Real Central New Jersey announced today the signings of Rutgers defenders Nick Cruz and Jace Orvos, pending league and federation approval. In 2021, Cruz captained FC Copa’s League Two side before picking up an injury. He would return in the Fall for the Scarlet Knights and assist the game winning goal at Northwestern. Orvos appeared in six matches for RCNJ last season, logging over 300 minutes for the team. He has yet to debut for Rutgers.
“It’s been a tough year for me dealing with injury,” said Orvos. “I’m super excited to get back on the field and to play again for RCNJ again.”
Orvos played for Player Development Academy during his youth career. He was a part of the PDA national quarterfinalists during the 2018-2019 season and scored 14 goals and 11 assists that season. Orvos also played for Montgomery High School where he was a four-year varsity player. He finished his high school career with 14 goals and 13 assists as an attacker/midfielder.
Orvos did not appear for Penn State during his freshman season due to a left foot injury. He entered the transfer portal and landed at Rutgers. The lingering foot injury has kept him on the sidelines for the Scarlet Knights.
“Nick is a class player,” said Orvos about fellow left back Cruz. “He is one of those guys that really embraced me when I came to Rutgers and through my injury. I’m happy to be playing with him again this summer.”
Cruz played the majority of his youth career at East Brunswick United and won a New Jersey Youth State Cup in his time there. He played high school soccer for Saint Joe's Meutechen where he scored 27 goals and notched 22 assists in his career. In 2017, NJ.com named him a top midfielder in the state. Cruz would finish his youth career at Matchfit Academy before committing to Rutgers in 2018.
“A lot of guys’s reached out to me about coming on board for this season,” said Cruz, who will be playing at Rider next season for his graduate year. “I’ve been following the team since last season and I’m excited to come on board.”
USL League Two is a pre-professional soccer league that allows elite college talent to play at a highly competitive level in the NCAA off-season. League Two is known for giving players a stepping stone to the professional game.
“A lot of players think League Two is just another summer league,” said Cruz. “But this league is so competitive and there is a lot of quality.”
RCNJ will open the 2022 USL League Two season at Philadelphia Lone Star on May 14th. The men will host the Ocean City Nor’Easters on May 21st for its home opener at Mercer County Community College.
To purchase 2022 single match or season tickets, visit https://www.realcentralnj.soccer/calendar. For information on how to become a sponsor, click here.
Follow @realcentralnj on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for future player announcements and to keep up with the team for the upcoming season.