HHS boys survive county scare

Confuorto uses head to keep team in tourney

By: Rudy Brandl
   
   FRANKLIN — Achille Confuorto used his head and height advantage to win two soccer games for the Hillsborough High boys last week.
   The junior midfielder produced the biggest goal of the season in Saturday night’s Somerset County Tournament quarterfinals at Soccer Centers in Franklin Township. Confuorto deflected a 40-yard free kick from senior defender Sean Kelly into the right corner of the net for the golden goal just 32 seconds into overtime, leading the Raiders to a 2-1 triumph over Somerville.
   "I wasn’t letting that one go by me," said Confuorto, who also headed in the game-winner in a 3-2 victory over Immaculata earlier last week. "I saw it and I finished it."
   Confuorto saw teammate Chase Barbieri go down in front of him during the scramble in the penalty area. With the team’s leading scorer not in position to make a play, Confuorto knew it was up to him. Kelly’s long ball sailed into the box and found Confuorto’s head for a well-placed winning goal.
   "As soon as I saw the ball was coming, I knew it was going into the back of the net," Confuorto said.
   The goal set off a wild celebration on the field by the Raiders, who will play rival Bridgewater-Raritan in Saturday’s semifinals at 4 p.m at Watchung Hills. Saturday’s rugged match with the Pioneers served as good preparation for future tournament outings.
   "They fought hard, hung in there and persevered," HHS head coach Eric Puma said. "The atmosphere got to the boys a little. Somerville played physically and this is a small venue, like a pressure-cooker. It made things anxious."
   The Raiders finally used their superior height advantage in this game. It took more than 80 minutes, but Hillsborough finally connected on a header.
   "It was to our advantage and we kept trying to use that," Puma said. "Ultimately, it did win the game."
   Two unlikely heroes connected for goals in the county triumph. The Raiders took a 1-0 lead on a spectacular goal by Mike Lunemann, who played a nice game on the left side of the forward line. Lunemann settled a right wing corner kick on the left side of the box, moved away from the defense and ripped a left-footed shot into the lower right corner for a 1-0 lead with 20 minutes remaining in the second half.
   Somerville tied the game and forced overtime when Chris Roberts netted a long right-footed blast from 20 yards away into the far corner. The Raiders had been dominating but couldn’t get an insurance goal. Somerville keeper T.J. Mack made several huge saves, including two against Barbieri and Kelly in the second half.
   Confuorto and the Raiders didn’t stop pressing. They kept playing their game with confidence that the winning goal would come.
   "Achille has great passion and he loves to play," Puma said. "It doesn’t matter if it’s practice or the Somerset County quarterfinals. He never gives up. I’m not surprised he scored."
   The Raiders (10-2-1) will meet a familiar foe in Saturday’s SCT semis. They’ve already lost a 3-2 overtime game and played a 1-1 tie with B-R. If they can find a way to win Saturday, the HHS boys will have a chance to win their first county title since 1986. Pingry and Bernards will play in the other semifinal.
   "We won it 20 years ago and we want to do it again," Puma said. "If we want to be the best team in the county, we have to beat Bridgewater. We have the opportunity to do it. I’m excited about that."