ROCK ON: Pasquale Carusone, right, goes after the ball last fall in his senior season for the Princeton High boys’ soccer team. Carusone scored a team-high 28 goals last season to help PHS win the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 state championship. Carusone is heading to the University of Rochester this week to start preseason train for his freshman campaign with Yellowjacket men’s soccer team. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

A dream is coming true for Pasquale Carusone this week as he starts preseason training for his freshman season with University of Rochester men’s soccer team.

For Carusone, who starred last fall as the Princeton High boys’ soccer team won the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Group 4 state championship, his rise up the ladder in the sport has been motivated by the goal of someday being a college player.

“I feel like playing in college is really important for me,” said Carusone, noting that he started shooting for that when he got into the game as a youngster. “When I played the sport, it was always to move to the next level. I started at PSA (Princeton Soccer Academy) and then my dad said if you want to take it to the next level, you should go to PDA (Players Development Academy). I moved to PDA and worked my way up to the MLS Next team. That was probably the best spot to get recruited at. I got my looks and stuff like that.”

Carusone looked at both Division I and D-III college programs and decided that the latter was a better fit, and Rochester came into the picture when one of the school’s coaches saw him in a tournament.

“I got interest when I went out to a playoff game out in Texas for MLS Next and one of the assistant coaches reached out,” said Carusone, who concentrated on club soccer for the first three years of high school and didn’t play for PHS. “We set up a call and talked about it. He said we really like you and invited me to the campus. It was right before senior year. I visited for their first game of the season and they showed me around. I committed about a month after.”

Having committed, Carusone decided to join the Tiger squad for his senior season and was welcomed with open arms.

“Everyone showed love to me, they had been asking me to play for a while,” said Carusone. “I had no plan on playing high school because I was playing high level MLS but then I realized I am committed, why not have a good senior year.”

Carusone ended up having a very good senior year, scoring a team-high 28 goals as PHS went 22-2 on the way to the state title.

“I never let it get to my head or anything like that because obviously soccer is a team game,” said Carusone, reflecting on emerging as the team’s go-to scorer. “I would never have been able to score without my teammates. That is what led us to the state championship. Being the top goal scorer is kind of fun.”

While losing 2-1 to powerhouse Pennington in the Mercer County Tournament final was no fun for the Tigers, it helped spark their Group 4 run.

“It showed us that we can’t just beat every team — we need to play at the top of our capabilities,” said Carusone. “They were a really good team, the best team in the country arguably.”

Producing its best soccer of the season, PHS outscored foes 18-2 in five state tournament games leading up to the championship game against Kearny.

“I just remember blowing teams out at the end,” said Carusone. “We played some really good teams.”

In defeating Kearny 3-2 in the state final, the Tigers had to overcome a 2-1 halftime deficit to win their first Group title since 2012.

“Coming back in the second half just showed how much fight and hunger that we have to win,” said Carusone, who scored the game-tying goal early in the second half. “We just knew going into the second half that we didn’t come all of this way to lose in the final. We wanted to win and finish the story.”

For Carusone, joining the Tigers for one year led to him enjoying a storybook season.

“It definitely was the perfect ending for my senior year, 100 percent,” said Carusone. “I got to play really high level soccer, fun soccer, and enjoy it with all of my friends. On top of that, we ended up with a ring.”

This summer, Carusone has focused on raising his fitness level and game as he prepares to make the jump to college.

“We get these workout packets, I have been doing a lot of that because I have to stay fit,” said Carusone, who will be heading to Rochester this week as preseason practice starts on August 16. “I have joined coach Walsh (PHS head coach Ryan Walsh) in one of the summer leagues that he plays in. It is always fun to get some minutes in there.”

Due to social media contact and spending some time in Rochester this summer, Carusone is already developing a comfort level with his new team.

“We do have a group chat with the freshman kids and GroupMe stuff with everybody,” said Carusone. “I worked a summer camp at Rochester — that gave me a better feel for the campus. On the first day, it was like, ‘Wow I am really going to college.’ As the days went on, the kids were so inviting. I felt like I belonged. I got to play soccer with my buddies who I am going to be playing with.”
As Carusone hits the field this week, he is determined to prove that he belongs on the field for the Yellowjackets.

“I am definitely looking to work my way into the team and see what I can do for them,” said Carusone. “I got recruited as a nine and 11 as a striker and left winger. Those are like my two main positions. I played striker in high school. I played striker for club but also winger at times. It is important to be versatile.”