Steinberg Propels Maroons in Tourney Drive

The Ridgewood boys soccer team was disappointed it failed short of its goal in reaching the Bergen County tournament last season. This year, the Maroons are looking to avoid remembering that same feeling.

Behind the leadership and the scoring of Matt Steinberg, Ridgewood is certainly well on its way to blocking out the memory. "We just want to make the county tournament and advance as far as we can. So far we are in good shape," said Steinberg, our choice as Athlete of the Week.

The senior striker scored the lone goal in the victory over Bergen Tech, 1-0, on Wednesday. With the victory over the Knights, the Maroons were 4-0-1.

It might have even been considered a trap game after Steinberg and co. upset Don Bosco on Monday with a 4-1 victory. Steinberg, as predicted, played a role in the outcome, helping out with an assist.

With the goal against the Knights, Steinberg has already accumulated three goals and five assists on the season in the five games.

Ridgewood head coach Craig Mahler has seen measurable improvement on the part of Steinberg this season.

"He creates a lot of problems on defense," said the Maroons head coach of the first team All Big North Freedom selectee in2010. "He is very quick and very skilled."

The Ridgewood senior forward credits his growth as a result of a grueling soccer summer with his club team, Match Fit. "I think I got a lot better and faster," Steinberg said. "I just wanted to get stronger and faster."

And he has put up the numbers despite not being at 100 percent. "I had a pulled quad injury early in the season," he said.

For now, he's reveling in the opportunity to end the year on a high note with fellow senior co-captains midfielder/forward Yusuf Hamza and midfielder/forward Alec Cobb. "I've played with Yusuf since I was a little kid," said Steinberg. "We play real well together."

All three make for a potent scoring trio defensive schemes haven't fyet contained.

Though certainly not looking past the big plans this year, the villager will be moving out of state to Pennsylvania for the 2012 season. He'll be attending Franklin and Marshall College.

"I just liked the campus and the school," said Steinberg. "My parents liked it as a good liberal arts school."