Teams win 1-0 to gain sectional semifinals
By: Rudy Brandl
Hillsborough High’s soccer and field hockey teams dominated Friday’s sectional quarterfinal games and settled for 1-0 victories to move on to next week’s semifinal round.
In North Brunswick, the HHS boys (14-5-1) dominated the favored and second-ranked home team with a relentless assault. Finally, in the 65th minute, Hillsborough broke a scoreless deadlock.
Senior Matt Pfriender sent a long pass to Chad Barbieri, who was streaking down the field with a defender. The stiff wind carried the ball into a bounce off the defender, over the keeper’s head and into the net for the game-winning goal.
"I was trying to play a through-ball to Chad and it worked out into a goal," Pfriender said afterward. "It’s awesome."
Hillsborough will travel to third-ranked Rancocas Valley for Tuesday afternoon’s CJ 4 semifinals at 2 p.m.
Back on the home turf at HHS, the Raider field hockey team had to know it was just a matter of time before it would score a goal. After dominating East Brunswick for two scoreless halves of regulation and one 10-minute overtime, the Raiders finally prevailed in the second sudden victory stanza in the North Jersey Section 2, Group 4 playoffs.
Junior forward Liz Tafaro made it happen with 8:58 remaining in the second overtime. Tafaro completed a play that started with a Kerry Stanton penalty corner feed to Kate Bucci. Several players attempted to clear the ball out of the goalmouth but Tafaro slapped it home to send the Raiders into the semifinals.
Hillsborough (12-8-1) will travel to top-ranked Sayreville (15-2-2) for Wednesday’s semifinal round. Familiar foes Hunterdon Central and Bridgewater-Raritan play in the other semifinal, so the Raiders could be looking at a rival game if they advance to the finals.
For a full account of all the state tournament action involving the HHS soccer and field hockey teams, see Thursday’s edition of the Hillsborough Beacon.