Patriots Defeat Braves in NJSIAA Soccer Tournament

Coming into this round of the NJSIAA State Tournament, Freehold Township and Manalapan have played each other twice, each team victorious on their home field.  The game on Tuesday, Nov. 1 began with Manalapan starting with the ball.  After a quick turnover, Freehold Township dominated the first half. 

Early in the game, goalie Phil Horan took a free kick and scored the first goal for Township.  Around the 13th minute, Greg Fedak scored Freehold’s second goal.  A third goal was scored in the first half by Greg Fedak after receiving a pass from Joe Ramm.  Both teams played a very physical game.

The second half started with Freehold possessing the ball. When the ball was turned over, Manalapan possessed the ball for much of the second half but was not able to capitalize on the advantage. 

At the 27th minute of the second half, Manalapan’s Captain Ryan Nascimento scored on a penalty kick. After several warnings and receiving his second yellow card, Captain John Rogers received a Red Card and was removed from the game.  The fourth goal for Freehold Township was scored at the 35th minute of the second half by Nick Costelloe.

The final score of this heated rivalry was 4 – 1, advancing Freehold Township to the next round.  The next round is scheduled for this Friday with Township playing Rancocas at home.