Call North the comeback kids

Knights reach .500 mark for first time

By: Bob Nuse
   The West Windsor-Plainsboro High North boys’ soccer team has been facing win or else games ever since opening the season with four straight losses.
   So when the Knights found themselves trailing rival WW-P South after the Pirates scored a goal two minutes into Monday night game, there was no reason to panic.
   "I have to give South credit," WW-P North sophomore Scott Kelly said. "In the first half they outplayed us. But the halftime speech from Mr. (Trevor) Warner was right on the money. He said that we have to come out and show them we’re the better team. Luckily we did."
   The Knights tied the game on a goal by Paul Boccellari in the second half, then won it in overtime when Kelly took a pass from Jared Mangone and scored a golden goal. With the win, the Knights had fought all the way back from that 0-4 start to reach .500 for the first time this season.
   "It was a great way to finish," Kelly said. "Of all teams, under the lights, big crowd, you can’t get any better than this. The fans were tremendous and just rubbed off on the players.
   "Jared gave an absolute fantastic ball. I can’t get a pass any better than that. All my eyes were on just the goal. I just wanted to put it away. Jared should get all the credit for that one. Their goalie was phenomenal. You have to give him a lot of credit. He kept the net clear of shots and did a great job."
   On Wednesday, North battled Lawrence to a scoreless tie, leaving the Knights with a 7-7-1 record heading into Thursday’s scheduled game against Steinert. North needed either a win or a tie to secure a berth in the state tournament.
   "I guess we could call ourselves the comeback kids," said Kelly, who leads the Knights with nine goals this season. "We can never say die. We can’t let down from any situation. We’ve worked hard this season and we deserve it. But we still have to get one more game under our belt."
   The Knights hoped that game would be against Lawrence. But on a muddy field the teams battled for 100 minutes without anyone scoring, leaving their state hopes up to a good performance against Steinert.
   "We played 100 minutes in difficult conditions," said North coach Trevor Warner, whose team is 3-0-1 in its last four games. "The field was real soft and we didn’t get a lot of chances to capitalize on. I was glad we got it in, because we needed to play the game. I think emotionally, the kids are exhausted. But we keep on playing and we need one more game."
   In the win over South, there was plenty of cramping from the North players. But with so much on the line, they weren’t going to let that stop them.
   "When you come down to the end of the season, injuries start to happen," Kelly said. "Your body starts to fatigue, but you have to put all that aside. For us, we have one more chance to make states. We need one more win, so we’re not holding back."
   No one held back for the Knights on Monday night, as they came together for as big a win as they have had all year. Kelly, who was cramping himself in the second half and overtime, was able to get the goal the Knights needed.
   "Scott is a special kid," Warner said. "I’ve coached him for four years because I had him for two years with middle school baseball. He’s special. He demands a lot of himself. And the thing is, even as a sophomore, people follow his leadership. He speaks up and everybody listens.
   "As we were getting ready for overtime against Lawrence, I was gathering my thoughts. Scott started to talk and everybody was listening to him. He’s the kind of kid who takes the team on his back and gets it done."
   He wasn’t alone this week. And against the Pirates on Monday, Warner found plenty to be proud of about his team.
   "Mike Christie had severe cramps," Warner said. "Jared Mangone was cramping up but he got back in there and delivered the key assist to win the game. I think the most impressive thing was Paul Boccellari in the middle of the field. As much as I have been around the game as a player and a coach, I have yet to see anybody in college or high school that puts more effort in on the field than he does. He runs non-stop for 80 minutes.
   "We play a 4-3-3 and he’s all alone out there in the middle of the field. He plays both ends and never stops. He just continues to run. He never asks to come out. There was a point (Monday) where he was holding his side because he had a real bad stitch, but he would not come out. The next time I looked at him he wasn’t holding his side because he didn’t even want me to think about taking him out."
   During this stretch that has seen the Knights get so close to a state tournament bid, no one has been asking out. And on Monday, those players on the field got the job done. In overtime, it was Mangone finding Kelly for the game-winner.
   "Mr. Warner put it perfectly," Kelly said. "One ball. One pass. And one strike and the game is over. Jared is a great asset to the forward line. He can trap any ball you get to him and just distribute it. And with his big body he can protect the ball and distribute to anybody. That’s why he has an even amount of goals and assists."