By David Gurney, Sports Writer
All senior midfielder Garret Beyer could do was shake his head in disbelief.
It looked like the ball was going out-of-bounds . . . but it didn’t.
It looked like his team would have a shot of moving into the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III Semifinals with a win over the lower-seed West Windsor-Plainsboro North . . . but it didn’t.
No. 12 WWP-N scored in the 61st minute off a goal by Mike Tartaro and No. 4 Monroe High School boys soccer’s dreams of advancing deep into the state tournament ended with a 1-0 defeat at home last Friday.
Monroe finished the season at 14-8 overall and ended the team’s run of consecutive 20-win seasons and trips to the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III finals. Cinderella WW-PN, meanwhile, is in today’s (Friday’s) CJ III final against Red Bank.
”It’s a rough way to lose,” Beyer said after the loss. “You never want to lose, but to go out now is tough. This season really went by so fast. Now it’s over and it’s rough.”
The Falcons’ season ended late in the game, but very quickly.
Capitalizing off a Monroe turnover, WW-P North sent a through-ball from the right wing past a couple central defenders and drawn-out goalie Pat Perrella (five saves).
Tracked down by Tartaro and Monroe sophomore defender Tim Gandy, the ball seemed to be on the verge of rolling over the end line. But it was saved by Tartaro on the left side and sent blindly across the box to the net. It then rolled along the goal line and tucked into the right side corner of the net for the game’s only goal.
”That was just a mental breakdown by everybody,” head coach Steve McKenzie said. “We talk about it all the time. It’s not the first time it’s happened. Guys have to react and protect the goal. That’s part of being inexperienced. We are definitely experienced in those areas.
”To win and move on in the states you can’t have any of those mental breakdowns.”
The Falcons outshot the Northern Knights 9-6 and had several chances late to tie the score.
But a ball was cleared off the goal line after a carom in the box and junior midfielder Brandon Sebastian’s shot from just outside the 18-yard box sailed over the net in the final 10 minutes.
”We didn’t play with enough urgency, they (West Windsor-Plainsboro North) definitely played with a little more heart,” McKenzie said. “They won everything in the air, but we also weren’t reading, we were slow.
We were reacting, not anticipating.
”We were going forward too much, we didn’t check back. We were losing possession. Every time we won it, we gave it right back because we were looking to break out.”
For five seniors — Beyer, forward Ivan Barreto, forward Derek Kulper, midfielder Zach Tady and fullback Jason Tady — the game meant the end to a historic run that included 55 wins in three seasons, two trips to the CJ III finals, and one GMCT championship.
”Winning last year like we did, it’s hard to come back and lose like this,” Beyer said. “Not be able to repeat like that. Last year we went all the way in the GMC’s, and it’s a disappointment to not reach that same level. But we had a great run and these guys will be good next year.”
