Five new head soccer coaches in the area

Posted: August 22nd 2023

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

There are lots of changes coming to the local high school soccer coaching landscape, as five new head coaches will be roaming the sidelines this fall.

On the boys side, Mark Scarpa is now in charge at Cape May Tech, Cristian Valencia is the new leader at Lower Cape May and Tommy Bolle is the top man at Wildwood Catholic.

Scarpa takes over at Cape May Tech for Jon Harris, who resigned after five seasons as head coach. Scarpa, also a longtime youth coach in the area with Cape Express, arrives at Tech after leading the Wildwood girls program for three seasons. Scarpa was a standout goalkeeper at Middle Township in his high school days, graduating in 1998. He recorded 19 shutouts in two seasons as a starter.

Valencia, also a youth coach in the Cape Express system, takes over at Lower Cape May for Dennis Elia, who stepped down after 17 seasons. Valencia is a former standout player at Lower Cape May, from which he graduated in 2011 after scoring 19 goals as a four-year varsity starter. He went on to play collegiately at Richard Stockton University. Elia is remaining in the program as a volunteer assistant coach.

Bolle steps into the top position at Wildwood Catholic following Jim Lushok, who led the program for five seasons before resigning after the 2022 campaign. Bolle played under Lushok as a three-year starting defender before graduating in 2020. This is his first foray into coaching.

There are two new head coaches in the area in girls soccer.

Krista Salvadore, a former standout goalkeeper at Middle Township, is the new head coach at Cape May Tech. She takes over for Warren Wde, who stepped down after his sixth season in charge. Salvadore, a 2017 graduate of Middle, backstopped the Lady Panthers to consecutive Cape-Atlantic National Conference titles as a sophomore and junior. She holds the program record for career goalkeeping victories with 42 and is tied for the program record for career shutouts with 28.

And finally, Sierra Palmer is the new head girls soccer coach at Wildwood. She had served as an assistant under Scarpa last season.