The Official Site of Jersey Shore Boca Jr. FC

U23 Teams Go 1-1-2 in MSSL Action
June 17, 2007

The Boca men’s and women’s U23 teams went 1-1-2 in MSSL action on Sunday as the Boca men tied the NJ Rangers in their first game and then defeated the Jersey Knights in the nightcap in Hillsborough while the Boca women lost in their opener against the NJ Rangers at Mercer County Park and then battled North Rockland, the 2006 MSSL Cup women’s champions, to a scoreless draw in their second game of the day. Jason Mancuso tallied five goals on the day for the Boca men.
Boca Teams Go 1-1-2 in MSSL Action

Mancuso strikes for five goals on afternoon as Boca men remain undefeated

HILLSBOROUGH, NJ (June 17, 2007) – The Jersey Shore Boca men’s and women’s U23 teams collectively went 1-1-2 in Mid-Atlantic Summer Showcase League (MSSL) action on Sunday as the Boca men tied the NJ Rangers (NJ) 2-2 in their first game and then defeated the Jersey Knights (NJ) 4-3 in the nightcap in Hillsborough while the Boca women lost 1-0 in their opener against the NJ Rangers (NJ) at Mercer County Park and then battled the North Rockland SC (NY) to a scoreless draw in their second game of the day.

The Boca men spotted the NJ Rangers two unanswered goals which stood firm until mid-way through the second half when Boca’s Mark Schmeigel (Toms River) was taken down inside the penalty box by a Rangers defender. Boca’s Jason Mancuso (Toms River) converted the PK attempt to cut the deficit in half with 20 minutes remaining on the clock.

With 5 minutes left in the match, the Rangers, who were undefeated and in first place in the U23 MSSL standings prior to Sunday’s games, were pushing their attack forward with numbers.

Boca defender Andrew Hawtin (Toms River), who finished his stellar college career at Syracuse University last year, won a ball in the midfield and played it back out of danger to Boca GK Jon Curry-Edwards (Spring Lake Heights) at the top of the box.

Curry-Edwards, who started seven games for the University of Delaware in 2006, quickly began Boca’s counter attack by playing a 60 yard ball down field to a streaking Mancuso on the left side who went around one defender and buried a shot past the Rangers keeper to make the game final at 2-2.

In the men’s second match of the afternoon against the Jersey Knights, Boca received two goals from Mancuso (4th and 30th minutes) as well as a single strike from Justin Fuccello (Brick) in the 13th minute to lead the Knights 3-2 at the break.

Jeremy Zahn (Manchester Township) assisted on Mancuso’s first goal with a cross from the right side.

At 25 minutes into the second half, Mancuso, a 2003 Toms River North HS graduate who has one year of NCAA eligibility remaining when he reports to York College (PA) in the fall, struck for his fifth and final goal of the day.

Chris Quinn (Hazlet), a senior who started in 13 games for Villanova University last year, found Mancuso on the left side about 25 yards out, who ripped the ball over the Knights keeper. The Knights finished the scoring in the last minute to make the final 4-3.

Boca’s Brett Alexrod (Union) recorded the win in goal for the Boca men who improve to 2-0-2 on the season.

On the women’s side, although Boca was playing without several key players on the afternoon due to injuries, the U23 women managed to keep their first match against the NJ Rangers very close as they dropped a heart-breaker 1-0.

Boca had several opportunities on goal throughout the game which they could not convert. The Rangers goal came late in the first half.

In the second game of the day Boca defended well enough to keep North Rockland, the 2006 MSSL Cup women’s champions, off the scoreboard but managed only to salvage a point as they tied their opponents from New York 0-0.

Emily Wager (Brick) of Loch Haven University and Leah Sachs of Montclair State University combined between the pipes on the day for the Boca women who fall to 1-2-1.

Jersey Shore Boca is participating in MSSL for the fourth consecutive year this summer as one of the league’s inaugural founding members.

MSSL is a regional summer soccer league, which is specifically designed for collegiate players under the age of twenty-three and is fully sanctioned by the United States Adult Soccer Association (USASA), the national governing body for adult amateur soccer.

The Jersey Shore Boca summer soccer program is officially sponsored by Surf Taco, a popular Mexican themed restaurant chain with six locations throughout the 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 29-year anniversary in 2007.

For more information about the Boca U23 teams and all other the Jersey Shore Boca programs logon to the Club’s official web site at www.jerseyshoreboca.com

news