Boca Tops SJ Barons in Super Y-League Action
August 7, 2002
Winslow, NJ (August 7, 2002) – The Jersey Shore Boca U17 team took the pitch Wednesday night against their in-state counterparts from the South Jersey Barons in a mid-week SYL match at Edgewood High School in Winslow Township.
In what has become one of the better club rivalries in the entire league, Boca and the Barons squared-off in one of the most competitive matches of the 2002 SYL season for the both sides.
The Barons scored first in the 27th minute of the match when Ryan Morgan (Princeton HS) poked in a low ball just inside the near post after a scuffle inside the Boca penalty area.
That would be the only time that South Jersey would see the back of the net for the rest of the match as the Boca defenders of Brian Simpson (Manchester Township HS), Nick Gkionis (Jackson Memorial HS), Chris Jennings (Piscataway HS) and Arjun Thakker (Piscataway HS) held the Barons at bay for the rest of the night.
Boca’s first goal came in the 54th minute of the game. Christian Pontier (Lacey Township HS) won a ball on the right side about 40 yards out. After getting around one defender, Pontier served a high ball to the back post and found a sprinting Mike Baiata (Pt. Pleasant Beach HS) who buried it past the outstretched Barons keeper.
Boca had control of the midfield for most of the match as Baiata, Pat Bulvanoski (CBA), Will McMaster (CBA) and Andy Krebs (Lacey Township HS) slowed the Barons attack in the middle of the pitch. Krebs, who usually plays at an outside midfield position, wore the captain’s armband for Boca for the entire match. Krebs moved into the central midfield spot because of an injury Boca’s regular central midfielder Jack Facemyer (Pinelands Regional HS) who was not dressed for the game.
The second goal for Boca came in the 85th minute. Gkionis blasted a shot from about 20 yards out which the Baron’s keeper had a tough time holding. The ball bounced off the keeper’s arms right to Mike Kubas (Brick HS) at about 10 yards away from the near post. Kubas eluded a defender and placed the ball neatly beyond the Barons GK for the unassisted game winner.
Boca goalkeeper Chris Konopka (Toms River East) played the entire 90 minutes of the match facing 9 shots and making 7 saves. Konopka who was recently selected to the USYSA Region I Olympic Development Program Player Pool, came up big late in the game with saves on two “point-blank” rockets which were easily headed for the back of the net. Konopka fully extended himself on both to prevent the Baron’s scoring opportunities and preserve the win for Boca.
The Jersey Shore Boca U17 team improves to 3-6-1 in Super Y-League play while the South Jersey Barons fall to 6-6-0.
Next up for the Boca U17s will be a trip to Downingtown PA on Sunday August 11th to take on powerhouse FC Delco, the 2001 Super Y-League National Champion.
news