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Boca Under-23s get their first win of MSSL season – The Independent – Published June 23, 2004
June 23, 2004

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Independent Sports
June 23, 2004

Boca Under-23s get their first win of MSSL season

MANCHESTER — The Jersey Shore Boca Under-23 men’s soccer team defeated the Voorhees Soccer Club 3-2 last Wednesday night at the Manchester Soccer Complex to capture their first win of the 2004 summer season in the Mid-Atlantic Summer Showcase League (MSSL).

Sean Cahill, a Whiting native, opened the scoring for Boca in the 20th minute of the game when the tough-nosed defender, who played in 18 games for Kean University as a freshman last year, sailed a shot from 25 yards out to the upper far post that left the Voorhees goalkeeper standing still.

The first half of play ended 1-1 with Boca allowing a goal in the 15th minute, which beat Old Dominion University-bound Jon Curry-Edwards (St. Rose High School) to his near side.

After Voorhees tallied a goal at the beginning of the second half, Christian Pontier of Forked River lofted a ball from 15 yards out to the far post and found his Stevens Institute of Technology teammate Nick Gkionis of Jackson, who buried the head-ball into the back of the net to tie the game at 2-2.

Boca scored the game winner with 10 minutes remaining in the match when former Brick Memorial High School standout Justin Fuccello won a ball 20 yards out, moved to his right and blasted a low, hard shot that beat the Voorhees keeper to the far post.

“We opened up the game a bit more and capitalized on some of our opportunities. Although we still need to defend a little better and have to finish more of our chances, we did come to play tonight and I’m happy with the outcome and our overall performance,” said Walt Konopka who coaches the Boca U23 team with Kevin Cheeseman.

With the win, Boca improves to 1-2-1 in the 2004 MSSL season and moves into sole possession of fourth place while Voorhees falls to 0-3-1. The Mid-Atlantic Summer Showcase League is a first-year regional adult amateur soccer league specifically designed for collegiate players and is fully sanctioned by the U.S. Adult Soccer Association (USASA), the national governing body for adult amateur soccer.

The Boca U23s will play a 12-game MSS schedule which started on June 5 with an MSSL Kick-Off Festival at Ft. Dix. All of the Boca U-23 MSSL home games will be played at the Manchester Soccer Complex on Colonial Drive in Manchester Township. Because of the league’s regional affiliation, the leader in the U23 MSSL standings as of June 30 will receive a wild-card entry into the USASA U-23 Regional Championships in July.

The MSSL regular season ends July 24 with the league playoffs and championship scheduled for July 31 and Aug. 1.

The Jersey Shore Boca U-23 roster members include defenders Patrick Bulvanoski of Oceanport (Mount St. Mary’s College), Sean Cahill of Whiting (Kean University), Kris Cheeseman of Barnegat (New England College), Jim Coletti of Warren (Assumption College), Dan Corti of Lakewood (Nyack College), Nick Gkionis of Jackson (Stevens Institute of Technology), Dan Haydu of Toms River (Toms River High School East, Monmouth University) and John Moritz of Tuckerton (Caldwell College); forwards Joe Cutler of Manahawkin (Southern Regional High School, Rider University), Justin Fuccello of Brick (Rutgers University), Carlos Olate of Iselin (Kean University) and Goreleigh Willis of Wilmington, Del. (Swarthmore College); goalkeepers Jon Curry-Edwards of Spring Lake Heights (St. Rose High School, Old Dominion University); Sean Grayson of Plainfield (Middlesex County College) and Chris Konopka of Toms River (Providence College); and midfielders Jack Facemyer of Tuckerton (Yale University), Gary Gibson of Raritan (Middlesex County College), Bobby Hurl of Middletown (Kutztown University), Travis Iapicco of Forked River (Stevens Institute of Technology), Will McMaster of Rumson (Randolph Macon College), Robert Munoz of Barnegat (Southern Regional High School, Ocean County College) and Christian Pontier of Forked River (Stevens Institute of Technology).

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Published June 23, 2004