Offensive woes hurt MHS boys

Soccer team blanked nine times in 2005

By: John E. Powers
   
   It was a simple mantra that third-year head soccer coach Jim Chiariello used throughout the season to describe the frustration his Manville High School boys were feeling.
   "If you can’t score," Chiariello frequently said, ”you can’t win."
   The Mustangs, 7-10-1 last year, finished at 3-11-3 mainly because they couldn’t muster an offense. It was that simple. The Mustangs scored 17 goals for the season – 12 in their wins against Middlesex County Academy (2-1), Piscataway Tech (6-2) and Belvidere (4-2) — but they were blanked nine times.
   On the plus side was the fact that Manville played North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 champion Brearley tough, losing 1-0 in Kenilworth and 4-2 the second time at Ned Panfile Stadium. After losing at North 2, Group 1 finalist Dayton 2-0 in the season’s opening game, the Mustangs lost a 2-1 overtime decision in Manville.
   "We played just about everybody tough," Chiariello said.
   Senior midfielder Rafal Brozyna, who led the team to an outstanding finish of seven victories in its last 10 games last year, scored 13 goals and dished out five assists. His reputation around the Mountain Valley Conference was of a dangerous threat, and those opponents treated him like it – double and some-times triple marking him. He finished with six goals this year. He often dominated a team with his dribbling and sprinting past defenders, but then he’d get bottled up by one, two and sometime three defenders.
   "It was really tough to watch them harass Rafal," Chiariello said. "There were a lot of times when they were hitting him before he even got to the ball."
   The season was affected very early in the year – in the season’s first game – when Jullian Serrato broke his ankle after being tackled from behind in a loss at Jonathan Dayton in Springfield. Serrato had surgery and was lost for the season. Later, the team lost Keinor Serrano to personal reasons. It appeared later in the year that Brozyna and Serrano had developed a rhythm that the team desperately needed.
   Brozyna often drew praise from opposing players and coaches for his skills and determination.
   "We played very well I thought at points during the year," Chiariello said. "We just couldn’t put the ball in the net. There were a lot of times when we would dominate the game, but we just couldn’t finish."
   Manville outshot its final three opponents – Oratory Prep, Brearley and Middlesex Academy – but earned just one win in those games, a 2-1 win at Academy. Sophomore Alex Malliard scored twice in a 4-2 loss to Brearley. Six different players scored in a 6-2 win against Piscataway Tech as Brozyna, Ariel Vargas, Tuan Anh Lee and sophomore Jimmy Lozada, Roland Yakobchuk and Jose Sosa found the back of the net. Lee and Lozada scored on penalty kicks and sophomore Marvin Sosa was strong in the middle of the field.
   "It’s a shame because we’re such a young team, we have just two seniors in Tuan (Lee) and Rafal – I feel for them, I feel bad for the two seniors we have because it is their senior year," Chiariello said. "We played very close games with a young team. It’s a good sign for the future."
   The MHS boys salvaged some of last year by winning seven of their final 10 games to finish 7-10-1. They were 12-5-1 the year before with a Central Jersey Group 1 playoff berth. That’s always the objective of the Mustangs – to win the division and qualify for the sectionals.
   The Mustangs lost virtually their entire backline as Mike Zala, Saulo Blanco, Kamil Kolodziej and Rich Ozieblo graduated along with veteran goalie Armand Fodorean. Next year, the team will have a cast of experienced youngsters like freshman Dawid Brozyna – Rafal’s brother — junior Ronnie Lobo, sophomore Drew Evanylo, Lozada, Marvin Sosa and freshman goaltender Bryan Molina and sophomore Chris Kocur.
   There should be enough of a core to give the Mustangs a great head start in 2006. They should be group up to the challenge of taking part in Manville’s first year in the Skyland Conference where competition figures to get tougher.