Boys Soccer – Upstarts Raritan and Matawan Play to Draw

ABERDEEN TWP. - The Raritan boys soccer team entered play Friday unbeaten in seven games and standing in its way was a Matawan side that had won five straight since losing its first game of the season.

Something had to give; except it didn't.

Raritan bounced back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the game before halftime, but neither team could score over the final 60 minutes of a 2-2 draw. While Matawan's five-game winning streak came to an end, the Huskies remain unbeaten over their last six while Raritan extended its unbeaten streak to eight games to open the season.

Junior Ryan Goggins scored off a feed from sophomore Jake Fortune 27 seconds after Matawan took a two-goal lead and set up Del Russo for the equalizer in the 32nd minute.

Matawan jumped in front on a goal by senior Jacob Labinger in the fourth minute, set up by a pass slipped into the middle of the 18-yard box by Tyler Chin. The Huskies extended the lead to 2-0 when Rich Roberts made a perfectly-timed run onto a through-ball from senior Griffin Hayward and finished the breakaway.

Raritan, however, came right back when Fortune took the ball to the touch line on the right side and crossed it to an open Goggins, who hammered it home. Goggins later played the ball through to Del Russo, who finished a one-on-one chance against Matawan keeper Ethan Goldenthal to the far left corner of the goal.

The best chance for either team in overtime came in the 96th minute, when Matawan senior Charlie Costello broke loose behind the defense and chipped a shot over goalkeeper Chad Santopadre from inside the 18-yard box. The shot, however, sailed just wide of the right post.

Matawan's only loss of the season came against Shore Regional on opening day and the Huskies led that game by scores of 2-0 and 3-1 before the Blue Devils rallied for a 4-3 win. Raritan, meanwhile, tied Shore and defeated everyone else on its schedule prior to Friday. The Rockets have already doubled their win total from all of last season (three) and have done so under first-year coach James Gelpke.

Box Score

Raritan 2, Matawan 2

Box Score: (R) Ryan Goggins (Jake Fortune) 21', Dan Del Russo (Ryan Goggins) 32'; (M) Jacob Labinger (Tyler Chin) 4', Rich Roberts (Griffin Hayward) 21'
Shots: Tied, 11-11
Saves: (R) Michael Romeo 0, Chad Santopadre 4; (M) Ethan Goldenthal 3