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On the Pitch - Spring 2009

May 17, 2009

The EBSC Galaxy (U13B) mounted a frantic comeback in the final 15 minutes of their US Cup state semifinal game this past Saturday but fell just short, losing 3-2 to the eventual state champion Highland Jaguars in a thrilling game at Mercer County Park.
 
The Galaxy started out strong, controlling possession for the first 15 or 20 minutes but not getting any good opportunities. Then the Jaguars’ speed advantage began to show as they were able to chase down a long ball in the corner and create their first goal. A short while later the Galaxy were whistled for a trip in the penalty area, and a PK was awarded. EB’s keeper guessed right while the ball went to his left for the second goal. Late in the first half a Jaguar run to the goal line and service into the box was slotted inside the near post for a 3-0 halftime lead.

The second half was an entirely different story. While the Jaguars came out in the second half looking content with a 3-goal lead, the Galaxy were not done playing. They pressed forward in waves, creating numerous chances but the Jaguar D held. With less than 15 minutes to play, the Galaxy won a free kick from 25 yards. The kick was blasted into the top right corner to make it 3-1.  The momentum shifted immediately and the energized Galaxy attacked at a frantic pace.  With 5 minutes to play a cross was headed in to make it 3-2.  The Galaxy were now committing nearly everyone forward, and the team’s keeper was forced to run almost to midfield to defend one ball.  As the clock wound down a final opportunity came from close in, as the ball was played across the goal and a diving Galaxy player just missed getting a head on the ball.  

The Galaxy bounced back the next day, winning convincingly, 3-0, in a MAPS game in Livingston.

The EBSC Gladiators (U9B) played three games this past weekend, coming immediately on the heels of two hard days of tryouts.   Saturday was spent in East Windsor at their Summer Blast Off tournament, where the Gladiators were initially unable to adjust their style to the long, wet grass, and began the day with a disappointing loss to the Scotch Plains-Fanwoods Storm.  Committing themselves to playing error-free ball after that, they took the lead early in their second match against Toms River Juventus (an undefeated team flighted higher in MOSA), and held them off the rest of the way for the 1-0 victory.   On Sunday, the Gladiators hosted the Sayreville Eagles in league play at Dideriksen.   Continuing where they left off on the previous day, the home side shut down the opposing forwards and made their own chances on counter-attacks.    After a scoreless first half, the East Brunswick side notched a goal in the opening minutes of the second half, then held out against a continuous assault by Sayreville for the rest of the match.   Bending, but not breaking, the Gladiators secured another 1-0 victory, giving them 4 wins in 5 games over the last two weekends, and a much-needed break until after Memorial Day. 

May 10, 2009

The EBSC Galaxy (U13B) may be just two wins away from a state  NJ Cup championship, but they’re taking things a game at a time. The first game is Saturday at 12 noon against Highland Jaguars the state’s No. 11-ranked team, at Mercer County Park’s field #6. The Galaxy, who defeated New Egypt, Livingston and Ironbound in previous US Cup games to reach the state semifinals, and Highlands played to a 1-1 draw last month in a MAPS showdown.  If the Galaxy win, they will advance to the state championship game against either Mount Olive or SC Vistula, who are playing in the other semifinal. The championship game will be played at 4:30 on Saturday at the park’s field #4.  This past weekend, the Galaxy tuned up for their state championship run with a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Bridgewater Arsenal. The Galaxy took advantage of a strong wind at their backs to dominate possession in the first half, creating several opportunities until they cashed in with a short- range goal about 30 minutes in. The tables were turned in the second half, though, as the Galaxy withstood Bridgewater’s attack and yielded just the tying goal. The Galaxy began to assert themselves again about midway through the half and controlled play the rest of the way, winning several dangerous free kicks.  The Galaxy are coached by Al Pavelchak and John Santos and trained by Julian Richens.   Go Galaxy!

May 3, 2009

The EBSC Spirit (U12G) took the field with just 11 players in a steady rain last Sunday afternoon for a key JAGS matchup at West Windsor and came away with an impressive 3-0 victory. Stephanie Schwailik had 2 goals and 1 assist, while Gab Sachs added a goal and Katherine McCulley and Kaitlyn Roughan each had an assist. The Spirit also got great play up front from Carly Torrado and in midfield from Sydney Rosa. Margaret Lee, Goldy Ianosi, Emily Chimento and Barbara Garretson held a steady backline and started the attack for the Spirit. Keeper Shannon McCarthy recorded her third shutout of the season.

Galaxy advance to state semifinals:    The EBSC Galaxy (U13B) enjoyed quite a weekend, hanging on for a 0-0 tie with NJ’s 9th-ranked team, FC Premier, in MAPS play on Saturday before a dramatic 3-1 road victory on Sunday over the Ironbound Vipers to advance to the NJ Cup state semifinals.   Against FC Premier, the Galaxy got off to a slow start and played the majority of the game in their own half. Unable to string together passes and maintain possession, the boys were forced to rely on strong play from the back four and their keeper to keep their opponents off the board. The FC Premier defense played very high and won numerous offside calls. The Galaxy did manage a few breakaways against the run of play but could not convert, with the game ending tied.    The next evening, the Galaxy traveled to the less-than-friendly environs of Ironbound Stadium in Newark for a 7 p.m. start time under rainy skies. The Galaxy jumped out to an early one-goal lead with a free kick just 3 minutes in. From about 35 yards out a nice service into the box was volleyed on net, and the keeper was unable to field the wet ball. The Vipers battled back to tie it with a one-man run and blast from the left side. The wet ball slipped thru the keeper and was cleared off the line by the D, but the goal had been called.   Late in the first half a nice Galaxy combo out of the defensive end resulted in a long run to the left side of the box, and a sliding service into the areas was deflected by the keeper before being finished off to go up 2-1.    In the second half a quick reversal of play resulted in an undefended breakaway goal for the Galaxy.    The boys now move on to the NJ Cup semis against the 11th-ranked Highland Jaguars on Saturday, May 16 at Mercer County Park with a noon kick-off.

April 26, 2009

The EBSC Panthers (U13G) continued their dominating play with big wins over the Bloomfield Amazons and the Berkely Heights Blus Mist to improve their flight-leading record to a perfect 5-0.  At home against Bloomfield, Jessica McDonald and Stephanie Pasewaldt scored hat tricks and Lianne Escobar and Kaitlin Vanbenthuysen scored a goal each to lead the offensive attack. The Panthers also dominated play in midfield, led by the strong play of Danielle Shaw.
 
In this past weekend’s win over Berkeley Heights, the defense did the job, led by Alyssa Elman in goal and  Jen Lynk, Rebecca Simpson and Caitlin Mosier on the back line.

April 19, 2009

The EBSC Spirit (U12G) stayed sharp with a 2-1 win over BSA Force this past weekend, extending the team’s season-opening winning streak to four games. Stephanie Schwailik found the back of the net on a cross from Katherine McCulley for a 1-0 halftime lead. After BSA evened the score 20 minutes into the second half, Sydney Rosa took a pass from Gab Sachs and put the ball in the net just over the goalie’s reach for the game winner. Barbara Garretson, in her first start in goal, was outstanding.

April 5, 2009

The EBSC Panthers (U13G) continued their winning ways this past weekend, coming from behind for an exciting 2-1 road victory over Cranford to improve to 3-0. The Panthers fell behind just two minutes into the game but soon bounced back to take control of the game. The defense also tightened up, with Alana Yates leading the Panther backline. Following a motivational speech at halftime by the team’s coaching staff, the Panthers started out the second half on the attack. The good play paid off when several pinpoint passes created a great scoring chance for Kaitlin Van Benthuysen, who buried a shot from about 20 yards to tie the game at 1-1. The Panthers kept the pressure on and, with about 10 minutes remaining, a shot and ensuing scramble led to a head ball goal by Lianne Escobar to seal the thrilling victory for EBSC.

March 22, 2009 

The EBSC Panthers (U13G) started the season after weeks of solid training and with a winning attitude and the result has been a 2-0 record.  The Panthers trained hard during the winter and earned their first win of the season on the road against South Brunswick, 4-1.  This past weekend, they faced Westfield’s Crytal Palace on the road again and avenged last season’s last-minute loss with an impressive 5-0 victory. The Panthers kept the pressure on from the initial whistle and maintained the ball on their half for most of the game. The team’s forwards kept breaking down Westfields’s defense and made it 2-0 at halftime.  With an extraordinary performance from the Panther defense, EBSC’s midfielders and forwards exploded for three second-half goals en route to the shutout victory.

The EBSC Galaxy (U13B) combined ball possession with stifling defense last weekend to stop New Egypt, 1-0, on the road and improve to 3-0 in MAPS play.    The Galaxy, with the wind at their backs in the first half, dominated possession, out-shooting the opponents, 10-0. The only goal of the game came on a free kick from just outside the box 15 minutes into the half.  In the second half the Galaxy played into the wind, and the play was much more back and forth, with the Galaxy holding off a few scoring chances by New Egypt. The Galaxy have yet to give up a goal this season.  This weekend the Galaxy head to Maryland for the prestigious Baltimore March Madness tournament.
 
The EBSC Gladiators (U9B) traveled this past weekend to Clark, where they fared poorly last Fall, and shut down the home side for a convincing 2-0 win. The first half saw the Gladiators keep most of the play in the offensive half of the field, with the Clark Lightning limited to attempting break-aways on long balls, all of which were well-cleared by the aggressive play of the Gladiators’ keeper. Only in the final minutes did Clark maintain any possession near the Gladiators’ goal, but the teams went in to the half scoreless. The second half saw East Brunswick gather the rewards of their efforts, when a scramble in the goal mouth that could have seen any of a handful of Gladiators score was finally touched into the back of the net. Energized by the 1-0 lead, East Brunswick increased the pressure and increased their lead on a wonderful strike from about 16 years out on the right, which whistled past the Clark keeper. The Gladiators continued to dominate the game, and came close to scoring again on several occasions, all the while maintaining a well-organized and aggressive defense that limited Clark to one shot on goal the entire game.
 

The EBSC Spirit (U12G) opened up their JAGS season with two victories this past weekend.  On Saturday afternoon, despite high winds at Heavenly Farms, The Spirit defeated the DSC Dragons by a score of 3-0. Keeper Shannan McCarthy made several outstanding saves coming off her line in one-on-one situations to stop the attack and secure the shutout. The Spirit used the wind to their advantage in the first half with Gab Sachs converting on a PK about 5 minutes into the match. Katherine McCulley scored from about 18 yards out off a brilliant pass from Julia Simoes to put the Spirit on top 2-0 at halftime. In the second half, with the wind in their faces, the girls played an outstanding possession game, keeping the ball on the ground and maintaining their shape throughout.  Coming from the center back position Sydney Rosa buried a shot from 18 yards out 20 minutes through the second half to ice the victory for the Spirit. The next day, the Spirit traveled to Roxbury to take on the Extreme and came away with a thrilling 3-2 victory. The girls matched Roxbury goal for goal in the first half and were tied 2-2 at half time, thanks to two brilliant strikes by Stephanie Schwailik and Gab Sachs. In the second half, The Spirit backs Emma Feeney, Goldy Ianosi, Emily Chimento, Alex Kalafor, Margeret Lee, Kaitlyn Roughan and Julia Simoes withstood a furious Roxbury attack. Midway through the half Sydney Rosa exploded through the Roxbury back line and beat the goalkeeper for the deciding goal. Shannon McCarthy was spectacular in goal with at least a dozen saves.
 
The EBSC Galaxy (U13B) played back-to-back draws over the past two weekends. The Galaxy traveled to Maryland for the MSI March Madness tournament and came away with a 0-0 draw against FC Frederick, the No. 8-ranked team in Maryland. After a slow start, the Galaxy gained confidence and controlled possession and field position the entire second half but were unable to get one in the net. Unfortunately, the boys’s remaining games were cancelled due to rain.  This past weekend, the Galaxy traveled to face New Jersey’s No. 10-ranked team, the Highland Jaguars, a team that had beaten them the last two times. This time, though, the Galaxy came out strong and, with a very strong wind helping, controlled the first half but were unable to score. The Galaxy grabbed a quick goal off a multi- pass combo in the second half to take a 1-0 lead. But Highland was energized by the goal and evened the score just minutes later. The Galaxy were forced to play defensively for the rest of the half, fighting hard to hold off a few scoring chances by the Jaguars to end it 1-1. This was the first goal conceded by the Galaxy in two scrimmages and five games this season.
 
March 15, 2009
 
The EBSC Galaxy (U13B) faced the Lumberton Blaze for the first time ever and sent a strong message, winning 3-0 with a solid offensive and defensive effort. 
The Galaxy took control early and kept pressure on Lumberton throughout the first half, outshooting their opponents, 17-3, and turning a nice multi-pass combo into a close-range goal for a 1-0 halftime lead.The second half was equally lopsided, and the Galaxy grabbed a quick goal and then one more midway through the half. The Galaxy held Lumberton without a shot in the second half in recording their second straight clean sheet.

 

 

The EBSC Spirit (U12G) took the field with just 11 players in a steady rain last Sunday afternoon for a key JAGS matchup at West Windsor and came away with an impressive 3-0 victory. Stephanie Schwailik had 2 goals and 1 assist, while Gab Sachs added a goal and Katherine McCulley and Kaitlyn Roughan each had an assist. The Spirit also got great play up front from Carly Torrado and in midfield from Sydney Rosa. Margaret Lee, Goldy Ianosi, Emily Chimento and Barbara Garretson held a steady backline and started the attack for the Spirit. Keeper Shannon McCarthy recorded her third shutout of the season.

Galaxy advance to state semifinals:    The EBSC Galaxy (U13B) enjoyed quite a weekend, hanging on for a 0-0 tie with NJ’s 9th-ranked team, FC Premier, in MAPS play on Saturday before a dramatic 3-1 road victory on Sunday over the Ironbound Vipers to advance to the NJ Cup state semifinals.   Against FC Premier, the Galaxy got off to a slow start and played the majority of the game in their own half. Unable to string together passes and maintain possession, the boys were forced to rely on strong play from the back four and their keeper to keep their opponents off the board. The FC Premier defense played very high and won numerous offside calls. The Galaxy did manage a few breakaways against the run of play but could not convert, with the game ending tied.    The next evening, the Galaxy traveled to the less-than-friendly environs of Ironbound Stadium in Newark for a 7 p.m. start time under rainy skies. The Galaxy jumped out to an early one-goal lead with a free kick just 3 minutes in. From about 35 yards out a nice service into the box was volleyed on net, and the keeper was unable to field the wet ball. The Vipers battled back to tie it with a one-man run and blast from the left side. The wet ball slipped thru the keeper and was cleared off the line by the D, but the goal had been called.   Late in the first half a nice Galaxy combo out of the defensive end resulted in a long run to the left side of the box, and a sliding service into the areas was deflected by the keeper before being finished off to go up 2-1.    In the second half a quick reversal of play resulted in an undefended breakaway goal for the Galaxy.    The boys now move on to the NJ Cup semis against the 11th-ranked Highland Jaguars on Saturday, May 16 at Mercer County Park with a noon kick-off.

 

The EBSC Gladiators (U9B) played home and away this Mother’s Day weekend, facing the Millburn Braves on Saturday and then traveling to Branchburg to face the Blast on Sunday.  Both matches started out slowly, with the Gladiators conceding a goal around the 10 minute mark.   Yet each time, the team kept their heads up and took the game to their opponents, creating numerous scoring chances and smothering their opponents on defense.  The final scores were 2-1 over Millburn and 3-1 over Branchburg, with five different Gladiators tallying goals.    These two wins meant that the Gladiators finished 3-0 against opponents that stayed with them in Flight 3 from last season.

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