The road to .500 got a little harder for the Spotswood High School boys soccer team on Tuesday as the Chargers fell 1-0 to South River, but coach Chris Gozick is confident that his team will qualify for the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I tournament.
After downing South River 5-2 at home on Friday, Spotswood visited the Rams Tuesday, needing a victory to even its record. Despite getting several good opportunities among its 15 shots on goal, the Chargers were shut out, dropping their record to 3-5.
"Our team has had some very good moments, but they haven’t been consistent," Gozick said. "We’re at the point where we need to begin getting some momentum going for the tournament. That means a minimum of touches and a lot of motion. When we do that, we’ve been successful."
Spotswood has relied heavily on a core group of players comprised of seniors Pete Forte, the team captain who has scored seven goals; Bhavish Patel, a midfielder; Joe Wogan, the stopper; and junior Chris Palumbo, a midfielder who occasionally switches positions with Wogan.
The intense, hard-working Forte is the Chargers’ top scoring threat, while Patel augments the attack by winning a majority of head balls and getting good range on his throw-ins.
Wogan and Palumbo are solid defenders. Both Patel and Wogan are four-year veterans who played on Spotswood’s 1998 Greater Middlesex Conference Blue Division champs.
Other members of the senior-laden team include forwards Joe Knarr and Kevin Hayes, who scored twice in Spotswood’s victory over South River, and sophomore Tim Logan.
Reuben Gamodia, who has two goals to his credit, and Rick Drude are the outside midfielders, with Anthony Cheng providing back-up. Carl Allen and Sean Wiggins are the Chargers’ marking backs, and junior Brian Kalendeck is the sweeper in front of goalie Greg Zohovetz. A.J. Taylor gives Spotswood depth on the backline.
"Our team has good experience throughout the lineup and a solid group of leaders," Gozick said. "I think we have the ability to turn things around and get into the state tournament."
Barring postponements, Spotswood has seven matches remaining before the Oct. 19 cutoff for the Group I sectional tourney. Teams must have at least a .500 record at the end of play that day to qualify.
"That means we have to go 5-2, but I think this team can do it," Gozick said. "Our guys have been very competitive in every game, and with just a little more consistency we’ll reach our goal. Once you get in the tournament who knows what will happen."