Boys Soccer Saturday Sectional Final Scoreboard, 11/21/20
NJSIAA Tournament
Sectional Semifinals - Preview
Central Jersey East Region
Group IV South
(1) Toms River North 3, (2) Southern 2 (OT)
Senior Danny Moreno scored the golden goal 59 seconds into overtime and the Mariners (15-1-1) won a thriller over the Rams (14-2-1) in comeback fashion to capture a sectional championship for the second straight season.
Junior Jake Nagle tied the game for Toms River North with 1:53 left in regulation with a left-footed shot to the left side netting from 14 yards out after Moreno launched a long throw into the box to initiate the play.
In the first minute of overtime, senior Parker Nickelsen won the ball on the right side for classmate Ali Baish, who slid it to junior Mattia Assante in the middle. Assante swung it to Moreno on the left side and the senior took on a defender and ripped a left-footed shot from the left angle to end the game.
Southern rallied from a 1-0 halftime deficit thanks to two more goals by senior Kevin Kiernan, who finished his season with 27 goals in 17 games to lead the Shore Conference. Both goals by Kiernan were headers off services by senior Brandon Notte - the first on a free kick in the 56th minute and the second off a corner kick in the 74th.
Toms River North jumped on top in the ninth minute when Baish finished off a diagonal pass over the top from Nickelsen.
The two Class A South rivals played three head-to-head matches in the last two weeks and not only did all three go to overtime but the two sides finished tied in the aggregate scoring, 9-9. Southern won the first meeting in overtime, 4-3, and the two teams tied last Saturday morning.
Group III North (Monmouth, Union, Middlesex)
(1) Colts Neck 3, (2) Cranford 0
Junior David Tuschmann capped his 25-goal season with a hat trick and the Colts Neck (15-2) won the battle of the Cougars to capture their first sectional championship since winning Group I in 2000.
Tuschmann scored the first of his three goals 22 seconds into the match, taking a pass from classmate Tom Samaras and chipping a shot over goalkeeper Dominic Savinelli.
The beginning of the second half was also kind to Tuschmann, who stole the ball from a Cranford defender and slipped in his second goal of the game in the second minute of the second half.
Tuschmann capped his junior season and his team's championship performance with a gorgeous volley out of the air on a cross from Jairo Chiro in the 64th minute.
Group III South (Monmouth, Ocean)
(1) Wall 2, (11) Toms River East 1
Senior Sean Southwell converted the go-ahead penalty kick in the 76th minute and the Crimson Knights (17-0) turned back the Raiders (7-8-2) to complete the first perfect season in the illustrious history of the Wall boys soccer program.
Six minutes after Toms River East senior Mike Conklin tied the game, Wall got a break when senior Philip Lyons drew a foul inside the 18-yard box to set the stage for his classmate and Wall's defensive captain. Southwell stepped to the spot and hit a high shot that left junior goalkeeper Ryan Testa - go guessed the correct side to dive to - little chance to make the save.
After a defensive first half by both sides, Wall jumped on top in the 55th minute when senior Jake Pepe headed in a ball into the box from senior Kyle Horowitz - Pepe's 10th goal of the season.
Toms River East was not done, however, as the Raiders pulled even when Conklin played a combination with senior Alex Heid and hit an overpowering shot that beat junior goalkeeper Joe Gisoldi. Just minutes earlier, Gisoldi pushed a head just over the crossbar for a save proved to be crucial.
Groups II and I South (combined)
(6) Manchester 1, (9) Monmouth 0
Sophomore Owen Edwards converted a penalty kick in the 70th minute and the Hawks (10-5-2) topped the Falcons (8-8-1) to win their first ever NJSIAA sectional championship.
A trip in the box set up Edwards's game-winning penalty kick and Monmouth made a bid for an equalizer in the final minute but Ryan Kuldanek's bicycle kick attempt hit the crossbar.
Non-Public
(1) CBA 4, (3) St. Rose 1
Senior Shane Borenius scored a goal in each half and the Colts (13-0-1) topped the Purple Roses (11-3) to complete an undefeated season.
Borenius scored his first goal in the 33rd minute to extend CBA's lead to 2-0 and struck again in the 46th off a combination with senior Ethan Beyer and sophomore Will Thygeson to make the score 4-0.
Thygeson gave CBA a 1-0 lead with a goal in the 13th minute and assisted a goal by junior Dylan Cupo that came a minute after Borenius's first goal, stretching CBA's lead to 3-0 before the half.
Senior Matt Kirkpatrick flicked in a header in the 65th minute to break up the shutout - just the fourth goal conceded by CBA this season.
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