Boys Soccer – Group Finals

NJSIAA Group Championships

Sunday, Nov. 22

At Kean University, Union

Group II Final

Garfield 2, Holmdel 1

Wojciech Piwowarczyk headed in two free kicks by Dave Herrera in a span of 27 seconds and the Boilermakers (19-3-3) scored twice in the final 2:03 to shock the Hornets (13-7-5) and win their first ever overall group title.

Piwowarczyk slammed in a header on a Hernandez service to equalize with 2:03 left in the game and Garfield earned a free kick 24 seconds later from 40 yards out. Herrera drilled a bending kick to the left post and Piwowarczyk flicked the ball enough to get it over goalkeeper Tyler Marchiano and in for the winner with 1:36 left.

Leo Nobrega gave Holmdel a 1-0 lead with 7:53 to play when he got behind the defense and ran onto a pass from Justin McStay before taking a touch and slotting it into the far left corner of the net.

Holmdel's goal came just three minutes after Garfield had a goal disallowed because of a foul just before the potential go-ahead score found the net.

Group III Final

Mendham 4, Toms River South 0

Junior Jared Beneducci scored a goal in each half and the Minutemen (18-5-1) beat the Indians (21-4) to win their first evern Group III championship. Beneducci scored the first goal of the game in the 12th minute off an assist from senior Julian Montilus.

Montilus took the ball all the way to the endline on the right side and crossed it across the mouth of the goal. Beneducci made a run to the far post, got to the ball and struck an uncontested shot from the six-yard line past Toms River South goalkeeper Dom Pizzi.

Senior Christian Pedercini made it 2-0 when he hammered in a shot off a rebound in the 17th minute. After Toms River South applied pressure to Mendham's back line for the final 20 minutes of the first half and the first five of the second, the Minutemen countered and Montilus touched the ball past Pizzi and finished to an empty net in the 52nd.

Beneducci capped the scoring in the 66th by heading in a corning kick by Pedercini.

The loss snapped Toms River South senior Cameron Geerinck's 12-game streak with at least one goal. The senior striker set a new single-season school record with 28 goals for an Indians team that also set a school record with 21 wins.