By David Gurney, Sports Writer
Sean Tyree’s direct kick hovered over the 18-yard box like a hot-air balloon, just floating towards the center of the box.
It was almost suspended in air.
Standing in there, draped by several red shirts, was senior midfielder Kazuki Yamada, in his first game back since injuring his knee three games ago.
”It was just a great, great ball — all I wanted to do was just put it in,” Yamada said. “It was just a great ball, really. It was supposed to go to either me, Evan Beck or Brian Sichta. Again, Sean (Tyree) put it on my head.
”It was perfect.”
Tyree’s ball deep into the second half landed on Yamada’s forehead as he leapt a foot above the tallest defender. His header was ripped into the left side of the net, beating the Woodbridge keeper for the eventual game-winning goal in a 3-2 South Brunswick victory Monday in the first round of the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament.
The win lifted the top-seeded Vikings into today’s (Thursday’s) quarterfinals, where they will play Red Division foe Piscataway at home at 4 p.m. SBHS has beaten the Chiefs, 6-2 and 1-0 this season, the latter coming Friday.
Yamada capped a three-goal turnaround for the Vikings, who found themselves down 2-0 late in the first half. A goal by Tommy Huchko off a corner kick by Tyree cut the deficit in half just minutes before halftime.
”I think the realization that we were in trouble and that we needed to play better really carried us later on,” head coach Chris Hayston said. “Getting that goal at the end of the half by Tommy (Huchko) really made a big difference. Cut the lead in half and a one-goal deficit is always easier to come back from than two.”
SBHS came out with more assertiveness and aggression in the second half. The Vikings had the 16th-seeded Barrons on their heels for most of the half and sent a barrage of shots, many just missing the net or saved by the goalkeeper.
It wasn’t until Tyree was tripped and fouled outside the 18-yard box that SBHS was able to make another dent in the scoring column.
Tyree fired a shot that slammed off the crossbar and ricocheted back into the middle of the box. The only ones to follow were three Vikings, with Evan Beck the first one to the loose ball. He knocked the rebound home to tie it.
Minutes later, Tyree hooked up with Yamada for the game-winner.
”I’ve been out here practicing free kicks all the time so that when I’m in that position I feel like I’ve been through it hundreds of times,” Tyree said. “I know that my team needs me, so that drives me. On the first one, I was far out and I knew I could make that shot into the upper ninety. I was just a hair off, but Evan (Beck) was there and finished it.
”The second one was just a great header by Kazuki (Yamada).”
From there the defense and goalkeeper Kevin Gramata (seven saves) tightened, making several key saves and thwarting the upset effort.
”We really picked each other up and overcame adversity today,” Gramata said. “We came out in the second half harder than in the first half. We had some defensive lapses, but we picked it up. We had some good communication, knew when to step, when to stay.”

