Palisades boys soccer off to good start

For Cooper Moyer, it was all about timing.
For the past three years, Moyer had been an assistant boys soccer coach at Central Bucks West as well as a head coach for travel teams in the area.
When longtime Palisades head boys soccer coach Dennis Gluck resigned in February after 31 years on the job, Moyer believed it would be a perfect fit at his alma mater, where he is the school’s all-time leading scorer (111 goals).
“It was great timing,” said Moyer, a 2017 Palisades grad. “I was starting to look around at head coaching jobs last year, and I thought I was ready to take the next step. When I heard about the opening, I contacted (athletic director) Brian Gilbert, and it worked out. It’s an honor to come back to Palisades.”
Gilbert believes he made the right choice. “We have a young team, and I think he matches their personality perfectly,” Gilbert said. “He is the team’s all-time leading scorer, and that certainly adds something to his coaching resume.
“Cooper is a young, knowledgeable and energetic coach.”
Moyer played his freshman year at DeSales University and then switched gears to devote his career to coaching.
He sees himself implementing lessons from Gluck as well as veteran CB West head coach Stefan Szygiel.
“They both were great mentors,” said Moyer. “Dennis was very organized in his approach and he took it to the field as well. I have used a lot of what both of them have taught me. It has helped me create my philosophy.”
Moyer is excited about his heavy-laden junior class, many of whom have played together on a travel team.
Juniors Gianluca LeBlanc and Talon Falcone have set the early pace, and junior goalie Blake Reinard has been solid in the nets.

“Gianluca is off to a fantastic start, as he had a hat trick recently, and has five goals this season,” said Moyer. “Talon also has played well, and has a number of assists. Blake has been playing great in goal.
“We have a strong junior class.”
Palisades got off to a 3-0 start, and had a 4-1 record after Monday’s loss to CB East and Tuesday’s victory over Northern Lehigh. Moyer anticipated his team to be in the thick of the Colonial League race.
“I think we’ll be a strong team and competitive in the league and district,” he stated. “Most of these guys have played together for a while. There is a good chemistry here.
“Our young guys are contributing as well, and they have helped bring everything together.”
He also has a confident feeling about the youth program.
“We have a strong youth program, and it will keep pushing us to a higher level,” he said. “There is a strong connection between the coaches, and that will help us in the long run. We’re pleased with what is going on there.”
Still, Moyer envisions a series of challenges ahead on several fronts, one being having 19 players in the program.
“We got off to a good start,” he said. “We have a tough schedule ahead. It probably is the hardest schedule Palisades has had in a long time.
“Our challenge will be to unlock their potential to reach the next level. We’ll need to win some big games ahead.”

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