The Scotch Plains-Fanwood boys' soccer team dropped its season opener to Union on Saturday. The Raiders lost at Shimme A. Wexler Field in Scotch Plains, 3-1. Both teams are members of the Union County Conference-Watchung Division.
Union scored in each half, with goals from junior Lucas Terci, senior captain Manuel Martis and senior Carlos Duarte. Senior Brian Fischer, playing for the first time since he was a freshman, scored the only the lone goal for Scotch Plains.
Scotch Plains had a slight edge in shots for the first half at 5-4. It then had many more chances than Union to score in the second half, some of them foiled by Union senior goalkeeper David Rodrigues.
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"In the second half we started to dominate, but couldn't get the equalizer," Breznitsky said. "We have a young group and they'll learn from this experience."
Union took a 1-0 lead nine minutes in when, on a free kick, senior captain Rafael Braga kicked the ball high enough for Terci, who was open, to head it past Scotch Plains goalie Vincenzo Bianco.
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"That was a bad mistake because we left the guy unmarked," Breznitsky said. "You can attribute that to growing pains and maybe we were a little anxious in the beginning."
Just one minute later, Scotch Plains tied the game at 1-1. Quickly attacking after Union scored, the Raiders managed to get the ball inside the penalty box, with Fischer there to kick the ball in the net with his right foot.
"When we tied it, we got into a flow and played much better the second part of the first half," Breznitsky said.
Union retook the lead 20 minutes later. On a two-on-one, senior Andrew Lopes passed from the right side to an open Martis, who drilled a shot into the left corner.
The next goal came 20 minutes into the second half. After a kick-save by Rahway's Rodrigues, the Farmers came down the field and put pressure on the Raiders. A shot in the penalty box was deflected, with the loose ball coming to Duarte, who headed it home.
"We talked in the pre-season about working together," Union head coach Lester Lembryk said, now in his third-year. "To be able to come here and get a win right off the bat is great. However, it's only one game and we still have a lot of work to do."
NOTES: Two of last year's seniors are now playing at Rowan University in Glassboro. Brian Kahn (6-0, 165) is starting as a freshman defensive back who wears No. 26, while Anthony Zukofsky (6-0, 155) is a freshman goalkeeper who wears No. 99.
Kahn netted eight goals last year while playing forward, center and outside mid and on defense.
RAIDER ROSTER:
5-Billy Babis, junior, (5-11, 160)
7-Vincenzo Bianco, sophomore goalkeeper, (5-6, 155)
27-12-Zack Carow, junior, (5-9, 135)
10-Tavis Coretes, junior, (5-8, 150)
9-Michael Daly, junior, (5-8, 155)
18-Francis Degnan, junior, (5-8, 155)
16-Blake DeJohn, senior, (5-8, 155)
26-24-Anthony DiFrancesco, junior, (5-11, 175)
25-Morgan Ellman, sophomore, (5-10, 150)
4-Brian Fischer, senior, (6-0, 160)
14-Phillipe Kwamir, junior, (5-9, 152)
2-Andrew Leischner, sophomore, (5-4, 125)
17-Zachary Lenoff, junior, (5-9, 130)
21-Alex Markovits, junior, (5-8, 150)
23-Ryan McKenna, junior (5-7, 155)
19-Daniel McMillan, junior, (5-9, 155)
3-Sean Reilly, senior, (6-2, 155)
GK-Seth Schlisserman, junior, (5-7, 130)
6-Kevin Scully, junior, (5-10, 155)
GK Jason Shaub, senior, (6-0, 170)
11-Colin Stripling, sophomore (6-0, 135)
13-Rory Szeto, senior, (5-8, 145)
8-Giovanni Tobon, junior, (5-7, 135)
20-Nowell Whitehouse, senior, (5-8, 140)
15-Christian Zazzali, freshman, (5-7, 135)
22-Rob Zukofsky, sophomore, (6-0, 155)
Captains: Travis Cortes, Michael Daly.
Starters vs. Union: Babis, Bianco, Cortes, Daly, DeJohn,
Fischer, Leischner, Lenoff, McMillan, Scully, Stripling.
Head coach: Tom Breznitsky, 36th season
REGULAR SEASON
SCHEDULE/results (0-1):
Sept. 11 (H) Union 3, Scotch Plains 1
Sept. 14 at Linden, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 16 at Westfield, 4 p.m.
Sept. 20 Cranford, 4 p.m.
Sept. 24 Plainfield, 4 p.m.
Sept. 25 Kearny, 3:30 p.m.
Sept. 28 Elizabeth, 4 p.m.
Oct. 2 at Bridgewater-Raritan, 1 p.m.
Oct. 4 at Union, 4 p.m.
Oct. 6 Linden, 4 p.m.
Oct. 8 Westfield, 4 p.m
Oct. 12 at Cranford, 4 p.m.
Oct. 14 at Plainfield, 4 p.m.
Oct. 16 Bayonne 2 p.m
Oct. 19 at Elizabeth, 4 p.m.
Oct. 21 South Plainfield, 4 p.m.
Oct. 28 at Johnson, 4 p.m.
