Boys Soccer – Kollman’s Golden Goal Delivers CBA Win Over Marlboro

MARLBORO - In light of their tear through the Shore Conference Tournament and trip to the NJSIAA Non-Public A final, it might be easy for the players on the Christian Brothers Academy soccer team to forget the day-to-day trials and tribulations of life in the Shore Conference Class A North division.

Marlboro - the No. 3 team in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 - reminded the No. 1 Colts that it won't all be smooth sailing back to the championship game, but CBA still pulled out the desired result Tuesday when senior Patrick Kollman scored the golden goal in overtime to lift his team to a 1-0 win over the Mustangs.

CBA had a wave of opportunities to score the potential game-winning goal in the final 10 minutes of regulation while also dodging a near-goal by Marlboro. The push to score carried into the overtime session and finally ended with Kollman's strike.

CBA senior Patrick Kollman (left) scored the overtime winner Tuesday against Marlboro. (Photo by Matt Manley)

The game-ending play developed after two Marlboro defenders touched the ball on the Mustangs side of the field and Kollman tracked it down outside the 18-yard box. The senior striker dribbled to the left side of the box and unleashed a left-footed strike past Mustangs keeper James Weinberg and inside the near post for the game-winner exactly four minutes into extra time.

"It bounced to me and I just took a shot near post," Kollman said. "Matty (Mawson) was behind me and said, 'Kollman, you're in on goal,' so I just took the shot.

"It was a relief to get a win. We were banging on them for most of the game but they were tough."

Kollman had one of CBA's chances to win the game in regulation, hitting a shot from a spot nearly identical to the one that yielded him the winner that Weinberg saved. The Marlboro goalkeeper saved six shots, helping the Mustangs overcome a 14-4 CBA advantage in shots over the first 80 minutes.

"We started to get some combinations in the box and we just kept pushing and pushing," Kollman said. "Eventually, we knew, one of them would go in. I had a couple chances to score. I had one from the same spot that I went far post and (Weinberg) saved."

Colts senior outside back Tom Judge applied the most pressure on Weinberg of all the CBA players. Judge took six of CBA's 15 shots and three of them were on target. Weinberg saved two shots by Judge in the final 10 minutes and another shot by the senior carried wide of the far right post. Weinberg also smothered a scoring chance for Judge in the first half after Judge made a clean run at the left post and took a shot from 12 yards out.

"Their keeper was good and I think we realized coming out of the half that we had to score soon," Judge said. "If we don't, they're going to and I think that sense of urgency eventually got to us and we started pushing forward a little more."

CBA's best chance to score in regulation was in the 78th minute, when senior midfielder Ryan O'Connor one-timed a bouncing ball toward the right side of the frame. Once again, though, Weinberg made the play by deflecting the ball wide of the right post.

Six minutes before O'Connor's chance, Marlboro narrowly missed its best opportunity all game. Senior P.J. Ringel got behind CBA's back line and chipped a shot over oncoming goalkeeper Aeden Boriotti, but the ball bounced wide of the far right post.

Ringel also headed the ball into the net midway through the first half, but was ruled offside.

Tuesday's result was a welcome one for CBA, which played to a scoreless draw at Marlboro last season.

"They are athletic," Judge said of Marlboro. "They battle for fifty-fifties and they are tough in the air."

"You just worry about the bounces on this field," Kollman said. "It's anybody's game on this field. Half of our plays broke down because the ball just bounced all over the place."

Tuesday was CBA's first high-level test of the season after opening its campaign with a 4-1 win over Freehold Borough. CBA will travel to Colts Neck - which scored six goals Tuesday in a win over Freehold Township - on Thursday and will host Don Bosco on Saturday in its home opener.

"We try not to think about the expectations but at the same time, we want to try to prove ourselves to everyone and show how good we are," Judge said. "Everyone has those expectations for us because of what we did last season and we're just as strong, if not stronger this season."

Box Score

CBA 1, Marlboro 0 (OT)