OCEAN TWP. – Junior Wadneson Alexis had four chances to score a goal in the first 89 minutes and 55 seconds of the Ocean boys soccer team’s Shore Conference Tournament opening-round game against Freehold, and Alexis reacted to the first three as though he could not believe the ball did not go in the net.

His reaction to the fourth created one more opportunity, and when the ball rolled into the net as the clock struck all zeroes in the first overtime period, Alexis could not believe it went in.

Believe it or not, Alexis’s last-second shot from a tight angle on the right side of the net did go in and the No. 16 seed Spartans edged the No. 17 Colonials 2-1 in dramatic fashion Thursday night.

“I wasn’t really thinking when I shot it. I just knew time was running out and I had to try to get a shot off,” Alexis said. “It was probably better because everything was pretty crazy, and I didn’t really have time to think about. I didn’t really think it was going to go in, but when I saw it, I couldn’t believe it.”

The win sends Ocean to the SCT round of 16 on Saturday, when it will play at top-seeded Toms River South. The loss, meanwhile, snaps a nine-game unbeaten streak by Freehold that allowed the Colonials to qualify for the tournament, a stretch during which they went 6-0-3.

Ocean goalkeeper Yanni Kavarakas started the winning play with a punt that sent the ball over the midfield line. Junior Marlhens Nasanes touched it out of the air and hit senior Claudio Martins in stride on the attack. Martins led Alexis to the right post and Alexis got off a shot that Freehold goalkeeper Jesus Lopez smothered as the final seconds ticked off the clock.

The ball bounded back to Alexis, who, as he fell to the ground, lofted a shot that grazed the crossbar and the inside of the far left post as time expired.

A host of Freehold players contended that the shot did not carry over the goal-line until after the clock had already showed all zeroes, while the official keeping the clock said he still had one-tenth of a second remaining on his watch when the whistle blew to signal the goal.

Freehold coach Anthony Sessa said he saw time expire but did not see the ball go in the goal because his eyes were fixed on the clock.

“The last time I looked at the clock, I saw like three or four seconds, and that was right before I took the first shot,” Alexis said. “When it came back to me I had no idea how much time was left and then when I saw the ball go in, I looked up and saw they were counting it and that there was no time left.”

Prior to the golden goal by Alexis, Lopez had denied the junior striker three times with saves and also stopped two quality chances by Nasanes in the final six minutes of regulation. Alexis got two clean looks in the first three minutes of play, but Lopez saved both to set up Ocean corner kicks.

“He made some really good saves,” Alexis said of Lopez. “He got me a couple of times, and the two he made on Marlhens were really nice.”

Nasanes one-timed an 18-yard laser that was ticketed for the upper right corner of the goal, but Lopez left his feet to make the save in the 73rd minute. Less than two minutes later, Nasanes broke loose for a one-on-one chance against Lopez, but the junior goalkeeper made a kick save to his right to preserve the tie for the moment.

Kavarakas made his key save in the 67th minute when he pushed a shot wide of the near left post off the foot of Andy Rizo, who was bidding for his second goal of the game. Rizo tied the game in the fourth minute of the second half when he ran down a precise through-ball from senior Anthony Matteo, drew Kavarakas out a step and slid the ball past him from eight yards out on the left side of the goal.

Ocean took a 1-0 lead in the 29th minute when Lopez fouled Ocean sophomore Ian Dwyer on the left side of the 18-yard box to set up a Claudio Martins penalty kick. Dwyer and Lopez raced for a loose ball to the left of the frame and as Dwyer arrived to the ball, Lopez slid feet first and took him out.

Alexis’ early barrage was indicative of Ocean’s early control of the game, and Nasanes hit the left post nine minutes later on a shot from the left side of the 18-yard box. Freehold sophomore Isaiah Lacoudeur did hit the crossbar from point-blank range off a corner kick between the shots by Alexis and Nasanes, but it was not until the middle part of the first half that Freehold took control of the game. After Ocean began the game with a 6-3 edge in shots, Freehold enjoyed a 7-2 advantage until the final eight minutes of regulation.

Matteo made a bid to give Freehold the lead in the 55th minute, but his shot from the top of the 18-yard box hit the crossbar. Ocean finished with a 15-10 edge in shots, with Lopez saving eight shots and Kavarakas turning back six.

Ocean will face Toms River South in the round of 16 for the third straight year after beating the Indians in each of the last two tournaments to advance to the quarterfinals. Ocean pounded Toms River South, 8-2, en route to an SCT championship in 2012 and edged the Indians in overtime last year, 2-1.

Alexis, in particular, has been a nuisance for Toms River South. He recorded his first career hat trick as a freshman in the 8-2 win and scored the golden goal in overtime last year.

“We know what we’re going up against,” Alexis said. “They played a good game against us last year and they’ve been playing well this year. We’ll be ready.”

 

Box Score

Ocean 2, Freehold 1 (OT)

1

2

OT

F

Freehold (7-7-4)

0

1

0

1

Ocean (9-6-1)

1

0

1

2

Goals (Assists): (F) Rizo (A. Matteo) 44’; (O) Martins (PK) 29’, Alexis 90’
Shots: Ocean, 15-10
Saves: (F) Lopez 8; (O) Kavarakas 6

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