What Are Friends For
September 14, 2006
Long-time Boca veterans and teammates Andrew Hawtin and Chris Konopka, both playing their final year of college soccer, became collegiate opponents for possibly the last time on Thursday night as Hawtin and the Syracuse Orange hosted Konopka and the Providence Friars in a BIG EAST conference match-up at the Syracuse University Soccer Stadium.
What Are Friends For
Boca veterans and long-time friends Hawtin and Konopka battle each other down to the wire in BIG EAST men’s soccer action
SYRACUSE, NY – (September 14, 2006) – Jersey Shore Boca veterans Andrew Hawtin and Chris Konopka, both teammates on numerous Boca club teams throughout their careers, both high school teammates and 2003 graduates of Toms River East and both playing their final year of college soccer, became collegiate opponents for possibly the last time on Thursday night as Hawtin and the Syracuse Orange lost 3-2 to Konopka and the Providence Friars in a thrilling BIG EAST conference match-up at the Syracuse University Soccer Stadium.
Providence scored with just three seconds left in regulation to earn their fifth win of the season when sophomore Kevin Neumen (Miller Place, NY) scored as he flicked the ball into the Orange net off a free kick by Konopka at 89:57.
The play was set up after a foul by Syracuse in its attacking end of the field resulted in the free-kick opportunity.
Konopka elected to take the kick and sent the other 10 Friars toward the Orange net.
Providence’s Timothy Ritter (Weston, MA) got a piece of ball as it was coming down and Neumen headed it by SU keeper Robert Cavicchia (North York, Ontario) for the game-winner giving Konopka his first college point with the assist.
At the start of the match, Hawtin tallied an assist of his own when Syracuse took a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute when the Toms River native feed Kyle Hall (Toronto, Ontario) who connected on his team leading fifth goal of the season.
Providence pulled even at 1-1 in the 33rd minute and then went ahead in the 70th minute before Syracuse tied the game 2-2 in the 88th minute after a scramble inside the Friars penalty.
Konopka finished with 4 saves with Syracuse’s Cavicchia also making 4.
With the win Providence improved to 5-1 overall, including a 3-0 mark in the BIG EAST, their best start ever in conference play. In addition, the Friars have now four consecutive matches for the first time since 1999.
Syracuse fell to 3-3 overall and 0-3 in conference action.
Hawtin and Syracuse will host Connecticut at 3pm on Sunday September 17th while Konopka and Providence travel to St. John’s the same day for a 6pm start against the Red Storm in a nationally televised game on ESPNU.
Hawtin and Konopka are long-time Jersey Shore Boca teammates and were members of the Boca U23 team this past summer that advanced to the semi-finals of the USASA U23 Regional Championship as well as the semi-finals of the MSSL Cup Championship
Jersey Shore Boca, including Hawtin and Konopka, has over fifty club standouts who previously played for Boca on either their Men’s, Super Y-League, PDL, Club or Youth teams that are participating in NCAA intercollegiate soccer this fall for their respective institutions either as players or coaches.
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 28-year anniversary in 2006.
For more information on the Jersey Shore Boca Soccer Club, visit the Club’s official web site at www.jerseyshoreboca.com
news