November
4, 2006
 |
 |
| Matt Beverin scored two of Glen Rock's three goals in the win over Newton that moves the Panthers into the North 1, Group 2 semifinals. | |
GLEN ROCK -- Sometimes rivalries are born based on geography. Sometimes they come from two teams’ familiarity with each other, knocking heads year after year. And sometimes a heated rivalry can come out of nowhere, like the one that now exists between the Glen Rock and Newton boys soccer teams.
It started last season when Newton was the No. 11 seed and pulled its fourth straight road upset on Glen Rock’s home field to win the North 1, Group 2 state sectional title. It resumed on Friday on the same field, but two rounds earlier and it was a whole lot less friendly.
The second half was filled with so many yellow and red cards that it looked like a food fight had broken out on the condiment line.
 |
| Dan Fulmer scored Newton's lone goal, tying the game on a restart in the 66th minute. |
The action was heated from the very beginning as Glen Rock remembered last year’s outcome and the referees missed a chance to take control of the action by calling the game loosely in the first half. Tempers rose, there was some chipiness from both sides and it only got ramped up that much more when school let out and one side of the field was lined by Glen Rock fans. Despite all of that, the only yellow card handed out in the first half was against the Newton coaching staff for protesting the myriad no calls.
And then the second half -- where three of the four goals in Glen Rock’s 3-1 victory were scored -- came along.
“They came in here last year and they won the section on our field so there was a lot of emotion,” said Glen Rock head coach Paul Cusack, who team is the No. 1 seed this season. “But you can’t buy into it, you have to play smart and keep your head. That was the challenge for both teams.”
Newton, trailing 1-0 at the intermission, came flying in the second half and controlled the first 10 minutes, winning four corners and two restarts in that time and one of them nearly led to the tying goal. Dan Fullmer’s direct kick from 25 yards out was redirected by Dan DiMarzo, but it rolled just wide of the post. On the ensuing punt is where the game turned from physical to more-than-physical.
 |
| Pablo Saldia gave Glen Rock its first lead with a goal in the 26th minute. |
Glen Rock’s Sam Petrone camped under the boot by keeper Matt Aslan and was pulled down by Newton’s Jeff Williams, who was shown a yellow. Two minutes later, Fullmer picked up a yellow for a hard challenge.
Glen Rock’s first yellow card of the second half was shown to Carl Stofberg in the 55th minute and Newton took advantage. Stofberg took down Fullmer right at the edge of the penalty area and Fullmer struck the restart around the wall and inside the near post to tie the game at 1.
When there were lulls in contact, there was some pretty soccer played and one of those times came with 16 minutes left when Glen Rock’s Matt Beverin took control of a loose ball near midfield and found some space to carry forward. The junior pushed to within 25 yards of the net and took a rip that was ticketed for the far corner of the net.
Newton keeper Justin Kretzmer saw it through a screen and did well to push it outside the frame, but his save led to a decisive corner kick. Petrone struck a line drive that Beverin read perfectly, stepping in front of the first defender and getting his head on the waist-high service. His flick found the net and Glen Rock had the lead for good at 2-1.
 |
| Junior Matt Aslan made 14 saves in the Glen Rock win that moves the Panthers into the sectional semifinals and to 16-2 on the season. |
“When I was moving forward, I was thinking shot right away. I was hoping to get it in or at least get a corner,” said Beverin. “We got the corner and Sam put it in the right spot. I just wanted to get in front of that one guy and get a head on it and that is what happened.”
The first two players were shown the door soon thereafter. With 12 minutes to go in the game, Pablo Saldia, who scored Glen Rock’s first goal in the 27th minute, picked up a second yellow card, although a dubious one when he was cited for delay of game. Fullmer was relegated to the bench soon after when he picked up his second yellow in 69th minute.
“I guess it is a rivalry now,” said Saldia. “We wanted to win this game so bad after what happened last year and I guess we got too much into it and then there were all the yellow cards. I didn’t deserve mine because all I did was hold the ball and show it to the ref, but I am happy that we won and we are moving on.”
One minute after Fullmer was sent off, there were enough cards handed out for a game of Texas Hold ‘em. Petrone ran onto a through ball in the box and came together with Newton’s freshman sweeper Tyler Conrads and Kretzmer, who was just as intent on playing the man as making the save.
When the dust settled after the collision, Kretzmer was given a yellow, DiMarzo, who was the fourth man into the fray, was given a card for dissent, Conrads and Petrone built up a little history that would come into play later and Glen Rock was awarded a penalty kick, which Beverin struck true for the final goal of the match with nine minutes left to play.
It was inside the final minute when things really got ugly. With Newton pushed all the way up, a Glen Rock clearance found its way to Petrone, who had just one man between him and the goal and it happened to be Conrads, who slid in hard but clean. Petrone wound up on top of the pile and proceeded to put his team at a disadvantage moving forward in the state tournament.
 |
| Sam Petrone (middle) going hard on the play that led to a penalty kick, two yellow cards and red card for the Glen Rock striker eight minutes later. |
With Conrads still on the ground face down, Petrone stepped hard on his back, forcing all of his weight and his cleats into the middle of Conrads’ back. The freshman made it halfway off the field before going down and needed help the rest of the way to the bench. When he removed his shirt to get attention from the trainer, Petrone’s shoe imprint was clearly visible and already bruised. Kretzmer then got into the fray, pushing Petrone and an on-field brawl was barely avoided.
Kretzmer was shown his second yellow, Petrone was rightfully shown the straight red card and he will miss Tuesday’s sectional semifinal against North Warren and the section final should Glen Rock make it that far.
“It’s a great win and we move on but we are little bit handicapped now,” said Cusack, whose team improved to 16-2 on the season. “Sam is out for the next two and that is going to be tough against North Warren. They are a good team, they knock the ball around well and we just have to figure out what we are going to have to do against them to make up for what we lost here.”
FOR MORE PHOTOS OF THIS EVENT OR TO BUY A COLLECTOR'S PRINT OF THIS STORY, PLEASE VISIT 4FeetGrafix.com.
|
|
|
| About Us | Contact Us | Home |
Questions?
E-mail the editor editor@northjerseysports.com
All contents © copyright 2003-2006 HSSportsWeb.com, Inc. All rights reserved.
