By Jimmy Allinder
If there was any doubt as to which boys’ soccer team deserves to be considered tops in the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) at this stage of the season, Monroe Township High School’s 4-1 victory over New Brunswick High School Sept. 24 settled that argument.
Both teams entered the contest undefeated, although the Zebras — newcomers to the Red Division — were tied twice, while Monroe was 6-0. However, this was a close match that turned on taking advantage of opportunities, especially by Falcons forward Matt Mischler.
The senior deposited two goals, but he also registered an important assist when he channeled a corner kick to the front of the goal, which teammate Kevin Sinkus nailed to the back of the net for an early 1-0 lead.
Mischler also added another assist late in the game to end with four points and bring his season total to 13 goals and six assists. Matt Hoyt has also been a major contributor on offense with six goals and six assists, while goaltender Nick Rios has been outstanding in goal with 46 saves.
Monroe (7-0) remains the only team in the GMC without a defeat.
Except for South Brunswick High School, which Monroe played Sept. 27, the Falcons have met and prevailed against every Red Division team, although a 2-1 win against Old Bridge High School Sept. 10 required two overtime periods.
Despite the unblemished mark, this is a team that always has high expectations but has a history of starting strong only to end on a disappointing note. The last two seasons, the Falcons were defeated by Freehold Township High School and Manalapan High Schools, respectively, in the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group IV championship.
After a Sept. 27 rematch with South Brunswick, Monroe meets East Brunswick High School — a team it edged, 2-1, in the season opener — Sept. 29. On Oct. 1, Old Bridge will pay a visit to finish off what will be a pivotal week.
Two area teams in the thick of the GMC Blue Division race are South River High School (6-1) and Spotswood High School (6 -2). However, in the lone head-to-head match between the teams, it was the Chargers that prevailed, 3-2, Sept. 14.
The next time the rivals meet is Sept. 30, and the outcome could go a long way in determining the division winner.
Although head coach Jeff Marvinny is a firm believer in soccer being a team game, there is no doubt the catalyst for the Chargers’ success has been Nick Moran, who has accounted for 14 of the team’s 22 goals. Moran was a top scoring threat a year ago, but a knee injury shelved him after seven games for the remainder of the campaign.
Andrew Oress and Matteo Tavilla have both contributed five assists, and Tavilla has netted three scores.
South River is the defending Blue Division champion and has been especially potent on offense this season, depositing 30 goals. However, the defense has been equally strong with shutouts in five of the victories, thanks to a strong back line and outstanding goalie Eric Lucas, who has turned away 76 shots.
Matt Pitrczyk leads with seven goals to go along with three assists, Michael Pisco has scored six times and versatile Nark Miranda, Jr. has four goals and eight assists. Christian Almeida and Brandon Cappelutti each have four goals and one assist.