Monroe boys soccer edged in opener by PK

By: Carolyn M. Hartko
   In the type of game more often seen at the end of a season, the South Brunswick boys soccer team edged Monroe, 1-0, last Saturday.
   A penalty kick 14:53 into the contest proved to be the deciding factor in the first official game of the 2001 season for both of these teams.
   "Monroe is always a very tough opener because they’re a quality program," Viking head coach Mark Ziminski said. "They had a great year last year. They play hard, and they’re well coached. So, it’s a good win for us."
   The penalty kick was awarded early in the game when a Monroe defender was called for shoving a Viking attacker in the box. Junior Nick Clemente blasted the shot past Falcon keeper Dalton Carafolis for the game’s only score. Several minutes after that goal, the Vikings came close to making it 2-0. With Carafolis drawn out to his left, Viking senior Alan Schilling kicked the ball towards an empty net. But Falcon junior Minor Joachim, a varsity newcomer, was suddenly in the right place. Joachim cleared the ball off the line, keeping Monroe in the game.
   Monroe’s defense was weaker than it will be later in the season because starting sweeper Ricardo Moreira is sidelined with a red card suspension carried over from a state tournament game last fall. In spite of that handicap, Falcon head coach Steve MacKenzie felt his squad did an excellent job on defense.
   "Our two marking backs (Eric Seyfried and Chris Johnson) played excellent, beyond my expectations," MacKenzie said. "And Paul (Greim) did an excellent job adapting to the sweeper spot. That helps us out, because now when Ricardo does come back, it gives us an extra guy we can put in the midfield."
   As expected, Monroe still has some kinks to work out on its offense.
   "Our crossing and finishing has to be a little better," MacKenzie said. "We have good speed on the flanks, and we had our opportunities. We just weren’t too consistent on our crosses. Once we bring those out a little bit, and we score some goals and get some confidence, I think we should be all right."
   Some of that flank speed came from junior Greg Epstein who got off three solid shots from out on the left wing in the space of 12 minutes. All three shots were handled by Viking keeper Anthony Clemente. Ziminski credited his defense with forcing Monroe to shoot from outside the box.
   "That’s the kind of defense we want to play," Ziminski said. "We want the opposition’s attack going outside the goal area. I thought our defense really stepped up and did a great job in that regard."
   Both goalies had strong performances, with A. Clemente making nine saves for the Vikings. Carafolis nabbed 11, coming up big on several attempts in the second half. In the first instance, the Falcon punched out a Viking corner kick, and he tipped one shot over the crossbar. Near the end of the game, N. Clemente got his head on a direct free kick, sending it towards the Falcon net, but Carafolis grabbed the ball just under the bar.
   Both teams ended up with a light schedule this week. Monroe had their game at South River postponed to Saturday from Monday because of field conditions. They were due to host Middlesex on Wednesday, and John F. Kennedy on Friday.
   South Brunswick is heading into a rough patch, with five Red Division games in nine days, beginning at East Brunswick on Thursday. The Vikings host J.P. Stevens at 11 a.m. on Saturday, and they will be at Old Bridge on Monday.