Metzger Named Gatorade State Soccer Player of the Year

Following a season in which Holmdel senior midfielder Dan Metzger racked up numerous individual accolades in leading the Hornets to their first NJSIAA Group III title in school history, he has added perhaps the most prestigious honor of all.

Metzger was named the Gatorade New Jersey Boys Soccer Player of the Year on Wednesday, adding that honor to a first-team All-State selection and the consensus Shore Conference Player of the Year designation from various media outlets. Since 1985, The Gatorade Company has been honoring the nation’s elite student-athletes by selecting players of the year for the nation and in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The selections are made in conjunction with ESPN Rise, and past honorees in various sports have included Peyton Manning, Alonzo Mourning and Candace Parker.

This past fall, Metzger finished with 16 goals and 16 assists in 18 games, as he missed five of Holmdel’s games due to obligations for his club soccer team. In the Group III final, Metzger scored both of his team’s goals in a 2-1 comeback win over Chatham that helped the Hornets finish 22-1 and win their first Group title in program history.

 “I was pretty happy, of course,’’ Metzger said about getting the Gatorade Player of the Year. “I didn't think I would get it because I didn't play all the games, so I was just surprised and happy at the same time. This definitely goes along with the state championship, and it’s great to be recognized after winning everything with my team.’’

During the summer, Metzger was unsure of whether he was going to play for the Hornets because of his commitment to his New York Red Bulls Academy team, but he found a way to make it work while missing a minimal amount of games. He did not decide to play for Holmdel until August, shortly before the season began, but the end result was a state championship alongside players he grew up with.

“It's always nice to win a state championship, of course, and to have kids from your town come out and see you play,’’ Metzger said. “I don’t regret it at all.’’

Metzger will continue his career at the University of Maryland, and has had several stints with the U.S. U-18 traveling team, featuring some of the top young players in the nation. He recently was with the team in Arizona, and will travel out to the U-18 camp in Portland, Ore., in April. He is hoping to make trips with the national team for events in Portugal and Northern Ireland later in the spring.

Metzger has been a regular with the U.S. teams for his age group in rising up the ranks and has previously made trips to Portugal, Argentina and Chile to face some of the best young players in the world. During that time, he built himself into one of the top 20 collegiate soccer prospects in the nation before signing with Maryland.

In addition to his national team commitments, his season with the Red Bulls Academy starts in March, so he will busy right up until it’s time to move on to the next phase of his life and career.

“Just playing with kids from the national team and everyone playing at such a high level, then going to Red Bull, I’ve definitely improved a lot,’’ Metzger said.