Just eighteen days ago, the boys’ soccer team walked off the field after being thoroughly trounced by Port Jeff in a 4-0 defeat. Aside from a few early scoring chances there was not much to take away from the effort. The defense was unaggressive, the offense unproductive, and the overall play uninspiring.

That team did not set foot on the pitch yesterday afternoon in a rematch that greatly affected the League Championship picture. Assistant coach David Diener left the boys with a final thought before they took the field: “This is a chance to make a statement to yourselves.” The ensuing 3-0 victory not only made a statement to themselves, but to the rest of the league in one of the biggest wins for boys’ soccer in recent history.

1st Half

From the beginning, it was obvious this was going to be a far different affair than the first installment. The play was spirited and the boys, perhaps buoyed by the Homecoming crowd, seemed impassioned. Four minutes into the game, Anuraag Sah ripped a shot that caused the Port Jeff goalie to make a diving stab to his left. The play for most of the half was very even. The Blue and White offense had a number of chances while the Royals had their close encounters as well, lofting balls to the quick forwards, causing Wes Woodley to come out and make several sliding stops.

Finally, with 9:20 remaining in the opening frame of the oscillating battle, the Bears struck. Jon Wentling sent a gorgeous long-ball into the box that was headed home by Pablo Celis. The roar from the Stony Brook bench indicated how important the strike was. The Brook finished the half with the lead intact and went into the break having played a great forty minutes of soccer. | 1-0

2nd Half

The Port Jeff coach must have galvanized his troops at halftime because they began the period with a much more aggressive brand of play. Woodley, Wentling, and Tyler Anderson matched that intensity. Woodley knocked a Royal down while making a save early in the half then preserved the lead with 4:51 remaining, coming off his line and foiling a Port Jeff fastbreak with a sliding save. As the game waned, players and fans alike began counting down the minutes.

With the game’s decision still undetermined, Khoren Lawson single-handedly placated the tension of the Brooker fans with under three minutes left by beating his man up the right sideline, making the turn toward the goal, and poking the ball through the legs of the keeper to seal the victory. For good measure, Sah crossed the ball into the box from the left side that Celis drilled off of the keeper before Justin Shi tucked away his first varsity goal with 1:23 remaining to cap off the win. | 3-0

Jon Wentling played a driving diagonal ball to forward Pablo Celis, who headed it into the back of the net. In the second half, Khoren Lawson scored to give the Bears a 2-0 advantage. In the final minute of play, freshman Justin Shi scored his first varsity goal off a cross from Anuraag Sah.

~ Newsday

Impressions

It is always rewarding to beat a rival, especially one as formidable as the Royals. They came into the game undefeated, having outscored their opponents 27-1 in eight games. On this day the Bear defense shutout a team that had scored eight goals in a game earlier in the season while the Stony Brook offense scored two more goals than eight other teams were able to muster in 640 minutes of soccer vs. the Royals. The boys have not lost since the drubbing they received by Port Jeff in their first league game and improve to 6-1 in the league, tied for first place with their crosstown adversaries. Coach Johnny Whallon’s last words to his players before the game were, “Play hard. Play together. This is a good team. We’re a better team.”

The boys showed that today, turning in a complete team effort in a match that required every man to play their role well. Anderson and Wentling were invaluable as they chased down Royal breaks. Wes Woodley (6 saves) was huge in recording his fifth straight shutout. Sah and Celis were dynamos up front and the spark provided by young players Shi, Donnie Pius, and Matt Schneider contributed something that was sorely missing from our attack three weeks ago. TJ Valet and PK Thorstenn were unflappable in the backfield and won a number of important balls. The boys were thrilling to watch yesterday afternoon and if they come out with the same passion the rest of the year we may need to make room for another banner in Swanson Gymnasium.

Notes

The Bears have shutout their last five opponents and have not allowed a goal in over 400 minutes of soccer. They have scored 14 goals over that period of time.

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