Boys Soccer – Thorsheim, Boriotti Help CBA Beat Don Bosco

RAMSEY - On top of whatever other homework he might have had during the early part of the week, Christian Brothers Academy junior goalkeeper Aedan Boriotti did some studying in soccer to prepare for his biggest test as the Colts first-year starter.

Boriotti and the Colts - the No. 1 team in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 - passed Wednesday's test with flying colors, with Boriotti saving a penalty kick in the second half and posting his fourth shutout to ensure that junior Matt Thorsheim's two goals stood up in a 2-0 Colts win over Don Bosco.

Thorsheim's two goals were the difference on the scoreboard, but Boriotti's save on a penalty kick by Ironmen senior Mike Helgesen in the 52nd minute swung the game back in CBA's favor in the second half. He halted Helgesen's shot to the lower left and forced a high follow-up attempt to get the Colts out of trouble after junior Tom Judge was called for a takedown of Helgesen in the box.

"I went online to find video of (Helgesen) because he's their best player," Boriotti said. "I found out that he likes to shoot to his left so I just waited for him to get to the ball and a started diving to that side and fortunately, he went that way."

After that stop by Boriotti, as well as a failed penalty kick of his own, Thorsheim put the game out of reach in the 69th minute with his second goal of the game and fifth of the season. Junior Pat Kollman slid a pass into the 18-yard box on the left side and Thorsheim spun past a defender and drilled a shot inside the near post.

Thorsheim made good on his last opportunity after Don Bosco goalkeeper Moritz Eisold denied him on a penalty kick attempt in the 62nd minute. After giving up the Don Bosco penalty kick, Judge beat his man around the right endline and drew a takedown.

"This is a big win because it shows us what's possible," Thorsheim said. "We started the year thinking we had a good team and coming up here and beating a team the caliber of Don Bosco just proves that we can compete with some of the best teams from around the state and beat them."

CBA took a 1-0 lead 10 minutes into the game on Thorsheim's first goal, a 25-yard free kick that caught Don Bosco off guard. The Ironmen were organizing the defense when Thorsheim caught them with a quick restart and struck the ball into the unattended net. The Ironmen claimed on the field that they were obliging to a request for 10 yards between the ball and the first defender, but the referee said no such request was made and CBA was clear to play the ball when it was ready.

Thorsheim played Wednesday despite battling what he called a "bad cold," one that was bad enough to keep him out of school on Tuesday.

"I was a little better today, but it was still not easy to breathe," Thorsheim said. "I took my inhaler, but it didn't help all that much. I just had to gut it out."

The Colts nearly stretched their lead in the first half, with three clean looks at the goal shortly after taking the lead. Nick Meyer headed a cross to the back post just wide of the far post, and Judge and junior Aaron Robertson each missed open shots on goal.

Early in the second half, CBA turned away a dangerous chance by Don Bosco when junior Joe Paolillo stopped a point-blank shot on the goal-line before Boriotti recovered and corralled the ball.

CBA won its second straight game withoug senior forward John Frycz - the top returning goal-scorer from a year ago - who was sitting the second game of a three-game suspension for a red card on Saturday against Freehold Borough. The NJSIAA requires a player sit two games after being issued a red card, but the school tacked on a game to the suspension, according to Colts head coach Dan Keane. Frycz is set to return to the field on Monday against No. 9 Marlboro.

Wednesday's win continues a stretch of five games in nine days that include showdowns with No. 2 Freehold Township, Freehold Borough, Howell, Don Bosco and No. 9 Manalapan this coming Friday. CBA has won the first four of those games and will travel to play the Braves on Friday.

Peddie is the only team to beat CBA - a 1-0 win on Sept. 12 - this season and Wednesday marked the Colts' second crack at a non-division opponent. Don Bosco entered the game as the No. 18 team in the state, according to the Star Ledger, and a win by No. 20 CBA - the only ranked team from the Shore - was more than just a big win for the Colts, according to the CBA bench.

"I told the guys before the game, this game wasn't just for us," CBA assistant Jeff Matson said. "This was the other (45) teams in the Shore Conference. The conference deserves to get some respect and we wanted to do our part."

Box Score

CBA 2, Don Bosco 0

Goals (Assists): Matt Thorsheim (DK) 10’, Matt Thorsheim (Pat Kollman) 69’
Shots: CBA, 11-6
Saves: (CBA) Aedan Boriotti 4; (DB) Moritz Eisold