East Brunswick wins GMC girls’ soccer championship

As the clock ticked under 10 seconds to play at Woodbridge High School on Oct. 28, a Piscataway High School player dribbled toward the box. An East Brunswick High School defender came out to meet her.

The Piscataway player stopped short and booted the ball wide of the net. As it bounced toward the fence, the public address announcer started the countdown.

“Five…four…three…two…one…,” he boomed over the loudspeaker. The time ran out and the buzzer sounded.

The East Brunswick girls’ soccer players raced onto the turf to mob their teammates. Coach Kevin Brady’s daughters ran up to the sideline and hugged his legs. Brady smiled and hugged them back.

East Brunswick beat Piscataway, 1-0, in the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament championship.

The Bears won their third straight GMC title and 35th in 40 years.

“One of the things about coaching East Brunswick is, you’re expected to be in this game, every single year. You’re expected to win this game, every single year,” Brady said. “Anything else feels like you’ve fallen short in some way.”

East Brunswick was the No. 1 seed in the GMC tournament. Piscataway was the No. 3 seed. But on Oct. 28, the Chiefs gave the favored Bears all they could handle.

The game was still scoreless deep into the second half. But with about 28:00 left, East Brunswick defender Kayla Flynn made the decisive play.

Lining up for a free kick, Flynn spotted teammate Jessica DiMatteo to her left. DiMatteo had just one defender on her.

“I was about 35 yards out and I was originally going to try and take the shot on goal, or even get it far post for someone to try and hit it in,” Flynn said. “But then out of the corner of my eye, I saw Jess with one girl on her. In my head I was like, ‘I think she could take her.’”

Flynn passed DiMatteo the ball. DiMatteo dribbled around her defender to the inside and ripped the ball into the bottom left corner of the net. East Brunswick had a 1-0 lead, the only one it would need.

“Right when she beat her I was like, ‘This is good. This is real good,’” Flynn said, laughing. “Jess is a really technical player. So I knew she’d be able to get a little touch and shot off quick.”

“When we had the free kick, I knew that we would have to capitalize on it. Piscataway was playing really good defense,” DiMatteo said. “I thought Kayla was going to shoot it on goal. Then when she played it to me instead, I knew it was all or nothing. I had to capitalize. It was so relieving because we probably weren’t going to score off regular play.”

Piscataway controlled the ball after East Brunswick’s goal. The Chiefs blasted shot after shot on Bears’ keeper Julia Bognar.

The freshman was up to the challenge. Right after the goal, a Piscataway player carried the ball into the box and blasted it on net. Bognar dove left and knocked the ball away.

As the game continued, she saved a head ball on the right post, a rebound on the left post and a rocket that she jumped up and caught. It was a virtuoso performance, especially for a keeper making just her third varsity start.

East Brunswick’s starting goalie, sophomore Ariel Salaman, got injured before the Bears’ quarterfinal matchup with Monroe Township High School on Oct. 18. Bognar stepped in, shut out the Falcons for 100 minutes (regulation and two overtimes) and stopped one penalty kick, which made the difference. East Brunswick won the shootout, 5-4.

Then, Bognar shut out The Wardlaw-Hartridge School, 4-0, in the GMC semifinals on Oct. 23. She still has not allowed a goal in the run of play, in more than 250 minutes of soccer. Bognar sat the last few minutes against Wardlaw-Hartridge.

“At first I was in shock. As a backup you’re never expecting to play. You’re just there for support,” Bognar said. “So I was nervous, but I was also excited. Now I’m starting to feel comfortable.”

“We have a very organized defense. But a goalkeeper still has to be there at the moment when things break down,” Brady said. “You saw her make four key saves today in tough moments.”

East Brunswick has one trophy, and now it will try to get another.

The Bears will be the third seed in the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 4 sectional tournament. They were the hosts to 14th-seeded Montgomery High School in the first round on Oct. 30.

“We’re trying to make our dreams come true and win it,” Flynn said.

“We have to come out strong,” DiMatteo said. “Whenever we come out strong, we win.”