Boca Rips NJSA to Advance to Cup Semis
May 18, 2010
Ben Drake and the Boca U18s advanced to the final four of the 2010 NJYS State Cup National Championship Series by defeating NJSA 4-1 in a quarter-final match last Sunday afternoon in Berkeley. Drake tallied a hat-trick on the day while the Boca defensive corps did their job to seal the win. Boca will head to the semi-finals on May 22 in Holmdel with the winners squaring-off the following day with a trip to the USYSA regionals at stake.
Boca Rips NJSA to Advance to Cup Semis
Convincing 4-1 win propels U18s into NJ State Cup final four
Drake tallies game winner and hat-trick in victory
BERKELEY TWP, NJ (May 18, 2010) – The Jersey Shore Boca U18 boy’s team propelled themselves into the final four of the U18 2010 New Jersey Youth Soccer State Cup National Championship Series by defeating the New Jersey Soccer Academy (NJSA) 4-1 in a quarter-final match last Sunday afternoon at the Berkeley Soccer Complex.
Boca got on the scoreboard first as a result of a run by midfielder Sean Casey (Toms River South) midway through the first forty-five.
Casey cleverly drew the NJSA keeper from the net and then dished off to John Nogiewich (Toms River South) who buried his shot into an open goal for the 1-0 lead.
NJSA leveled the game during stoppage time of the first half as a Boca miscue inside their own eighteen yard box resulted in NJSA converted penalty kick which was placed just out of the reach of Boca keeper Anthony Tamburro (Toms River North).
It was NJSA’s only attempt on goal in the first half while Boca pummeled fifteen shots at their opponents during the same time frame.
As the second half began, Ben Drake (Manasquan) finished a brilliant run in the forty-ninth minute to tally the eventual game winner and give the Boca boys a 2-1 lead which was never in jeopardy from that moment forward.
Drake netted two more opportunities later in the second half to earn a hat-trick on the day and put the match out of reach.
The Boca U18 defensive unit was stellar on the afternoon conceding only five additional shots on goal all of which were handled well by Tamburro.
“The game plan included relentless pressure on our opponent, one that was executed to near perfection. Constant disruption of our opponent’s ball control led to many first half opportunities and our ability to limit NJSA chances in our end” mentioned Guy Lockwood who coaches the Boca U18 side.
“We were able to wear down our opponent in the first half and our finish in the 49th minute proved to be the early deciding goal.”
“The match drew a nice home crowd which included our Boca youth teams as well as teams from our partner club, the Berkeley Soccer Association. It was a great display of high level youth soccer and I believe everyone who was in attendance enjoyed the match” Lockwood concluded.
Lockwood is a Southern Regional High School Hall of Fame member and former Monmouth University standout who also played professionally for several years with the North Jersey Imperials of the USISL.
Boca will face the TSF Academy from North Jersey in the semi-finals.
The NJYSA State Cup semi-finals are open to the general public with free admission and will be played on Saturday May 22 at 1:00pm at Cross Farm Park located at Longbridge Road and Route 520 in Holmdel.
The semi-final winners will square-off against each other the following day with a trip to the regionals at stake.
The champions of the New Jersey Youth Soccer State Cup National Championship Series in all age groups will advance to the US Youth Soccer Region I Tournament to be held in Barboursville, West Virginia with the regional champions advancing to the US Youth Soccer National Finals to be held in Overland Park, Kansas.
The U18 boys National Champion will be awarded The Andy Stone Cup.
Jersey Shore Boca has been a fixture in the soccer community since 1978 and is one of the most respected soccer clubs on the East Coast.
The Club is celebrating their 32-year anniversary in 2010.
For more information on the Jersey Shore Boca Soccer Club visit the Club’s official web site at www.jerseyshoreboca.com
SEMI-FINAL GAME DETAILS:
New Jersey Youth Soccer State Cup National Championship Semi-Finals
Jersey Shore Boca vs. TSF Academy
Age Group: U18 Boys
Date: Saturday, May 22
Time: 1:00pm
Location: Cross Farm Park
Address: Longbridge Road and Route 520, Holmdel, NJ
Open to the Public – Free Admission
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