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 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 36th 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 27th 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 17th 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 36th
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 18th 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
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