Defense, Quintano have Braves rolling in playoffs
Manalapan trips Howell in state sectional
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

Howell and Manalapan finished the 2006 boys soccer season dead even, 2-2.

But it was the Braves of Manalapan who won the two most important games.

One week after beating Howell in the semifinals of the Shore Conference Tournament, which the Braves went on to win, the Braves did it again, topping Howell, 2-0, Friday in the quarterfinals of the Central Jersey Group IV playoffs.

With six straight wins in tournament play, the Braves (17-3-1) are obviously peaking and are one win away from playing for a second championship this fall.

Forward George Quintano said it was a matter of the team doing a better job at finishing its scoring opportunities.

"We're executing our chances more and playing great defense," he said.

Quintano as much as anyone is responsible for the team's tournament play. He was again the center of the Manalapan counter-attack. With his speed and foot skills, he's a threat every time he touches the ball.

After Howell had the best of the early moments of Friday's game, played at the St. Rose High School fields in Wall Township, Quintano put the Braves on the board, converting a pass from Erik Ilisije just 11:42 into the game.

With that goal, the game changed in Manalapan's favor, just as Howell coach Rich Yuro had feared.

"They were able to pack the box, try and take away KB [Kyle Bethel] and counterattack with Quintano," he explained.

Quintano struck again 10 minutes later. Jason Dorfschneider headed a ball into the box that Quintano was able to chip over the Howell defense. Jay Berger, charging in from the wing, had a wide open target and slid the ball inside the near post for the 2-0 lead that, with the Braves defense sparked by Jeff Weitz, Bradon Cohen and Joe Avento and goalie Jake Grinkevich, was huge.

"You shoot the ball high and Jake will get it, and anything low their defense will block," Yuro said of the obstacles his team faced trying to come back from a two-goal deficit.

The Rebels would get some chances in the second half, but Grinkevich was equal to the task.

Manalapan coach John Natoli credited his team's consistency throughout the course of the long season with being the difference in the postseason.

"We've been playing on an even keel all year," he said. "We've been able to maintain the team aspect. Winning is all about the team."

With the SCT title tucked away, the Braves, only seeded No. 8 in one of the strongest sections in the state, played at North Brunswick yesterday in the semifinals.

North Brunswick and its all-state forward Ibrahim Kamara took the Braves out in last year's CJ Group IV final, and the Braves would like to extract a little revenge on the fifth-seeded Raiders, who took out Jackson, 2-1, on Friday.

The Central Jersey Group IV final will be played Friday on the home field of the highest remaining seed, which could be Manalapan if the Braves beat North Brunswick and No. 11 Hunterdon Central took out Steinert.

"We've had a good run," said Quintano of Manalapan's postseason. "Our two goals were to win the Shore Conference and state sectional."

For Howell (16-2-2), Friday's loss was certainly disappointing. They went through the regular season unbeaten and champions of the Shore Conference A North Division. But they were the top seed at both the SCT and the state sectional and came up short.

"It's a very empty feeling," said Yuro. "You work hard all season looking for better results."

Yuro knows that in a couple of weeks, the Rebels will look back on the season in a more positive light. But that's down the road. For now, it's Manalapan that's still playing.

Before their clash, Howell and Manalapan took different routes in their first-round games. The Rebels hit Montgomery for six goals in their 6-0 win.

Justin Schmid came up with his second three-goal hat trick of the season.

Manalapan avoided an upset against South Brunswick (12-7-1), striking for two second-half goals to rally for a 2-1 victory at home.

Quintano tied the match at 1-1 and delivered a crossing pass that Ilisije headed into the net with 5:00 left in the match for the game-winner.

There's something about the state playoffs that brings out the best in Dave Santos' Marlboro Mustangs. Twice in the past four years, they have advanced from a low seed to the sectional final. They were at it again in the first round, shaking up their bracket by upsetting the No. 2 seed Sayreville, 6-0. The Mustangs, seeded 15th, bombed the Bombers, scoring all six goals in the first half.

Dan Geffen had a career game, netting four of the goals for the natural hat track plus one. The forward displayed all of his talents, scoring on a header off a corner, off a through-pass and a scrap in front of the goal.

"He's a blue-collar, hard-working forward," said Santos.

Paul Lamartina and Hunter Gorskie scored the other goals for the visitors.

In addition to his goal, Lamartina served up three assists.

Ian Targovnik and Eric Bzura each had four stops to share the shutout in goal.

After upending Sayreville (15-2-1), the Mustangs moved on to Steinert, which had upended No. 6 seed Rancocas Valley.

The Hamilton Township school saw to it that Marlboro's two-year cycle of making it to the state sectional final in even years (2002 and 2004) came to an end. Steinert rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the second half to catch the visiting Mustangs and punched one home in the second overtime to win 3-2. Matt Weinberg, double assisted by Hunter Gorskie and Lamartina, got Marlboro off to a 1-0 lead, and Lamartina from Alex DeJohn two minutes later (53:00) put the 'Stangs up, 2-0. But they couldn't hold, and their season came to an end at 12-10-1.

As coach Todd Briggs anticipated, his Freehold Township Patriots benefited from playing in the stacked A North Division all year. Two games each with Howell, Manalapan and Marlboro made them battle-tested for the postseason, where they made noise in both the SCT and CJ Group IV with upsets.

Freehold Township won two rounds in the SCT, and in the state sectional they dumped No. 3 seed Hillsborough (13-3-2) in the first round on Oct. 31, 2-1.

Brian Cooney netted both goals for the Pats, including the game-winner in the 52nd minute.

Cooney put the Pats on top in the 21st minute, but the host Raiders tied the match on a Yannick Smith goal in the 47th minute. Five minutes later, Cooney, unassisted, deposited the goal that put the Pats in the quarterfinals.

Chris Ives made seven saves in net for the Patriots, who advanced to play Hunterdon Central in the quarters.

Jon Snow, assisted by Cooney, tied the match at 1-1 in the first half, but Hunterdon Central scored the only goal of the second half to pull out a 2-1 win.

The Patriots' rebound season ended at 12-9.