Boca U18s Victorious Over Super Nova FC
June 17, 2001
With the wake of tropical storm “Allison” around all day, the Jersey Shore Boca U18 side traveled to take on powerful Super Nova FC in a USL Super Y-League match late Saturday afternoon at the Pine Hill Sports Center in Carlisle, PA just west of Harrisburg.
Although at the start and during the entire game, the weather was just overcast, Boca traveled through heavy downpours on their way out and torrential flooding on their return home, caused by tropical storm “Allison”.
Boca started the scoring in the 12th minute when mid-fielder Charlie Smith (Toms River, NJ) won a ball in the middle third of the pitch. After switching direction past two defenders, Smith, who will be a senior at Toms River East HS in September, slotted a low, through-ball on the left side to Tariq Hamani (Howell, NJ). Hamani, who will continue his career at Kean University in the fall, blasted a left footed shot past the diving Nova goalkeeper.
Super Nova got on the scoreboard in the 26th minute after converting a penalty kick when a Boca foul occurred inside the box. Boca keeper Chris Konopka (Toms River, NJ) who had 13 saves in the game, dove fully extended to his right and just tipped the shot, but not enough to push it wide. Konopka, who will entering his junior year at Toms River East HS in September, is averaging 11 saves and 1.0 goals against him in the 4 Boca U18 Super Y-League games this season.
Boca added another score just before the first half ended in the 42nd minute. Kris Cheeseman (Barnegat, NJ) won possession of a ball from his right marking back spot in Boca’s defensive third of the field. The “to be” Southern Regional High School senior, played a 40 yard picture-perfect diagonal ball behind the Super Nova defenders, right to the feet of a streaking Ryan Trachman (Toms River, NJ) on the left side. Trachman then buried Cheeseman’s assist in the far post corner. Trachman, a Toms River East HS senior in September, is Boca’s leading scorer in the Super Y-League season thus far. He now has 3 goals and 2 assists for a total of 8 points for the year.
Smith added his second assist of the day for Boca in the 75th minute. As Super Nova was pushing hard to win possession, Smith stole a ball on the right side of about 5 yards away from mid-field. After holding possession, he found an overlapping Kasen Whitehouse (Freehold, NJ) who split the Nova defenders. Whitehouse, who will play at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Teaneck, NJ in the fall, timed his run perfectly and found himself in a 1 vs 1 contest with the Nova goalkeeper. He placed a soft ball to the near post for Boca’s 3rd and final goal of the day.
In addition to Cheeseman, Boca received a quality defensive effort from Abhay Singh (Manalapan, NJ), Ryan Aldridge (Colts Neck, NJ), Dan Brady (Howell, NJ) and Jordan Demarest (Toms River, NJ). Singh, Aldridge, and Demarest have just completed their senior year in high school at Freehold Boro, Colts Neck and Toms River South respectively. Brady will be heading into his senior year this September at Christian Brothers Academy in Lincroft NJ.
This fall, Singh will attend Duke University as a pre-med student. He hopes to earn a walk-on spot with Coach John Rennie and the “Blue Devils”. Aldridge will continue his soccer career at new Big East member Virginia Tech while Demarest hopes to star at DIII Lycoming University in Williamsport, PA .
The Jersey Shore Boca U18s continue their USL Super Y-League schedule Wednesday night when they travel to Edgewood HS in southern NJ for a 6pm start against their cross-state rivals the South Jersey Barons.
news