Road to a title

            It was cool and crisp on the first Saturday night of November. It was not the type of night to absorb a Gatorade shower but Cranford Boys’ soccer coach Mike Curci, who admits to be cold blooded, was only too happy to get soaked by his happy team that had just defeated Westfield 1-0 to win the school’s first county title.

“I am too happy to feel cold right now. This is a huge accomplishment for the kids and for the school and we have worked so hard for it all year.,” said Curci, who in his fifth year has achieved his goal of putting Cranford into the county elite, which has been dominated by Scotch Plains Fanwood over the past decade.

            The Raiders made it to eleven straight finals from 1997-2007 but have been spectators the past two years. Previously 0-3 in UCT finals Cranford last played for the title in 2002. Westfield was appearing in its first final since it won the 1996 tournament and was seeking its 10th overall crown. The girls also had to climb past the two dominant programs when they defeated top seed Westfield and four time defending champion Scotch Plains Fanwood to win their first title since 2000.

            There are many other similarities between the boys and girls teams. Each is blessed with tremendous senior leadership, fearless goal keeping and a defense first mentality.  While the girls were number in the state in 2000, this is the first time the boys’ program has made such an impact in the state. Curci, a resident of the town, saw the youth level talent in Cranford and believed that he could build the Cougars’ program to what it has become.

“From day one, the goal was to be the first team to put a championship banner on the wall in the gym and a trophy in the case. The boys fed into that, worked hard and now we have four championships in the last three years. Our first group from five years ago,  that eventually won the first two conference crowns, laid the groundwork and raised the bar for everyone behind them. This county championship is for them as well,” said Curci, who learned coaching as an assistant under the legendary Gene Chyzowych of Columbia, the state’s winningest coach.

“I watched how he put his teams together, he always had a good idea of who was going to be his top players several years down the road. And he wasn't afraid to take the best young players and throw them into the fire right away at the varsity level. I have used a similar model, taking the best players, even if they're freshmen, and allowing them to go through the learning curve early so that I have them for three or four years. Gene has proven this method works for close to 40 years, and now it's working here,” said Curci.

            His first varsity coaching job was with Morristown-Beard in 1986 and then moved to group 4 Livingston in 1987 for a five-year stay, where they made the states each year. After coaching his children in youth leagues, he returned in 2003 as Madison's varsity coach before taking the Cranford job in 2005. In his first season, a young Cougar team of six sophomores and a freshman in the starting lineup took their lumps, going 4-13, but two years later , the record improved to 15-4 and the Cougars took the Mountain Valley Conference title, the first ever for Cranford.  With nearly the entire team graduated, another group of young players with varsity experience stepped in and went 15-6 and won the conference again. Those players formed the nucleus of this years’ powerhouse. Along the way Curci has stamped his imprint on the program and everybody who wants to play understands what is expected.

“I learned that you cannot and will not make everybody happy. Everyone wants to play, but you can't become a soccer power and compete with the top teams if you're worried about what every player is thinking. The boys have known where I stand on that since day one. If you prove yourself to better than the next guy, you'll play. I make no guarantees on playing time,” added Curci.

            While Curci does not know what to expect next year and beyond, he does believe that the Cougars have crossed the first barrier of earning the attention and respect of the county’s soccer powers.

“I think after the run we had the past three years and winning the UCT crown that we have earned everyone's respect, but we are still the new kid on the block when it comes to championships. SPF has 14, Westfield has 10, and we have one. But one thing we wanted to prove here, is that we could play with the best teams in the county and state day-in and day-out. And we're still undefeated after 24 games. We have nothing left to prove,” said Curci.

            

County Champs!

            After years of close calls and disappointments the Cranford High School Boys soccer team can finally call itself Union County champions as the undefeated and top seed Cougars rode a familiar formula of a Pat Hartnett goal and airtight defense to defeat second seed Westfield 1-0 Saturday night November 7 at Johnson Field in Clark. Mike Curci’s team, now 22-0-2, joins Jen Michewicz’ girls team which took the same title the previous weekend on the same field, defeating Scotch Plains Fanwood 1-0. Clark has become a home away from home for the Cougar soccer teams, which have made Cranford the center of the Union County soccer universe in 2009.  Starting on October 25, continuing onto Halloween and culminating Saturday night, the two Cranford teams won three games by 1-0 and one by 2-0. The boy’s tournament finished a week late because of a postponement on the original semi final night of October 24.       The Cougars were previously 0-3 in UCT finals with their most recent appearance in 2002.

            The winning goal, in the game’s 36^th minute, came off a sequence that has become commonplace in so many big Cougar victories this year. Defender Eric Walano brought the ball down the right side and from about 40 yards away sent a cross toward the head of Hartnett, who was just outside the goal mouth. The Cougar senior barely beat the Westfield goalie to the ball but his header eluded the goalie and a Westfield defender who tried in vain to kick it out of the net. In the semi finals against Union, Hartnett had scored on a header off a cross from Alex Rocha. The goal was Hartnett’s 27^th of the season and no surprise to Walano.

“I just wanted to get the ball in a place where Pat could get to it and make it difficult for the goalie to make a play,” said Walano, who along with Pat Kaskiw and goalie Scott Boyer helped to frustrate Westfield’s high powered offense.

“He’s a terrific finisher and if you give him the ball in the air, he knows what to do.”

“I knew there was going to be contact with the goalie so I tried to get to the ball first. Eric put the ball in a perfect spot where I could get to it first,” said Hartnett, who feels vindicated that the Cougars have finally silenced their critics by ascending to the top of the county.

“We have heard all season about how weak our schedule was and how we were lucky to beat Westfield the first time and everything else. We went through three very tough Watchung Conference schools (Elizabeth, Union, and Westfield) to win the title and nobody can take that away from us,” added Hartnett.

“It feels amazing to being part of the team that wins Cranford’s first title,” said Boyer, who made five saves for his 17^th shutout.

“This team really came together this year. We worked hard last summer and this is the result of it,” said Boyer, adding.

“We are not done yet. We know we still have work to do if we want to take home the

State title but the county title is a good accomplishment.”

“Having Scott back there makes you more confident about playing defense. You know that even if your man beats you, that you have Scott. He never panics,” added Walano.

           

            The Cougars started tentatively and Westfield had the better chances in the first half until Hartnett struck in the 36^th minute.

“I think we had a case of nerves in the beginning but once Pat scored, we really got into our rhythm,” said Boyer.

            In the second half Cranford nearly put the icing on the game with two great back to back chances. Ray El Khoury, who played his usual solid game despite being bedridden with the flu, was stopped on a sizzling 30 yard shot that resulted in a corner kick. On the ensuing play, Connor Demars stepped above a crossing pass which Hartnett slammed at the goal from ten yards. Somehow the goalie was able to deflect it away.

“That goal would have let us relax a little more. They came at us hard until the very end, but we were determined to not let this chance to be county champions slip away,” said Hartnett.

            The Cougars’ continued their marvelous season with a huge home test on Tuesday November 10, hosting the fourth seed and defending Group III champions Millburn.

( Millburn info goes here, probably 100 words)

            Cranford had earned that game with a hard fought 1-0 home win against a very game Somerville team, Thursday November 5 at Memorial Field. Hartnett came up big again, striking a volley from 15 yards out at the 63 minute mark for the eventual game-winner. Hartnett’s goal was his county-leading 26th while senior midfielder Nick Pace was credited with his county-leading 18^th assist .Boyer had three saves in the victory.

            The Brearley boys are also writing a great state tournament story. Joe Cereste headed in a rebound with three minutes remaining in the second half to lift them to a 2-1 upset at top seed South River in the quarterfinal round of the NJSIAA/Investors Savings Bank Central Jersey, Group 1 tournament Friday November 6..

            Brearley (8-11), which bowed to South River, 1-0, in the sectional final last year, fell behind, 1-0, but knotted the score, 1-1, when Kyle Clementi scored in the 52nd minute. The Bears, who received eight saves from Harry Resnick, face Roselle Park in the sectional semifinals on Tuesday November 10.(Brearley result goes here)