Monroe ousts SBHS from counties

By David Gurney, Sports Writer
   EAST BRUNSWICK — It took almost 69 minutes for the game to swing in the South Brunswick High School boys soccer team’s favor.
   And only 52 seconds for it to shift right back.
   The Vikings battled back from a one-goal deficit to tie on a goal by senior defender Brian Sichta, but Monroe answered 52 seconds later to end SB’s tournament run in a 2-1 Vikings loss in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament semifinals at Heavenly Farms Field Monday.
   The loss meant the Vikings would not be able to avenge last year’s GMCT Championship loss to East Brunswick, who advanced on penalty kicks against North Brunswick, 3-2, in the early game.
   ”I thought we played very hard — Monroe is a very good team that played hard and they just made one more play than we did,” head coach Chris Hayston said after the defeat. “In the end, that was the difference in the game. One play.”
   A game that was dominated in the midfield shifted course late in the first half.
   Despite a strong, prevailing wind in their favor, South couldn’t finish. Instead, the Falcons jumped on top when, with just over three minutes remaining in the first half, Monroe’s Kyle Jensen sent a line drive cross into the 18-yard box, where Sean Lawrence headed it past goalie Kevin Gramata.
   SBHS (15-2-2) came out in the second half, against the wind, and started to gain an advantage in possession.
   The key was keeping the ball on the turf, which led to better ball movement and more scoring opportunities.
   ”I think the wind forced us to play the way we’re better off playing, and that’s keeping the ball on the ground,” Hayston said. “We were able to move the ball quickly. In some ways, playing into the wind forces you to do things you really want to be trying to do all the time.”
   The wind and greater possession time eventually translated into the game-tying goal in the 69th minute.
   Offensive pressure by the Vikings led to a corner kick from the right sideline. Sean Tyree’s kick bent out, against the win, to the top of the 18-yard box. Sichta then took a right-footed volley that screamed past Monroe’s goalie for the equalizer.
   ”It was kind of surprising, because I don’t do that often,” Sichta said. “It was a great ball by Sean (Tyree). He gives me good balls every game. I was just able to get it past their keeper.”
   But the lead would be short-lived.
   A counter by Monroe the other way resulted in Monroe’s T.J. Benedict with the ball on his feet about 20 yards out from the right side of the field. Gramata was shielded by two defenders as Benedict took the left-footed shot.
   Benedict’s ball was laced to the lower-left corner of the net. Gramata dove and initially stopped the shot, but the ball squirted underneath Gramata’s stomach and trickled into the net for the eventual game-winner.
   ”It’s tough to be a goalkeeper sometimes,” Hayston said. “He (Kevin Gramata) was shielded off, they countered quickly on us and the kid hit a shot in a good spot. And it went in.”
   From there, the wind was taken out of the Vikings’ sails and they couldn’t put a dent in the Monroe defense.
   ”The goal (Monroe) scored was unlucky,” Sichta said. “Kevin has come up big for us so many times, this just happened, it was just unlucky this time. The goal was tough to come back from. But we all played well together. We couldn’t ask for much more from everyone.”