BY RICHARD JEROME
Staff Writer
After a bit of a rocky start, the East Brunswick High School boys soccer team seems to have found its rhythm.
The Bears were 2-2-1 in their first five contests, but have since won five straight, most recently a 4-0 shutout over Edison.
“We struggled at the beginning, but the kids are working diligently and we’re improving on a daily basis,” said coach Dan Hayston.
The Bears’ leading scorer is senior captain Rick Laskay, who has 11 goals and three assists from the striker slot.
“He’s a good leader and finisher, and he’s an intense player,” Hayston said.
Another senior, speedy Josh Sims, has seven goals. The coach hails him for “creating scoring opportunities; and he’s also a finisher, someone the kids turn to.”
As for other seniors, outside marking back Gabby Estremara has made a strong comeback after struggling a bit last year, and captain Matt Metsch, who plays sweeper and outside marking back, is a durable and dependable performer who, Hayston says, exerts a strong positive influence on younger players.
Another senior, Brett Robin has recovered from last year’s ACL injury.
“He’s a great dribbler at stopper and midfield, and probably as good a player as we have,” Hayston said.
Junior Brian Robles (seven assists, three goals) is a dynamic center-midfielder, while his classmate, Nick Grimaldi, has five shutouts in goal.
“He’s agile and commands the box,” said his coach. “I think he’ll be one of the area’s better keepers.”
Junior midfielder Hiro Sato has improved steadily, and contributed a goal to a dramatic 3-2 overtime win over South Brunswick. Sophomore Eric Corpus in midfield is mature beyond his years, while 10th-grader and sweeper Naru Sato, Hiro’s brother, is perhaps “our biggest surprise,” according to his coach. He’s nursing an injury at the moment, however.
Brad Reiner, a sophomore who had 20 goals as a freshman, got off to a slower start this season, but has recently kicked in some key scores. Rounding out the club are seniors Adam Lehman, Josh Brandsdofer and Nick Caputo.
Assisting Hayston this year is longtime aide Tom Hockenjos, whom Hayston has called “gifted and poised”; along with ninth-grade coach Steve Pescesky and eighth-grade boss Terry McGibbon.
“We’re working hard to improve,” said Hayston, whose Bears played J.P. Stevens yesterday. “We want to keep the focus on playing the full 80 minutes — or 100 if it’s overtime.”
Roundup… While the Bears have played their way back into the GMC Red Division race with their solid play of late, they still find themselves trailing North Brunswick, who improved to 8-1 with a 4-0 win over Piscataway on Tuesday. The Raiders are undefeated in division play, and will be tough to catch based on the way they’ve played thus far.
The Bears will take a shot at bringing the Raiders back to the pack on Saturday, when they host North Brunswick at 2 p.m.
In the White Division race, both Sayreville (5-2-1) and Monroe (6-2) find themselves chasing the Colonia Patriots, who beat New Brunswick, 1-0, on Monday to get to 8-1-1 on the year. Monroe, who knocked off Woodbridge, 7-1, on Monday, has played well and appears poised to challenge the Pats.
The same can be said for the Bombers, who will have their chance to make some serious headway over the next couple of days — they travel to Monroe tomorrow and will host Colonia on Monday. In other words, following Monday’s action, they will have a much better idea of exactly where they stand in the division race.
Meanwhile, the South River boys soccer team continues to make its case for Blue Division supremacy. The Rams improved to 6-1 on Monday with a 5-1 win over Bishop Ahr. That allowed them to keep pace with Metuchen (7-1-1, 4-1 in the division), who currently trails the Rams by just one game. The Rams, who played Highland Park (6-2-1) yesterday, and will take on Carteret Saturday and Spotswood on Tuesday, will be looking forward to next Saturday, when they host Metuchen in a game that may very well decide the division.
As for Spotswood, they improved to 3-6 on Monday with a 6-0 blanking of Cardinal McCarrick. However, the Chargers need to continue their winning ways if they hope to qualify for the state tournament. The cutoff, when teams must have a .500 record or better, is Oct. 22.
That cutoff date also looms important for the Old Bridge Knights, who dropped a 3-2 overtime game to St. Joseph’s on Monday to fall to 3-4 on the year. The Knights have their work cut out for them if they hope to qualify for the postseason, as they play in the Red Division, which entered the week with six of eight teams holding records of .500 or better.