Marlboro’s motivation in the first round of the Shore Conference Tournament was simple. If the Mustangs wanted to continue their 2007 soccer season, they needed to beat Wall Thursday afternoon. A loss would not only eliminate them from tournament, but end their season as well.
Marlboro, one of the hottest teams in the conference, carried a 9-9 record into the first-round contest at home. With the NJSIAA cutoff date for teams to be .500 or better being the next day, the Mustangs had no plan B to fall back on. Win, or hand in your uniforms.
The Mustangs, who had won seven of their last 10 matches just to get to .500 and qualify for the SCT in the first place, continued their late-season surge scoring a 2-1 victory that took them into round 16 and clinched a state playoff berth.
Mario Rangel and Jesse Marques (assisted by Mike Stone) staked the Mustangs to a 2-0 cushion that overcame Wall’s goal in the 78th minute.
The Mustangs continued their run Saturday beating Toms River East, 3-2, on penalty kicks. The teams were tied 2-2 after regulation and overtime. Rangel scored both goals for Marlboro, the second with under a minute left in regulation.
In the ensuing shootout the Mustangs were perfect, winning 5-4.
Rangel, Hunter Gorskie, Sam Nunes, Mike Rothenberg and Mike Stone all buried their shots sending the Mustangs into the SCT quarterfinals yesterday where they faced Christian Brothers Academy.
Marlboro now heads into the Central Jersey Group IV playoffs with a full head of steam, winners of nine of their last 12 matches.
That Marlboro is still playing is a tribute to head coach Dave Santos, who never wavered in his belief his team had what it takes, and to the maturity of its underclassmen players.
Santos remained convinced throughout the early-season struggles that his was good. Even when the Mustangs were 2-6, he refused to believe the record was indicative of his club’s talents.
“I knew with our inexperience it would take time for the team to develop,” said Santos. “When we were 2-6, I was in a conundrum. I kept saying we were a good team, we just weren’t clicking.”
He had to find a way to turn things around and it started with two lineup changes. Santos switched defensive marking back Alex DeJohn to sweeper and moved midfielder Stone to the forward line. Just like that the Mustangs took care of two problems, giving up too many goals and not scoring enough.
It was no coincidence that Marlboro took off after the moves. The Mustangs went 7-3 over the next 10 games and qualified for the Shore Conference Tournament at 9-9.
“Alex has just been outstanding,” said Santos. “He’s been dominant. Teams can’t get passed him. He’s a wall back there.
“I think he’s the best sweeper in the Shore and the best I’ve ever coached,” he added.
While DeJohn solidified a leaky defense, Stone has put a spark into the offense.
“Michael is putting the ball in the goal in good numbers,” said Santos. “We needed more goal scoring, that’s why we moved him up.”
Stone scored nine goals during Marlboro’s 10-game run into the SCT and assisted on just as many.
With the wins, it seems, comes the good bounces, said Santos. Everything seems to be going Marlboro’s way.
“Maybe the ball is bouncing our way a little; it certainly helps,” Santos pointed out. “It wasn’t early in the season.”
After falling to A North champion Howell, 2-0, last week, the Mustangs fell to 6- 9 with three games remaining before the SCT deadline. They would need to run the table to make the postseason and they were up to it.
They beat B North champion Monmouth Regional, 2-0, on goals from Matthew LaFemina (assisted by Stone) and Gorskie.
Next was Brick Memorial, and it was LaFemina’s overtime goal that kept Marlboro’s hopes alive in the 1-0 victory. Frank Clemente and Rangel assisted him.
The clincher was a 3-0 win over Red Bank Regional. Stone (LaFemina assist), Jack Parkin (from Gorskie) and Gorskie (from Rothenberg) scored for Marlboro.
Alan Shapiro was sharp in goal for Marlboro throughout the run, registering three straight shutouts.
The good news for the Mustangs is they will lose just two senior starters in the field. With sophomores and juniors filling out the team, the future is very bright.
“There’s a focus on the fundamentals and work that wasn’t there before,” said Santos.
Howell (13-2-1), Manalapan (12-2-1) and Freehold Township (8-7-1) will join Marlboro in the Central Jersey Group IV tournament that begins at the end of the month. Manalapan is the defending sectional champion.
In the SCT, Howell is the No. 1 seed and Manalapan is No. 2. Freehold Township was also a SCT qualifier.

