Braves ready to make run for A North title


JERRY WOLKOWITZ Manalapan’s Rob Hanlon slides to knock the ball away from Howell’s Brian Guilfoyle during last Wednesday’s game. JERRY WOLKOWITZ Manalapan’s Rob Hanlon slides to knock the ball away from Howell’s Brian Guilfoyle during last Wednesday’s game.

The Manalapan High School boys’ soccer team is hitting on all cylinders. Playing well in all facets of the game from goal to the forward line, the Braves even have an added weapon, the long throw-ins of Ryan Sheridan.

It was one of Sheridan’s 50-yard lunar launches that Manalapan converted into an early goal last Wednesday against Howell, paving the way for a 2-0 victory over the defending A North champions. The win not only continued the Braves’ mastery of Howell (they were the only team to beat the Rebels within the division last year), but clearly established the Braves as one of the teams to beat this year. Manalapan is unbeaten through the first three weeks of the season, sporting a 5-0-1 overall record.

Last Wednesday, the Braves traveled to Howell to take on the then-unbeaten and top-ranked Rebels, who had won the Neptune Classic.

Before anyone could get a feel for the game, it was 1-0 Manalapan. Sheridan’s long throw-in from the sideline caused havoc with the Rebel defense. No one was able to clear the ball for the over-stretched Howell defense and Dan Ressigue was there for Manalapan to bang it home just 1:15 into the game.

Ahmet Kamil, Ressigue, Jason Nodine and Steve Reiter dominated play for Manalapan up front throughout the first half, keeping Manalapan in control.

Early in the second half, Howell had a chance to tie it on a corner kick, but Dan Saffer positioned himself perfectly for the header that was out of the reach of goalie Andrew Logel. Saffer cleared the would-be goal-keeping Howell off the scoreboard. Shortly after, Manalapan, or rather Ressigue struck again.

Racing up the right wing, Ressigue tapped a perfect crossing pass to Rob Hanlon, who deposited it in the back of the net for the huge insurance goal 8:04 into the second half.

Logel made 11 saves on the day, collecting his second shutout of the season.

The Braves made the win over Howell stick when they followed it up with a victory at home on Friday against Middletown North, 3-2. Pat DiComo, Hanlon and Mahesh Varadarajan scored for the Braves, who improved to 3-0-1 in the A North Division.

The Braves, who challenged right up to the last week for the division title last year, appear poised to make a serious run this fall. They have all the ingredients of a championship team.

First, they are playing like a team. The transition from offense to defense is very smooth, and the team is playing as a unit and not looking for any one player to shoulder the load. Logel is a leader in net and the help defense in front of him is solid.

Second, midfielders like Nodine and Reiter distribute the ball well and up front Kamil is as dangerous as anyone with the ball. He is the finisher all good teams need; a player who is the focus of the opposition’s defense. He is among the leading scorers in the Shore with four goals. In Ressigue, the Braves have someone who always seems to be around the ball.

As the division race approached the halfway point, Manalapan and Christian Brothers Academy are the two teams everyone is chasing. CBA is 5-0 and the Braves, 4-0-1. The two teams played on Monday in Manalapan to see who would have the lead at the midpoint of the schedule.