Patriots send message with key division win over Rebels

By TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

 Freehold Township High School’s Brandon Nunez tries to get around Howell High School defender Anthony Pozsonyi during the Shore Conference A North Division clash in Howell on April 29. Nunez scored three goals in the 9-2 win that created a three-way tie for first place in the division between Freehold Township, Howell and Christian Brothers Academy.  STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ERIC SUCAR Freehold Township High School’s Brandon Nunez tries to get around Howell High School defender Anthony Pozsonyi during the Shore Conference A North Division clash in Howell on April 29. Nunez scored three goals in the 9-2 win that created a three-way tie for first place in the division between Freehold Township, Howell and Christian Brothers Academy. STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ERIC SUCAR Freehold Township High School’s boys lacrosse team reminded everyone that it is a championship squad.

With the Patriots’ season on the line in Howell April 29, they came through with their best game of the season, dominating the Rebels 9-2, to thrust themselves back into the Shore Conference A North Division title picture.

“We knew we had to bring our A game,” Patriots midfielder Billy Sasso said after the win. “We out-hustled them. We got to the ground balls first. We made those plays.”

Playing for their A North Division life, Freehold Township stunned Howell by holding the Rebels scoreless over the final 36 minutes and scoring nine unanswered goals.

Sasso did his part making plays by scoring twice and, more importantly, holding his own against Howell’s Zach Ornstein on faceoffs.

Colin Bitsko and Mike O’Brien led a superb defensive effort that shut Howell out over the final three periods.

“We played as a team,” Bitsko said. “Communication was the key.”

Communication and a hot goaltender were the difference.

Patriots goalie Matt Schroepfer said he could sense he and the Freehold Township defense were getting into the heads of the Rebels’ players. With each save, the Rebels became more frustrated and started to press.

Schroepfer said he studied film of the Rebels and noticed that from outside, they like to shoot the ball, which he had covered.

Position, footwork and focus are the three essentials to goalkeeping in lacrosse, Schroepfer pointed out. He certainly had the focus in Howell.

Howell started the game off fast enough with Nic Rossi and Mark Buannic scoring early, but the game was all square, 2-2, heading into the second period. Little did the Rebels know that they would not score again.

Brandon Nunez (three goals) and Sasso sparked a three-goal second period that lifted the Patriots to a 5-2 lead.

The second half was more of the same, as the Patriots matched the Rebels’ physical play and kept cashing in on their scoring opportunities and looking every bit like a team peaking at the right time of the season.

Besides Nunez and Sasso, Matt Lach scored twice and Mike Ferdinandi and Kevin Patten had a goal apiece for the defending champions.

Playing the entire 12 minutes of the period was also critical for the Patriots, as Sasso, Lach and Patten scored goals in the final minutes. In the case of Lach and Patten, the goals came in the final 15 seconds.

After the game, Patriots head coach Mike Ferrando pointed at Howell and said that the Rebels are one of the best teams in the Shore. By beating them, it made the Patriots one of the best teams in the Shore, the coach said.

Howell head coach Anthony Bonjavanni said his club made a season’s worth of mistakes in one game, but he attributed it to Freehold Township’s play. “Credit Freehold — they played us tough and came ready to play,” he said. The ramifications of the Freehold Township win were huge. First, it gave the Patriots, the defending public school champions, the opportunity to still grab a share of the championship.

The loss prevented Howell from claiming the division title outright and gave Christian Brothers Academy (CBA), which had beaten Freehold Township and lost to Howell, the chance to hold onto a piece of the championship they’ve owned for going on a decade.

Howell clinches its A North share

Bonjavanni said he had no doubt that his team would rebound from the Freehold Township loss, and it did. Howell clinched its share of the division title May 1, winning at Middletown High School North, 9-5.

Rossi scored a hat trick for Howell, and Ryder Verdoni had a goal and two assists. Drew Bukowiec, Matt Marsh, Jason Kenny, Buannic and Nico Lorenzo all scored one goal each for Howell. Goalie Ian Colmorgan made 13 saves in the win.

The Rebels (11-2 overall) finished 6-1 in the division. CBA (10-3) won its final division game against Marlboro High School, 15-4, to finish 6-1 and claim its share of the division title for 2015.

The Patriots still had two division games remaining after the win over Howell and need to win both to win a co-championship.

They took care of the fist step, beating Middletown High School South, 18-4, May 1 to improve to 5-1 in the division.

Freehold Township must still play a dangerous Colts Neck High School team (6-5) at a date to be determined before it can claim its share of the division crown.

The Shore Conference Tournament began May 5 with Howell and Freehold Township getting the fifth and sixth seeds, respectively. Colts Neck was given the 15th seed.

Howell hosted 12th-seed Jackson Liberty High School in its first-round game, and Freehold Township was at home to 11th-seeded Lacey Township High School. Colts Neck traveled to No. 2-seed Rumson- Fair Haven Regional High School.

The semifinals will be at a neutral site, Toms River High School East, May 9, and the championship is May 12 at Monmouth University in West Long Branch starting at 4 p.m.