Goon, John Lewis, Megan Lincoln, Tifany McCall-Cheatham, Shane Synder, Madison Tiernan, Natalia Torosian and the 1974 Haddon Heights boys soccer team.
Michael Boehme
Born in Landstubl, Germany, Boehme was the leader of the first Willingboro High School team and first Chimera to earn All-Burlington County honors.
Considered one of South Jersey’s pioneers and former Hall of Fame Coach Bob Reasso said, “Boehme was in a class by himself.”
A member of the Willingboro Apaches, Boehme was on the first-ever state championship team from South Jersey and was selected to the 1976 SJSL All-Star team which won the prestigious Delco Tournament and was the first South Jersey tea to compete outside the United States with a trip to Bermuda.
Played at Nasson College and was a first team all-conference selection in 1980. He later took the field with Mt. Holly taems that won five Carnegie Cups in the South Jersey’s Men’s League. He also played in the Masters League and powered Burlington SC into a league champion in three straight years.
Nicknamed “The Boss”, Boehme passed away in 2015. With no blood-related family, he sincerely and affectionally called his teammates and friends his “brothers.”
Jim Bonder
Coached Haddon Township boys’ soccer for 15 years from 2007-2022, producing a 273-67-13 record at the Group 1 school. The Hawks won 11 Colonial Conference Patriot Division titles, two Colonial Liberty Division banners and eight South Jersey Group 1 crowns. A five-time state finalist, Haddon Township won state titles in 2011, 2016 and 2022.
Named SJSCA Boys Coach of the Year in 2019 and the SJANJ South Coach of the Year in 2019 and 2022. He was a two-time winner of the SCANJ State Coach of the Year (2011 and 2022). Also in 2022, he was the East Regional COY and United Soccer Coaches COY. In 2011, Bonder was named the Courier-Post Boys’ Soccer Coach of the Year.
Member of the NJSIAA Executive Committee from 2011-2022. He served as coach of the State All-Star team four times and was the South game coach six times.
Currently serves as the Director of Coaching for the Haddonfield Soccer Club, which includes over 40 boys and girls teams and over 1,000 players.
Anthony Casale
Played soccer at Holy Cross High School where he was a three-year varsity player before graduating in 1986. He was a second-team All-State selection by the NJSCA, a second-team All-Conference selecton and a South Jersey All-Parochial team.
A midfielder who worked hard supplying balls to strikers and winning contested midfield balls, Casale was an integral part of his team’s success. He finished scholastic career with 18 goals and 15 assists, which both ranked among the leaders in the program’s history at the time of his graduation, and was the first player to earn an athletic scholarship for soccer.
Played at the University of Dayton where he was a four-year player, starting 80 of 81 games during his career. He tallied 14 goals and 11 assists for the Flyers, both ranked in the top five all-time for the program upon his graduation.
Ray Goon
Played his scholastic soccer at Willingboro High School where he graduated in 1981. He was a three-year starter and was a team captain as a senior for the Chimeras. He was a first-team All-Conference, All-South Jersey and All-State Group 4 selection and a second team All-State (All-Groups) selection.
Played collegiately at Rutgers where he was a four-year starter for the Scarlet Knights. In 1983, the team qualified for the NCAA Tournament and was ranked No. 6 in the country, finishing with a 17-0-3 record. He was a captain and all-conference selection as a senior.
Played professionally with the Houston Dynamos of the United Soccer League until the league folded in 1985. He later played in the South Jersey Amateur League with Sunrise Inn and Winslow, playing on two Cup championship teams.
Joins his brother Art as inductees into the South Jersey Soccer Hall of Fame.
Was an assistant coach with the Rutgers University women’s team from 1989-93 as the Scarlet Knights won three ECAC during the span.
A head coach at Philadelphia Textile from 1994-96, winning a NYCAC championship. He was honored as the Coaches of the Year and Division II Regional COY.
Since 1997, he has been the Drexel women’s soccer head coach, earning the CAA Coach of the Year honor three times.
John Lewis
A 1982 graduate of Burlington City High School where he played football and was a high jumper on the track team.
Went to Trenton State College, now known as The College of New Jersey and graduated in 1986 with a degree in Broadcast Communication. He also competed in track.
Worked at the Trentonian from 1983-96 before joining the Burlington County Times where he worked for 26 years as a soccer columnist.
Was honored by the Soccer Coaches Association of New Jersey as its Media Person of the Year in 2003 and became the only two-time recipient of that award in 2014. He won it for a third time in 2021. He continues to work as a freelancer writer.
After leaving the Gannett chain in 2022, he joined the Cherry Hill School District where he works at the Henry C. Beck Middle School as an education assistant.
Has been the voice for South Jersey high school soccer for generations of its players.
Megan Lincoln
One of the first star goalies in South Jersey girls’ soccer, Lincoln was a three-time All-South Jersey and All-Conference selection during her scholastic days at Holy Cross High School. She was also a three-time All-State selection by NJGSCA and a two-time All-Region member by NSCAA.
Recorded a program-record 15 shutouts as a freshman as the Lancers won the South Jersey Group 4 title and was a state runner-up. Her club team, the Willingboro Excels, also finished second in the state that year.
As a sophomore in 1992, Lincoln led the Lancers to another South Jersey Group 4 title and its first South Jersey Coaches Tournament title. As a junior, Holy Cross won the state Group 4 title and its third consecutive BCSL Liberty Division banner. She was named to the South Jersey and State Senior Games.
Received a full athletic scholarship to North Carolina State where she played two seasons as the Wolfpack were ACC runner-ups and NCAA Elite 8 finalists in 1995.
Led the Medford Strikers U-20 team to the 1996 state championship. She was also a member of the NJ ODP and South Jersey Select teams from 1988-94.
In 2000, she was named to the All-Century Team by the Courier-Post.
She currently trains youth players with various South Jersey clubs.
Tifany McCall-Cheatham
Was a leader on one of the first powerhouse teams in South Jersey girls’ soccer history at Cherry Hill East before graduating in 1991, and played on the Cougars’ first undefeated team in program history.
She earned All-Conference selections and a SJCA first-team selection as a junior and senior. A three-time All-Group 4 selection, she was a member of the All-State first team by the NJGSCA and the NSCAA Regional All America team.
Donning her trademark No. 4 jersey, she played club soccer for the Medford Strikers Magic, serving as captain and was the squad’s second leading scorer.
Graduated from Spelman College, but didn’t play soccer at the collegiate level. She has earned a successful career in the world of financial services.
Her daughter Taylor is currently playing soccer at UCLA, which won the 2022 National Championship, and her brother Patrick was a four-year letter winner at Cherry Hill East.
Shane Snyder
Played his scholastic soccer at Pennsauken High School where he was a four-year letter winner and a three-time All-Conference and two-time All-South Jersey selection. Played four years at St. Joseph University.
Made his mark as a coach at Washington Township High School where he began in 2003. Snyder led the girls’ program to two conference titles and one sectional final during his tenure. He moved over to the boys’ side in 2010 and built the program into a state powerhouse.
The Minutemen won three state championships, including back-to-back titles in 2014-15 and captured eight Olympic Conference titles including five in a row from 2012-16, seven South Jersey Group 4 sectional titles and three Coaches Tournament banners (2013, 2014 and 2017).
Washington Township was ranked in the state Top 20 rankings for seven straight seasons, including a No. 1 ranking at the end of the 2014 season. Three of his teams finished in the nation’s top 20, including the 2014 squad which was ranked No. 4.
Snyder was named the SJSCA Coach of the Year in 2006, 2013 and 2014 and State Coach of the Year in 2015. He was selected to coach in the National All American Game.
Stepped down after last season to spend more time with his family. He finished with a 336-92-18 career record.
Madison Tiernan
A four-year starter and four-time leading scorer for Eastern High School. She was an All-State, All-South Jersey and All-Olympic Conference selection in each of her four seasons with the Vikings. Tiernan was a two-time captain and three-time team Offensive MVP. She finished her career with 79 goals and 45 assists, both of which rank second on the all-time Eastern list, and a then-school record 203 career points.
She a three-time regional All-American and was named twice to the NSCAA All-America team. As a senior, she was the NJGSCA’s State Player of the Year.
Her club career saw her play on the U-15 National team and a member of PDA, which won two club National championships.
A standout softball player, Tiernan boasts most of the offensive records for the program. She was the South Jersey Player of the Year and led the Vikings to a state championship.
Tiernan had both of her jerseys, soccer and softball, retired at Eastern.
A four-year starter at Rutgers, she selected twice to the Big 10 All-Conference team. She was named the SJSCA College Player of the Year as a senior.
Tiernan was drafted with the No. 24 overall pick in the 2018 NWSL Draft by the Sky Blue FC where she played for several successful seasons. She is currently working with her former club PDA and is an assistant coach with the Rutgers University women’s program.
Natalia Torosian
Led Lenape to its first state championships (2007 and 2008) as well as two Coaches Tournament titles in her junior and senior seasons (2008, 2009).
She was a three-time All Region selection by the NSCAA, selected twice as an NSCAA All-American and named to the ESPN Rise All-American team in 2008. She was the SJSCA Offensive Player of the Year, the New Jersey State Player of the Year by the NSCAA and the South Jersey Player of the Year by both the Courier-Post and the Philadelphia Inquirer in 2008.
A three-time MVP for Lenape, she had her No. 22 jersey retired by the school and the NHSCA honored her with the Senior Athlete of the Year in 2009. The NJGSCA honored her as a South Top 20 player all four years at Lenape, which included a 25-0 record in her senior season.
She won state and national titles with her ODP and Club teams.
Played collegiately at the University of Florida, helping the nationally ranked Gators to two SEC Championships. She was a SEC Honor Roll recipient twice.
She’s still involved with the game, giving back to area youth players, working with their skills, strength and conditioning.
Haddon Heights 1974 team
The Garnets (18-2-2) earned the state Group 2 championship with a 3-1 win over Verona, becoming the first South Jersey high school team to win a state crown.
The team feature a pair of two-time All-State players, five All-South Jersey selections and three future Hall of Fame inductees in head coach Bill Connors, Jim Wentz and Mark Starrett. The Garnets scored 73 goals while yielding 20. Wentz and Welzel led the team with 22 goals apiece.
In the playoffs, a first-round game against Riverside was called because of darkness and Heights advanced with the advantage on corner kicks (6-4). The Garnets defeated Point Pleasant Beach 3-2 on a last-minute goal by Welzel. The team knocked off five-time state champion Lawrenceville with a double-overtime win.
Connors was named South Jersey Coach of the Year and earned his 100th career win in the state championship.
The roster: John Lovern (Def), Jim Franke (GK), Jeff Hudson (Def), Mark Welzel (Fwd), Terry McShane (Def), Joe Lembo (Fwd), Jim Wentz (Fwd), Mark Starrett (MF), Dave Swoyer (Fwd), Dave Munion (Fwd), Charlie Crisafi (MF), Ush Jacks (Def), Bob Taylor (Def), Bob Grenhart (GK), Bob Esoda (Def), Jeff McHale (Def), Brian Cosgrove (MF), Joe Calogero (GK), Tony Delasandro (MF), Chris Jaacks (MF).
Managers: Carol Vasile, Brenda Cosgrove, Tim Clayton.
Coaches: Bill Connors (Head Coach), Paul Briegel, Ted Daily.
Tom McGurk is a regional sports reporter for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and Burlington County Times, covering South Jersey sports for over 30 years. If you have a sports story that needs to be told, contact him at (856) 486-2420 or email tmcgurk@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @McGurkSports. Help support local journalism with a digital subscription.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: South Jersey Soccer Hall of Fame to induct Class of 2024
