New Brunswick boys soccer outlasts South Brunswick

MONMOUTH JUNCTION - The New Brunswick High School boys soccer team proved that it might be the best team in the Greater Middlesex Conference, and perhaps one of the best in the state, on Monday evening.

The Zebras defeated South Brunswick 2-1, improving their season record to a perfect 16-0.

“I’m very happy that we’re winning, it shows all the training really helped,” sophomore Kevin Sanchez said. “This is like a second family to me. We’re always practicing, playing together and I’m very happy to have a second family.”

Sanchez got his team on the board early in the first half on a strike from about 20 yards out. The Zebras went up 2-0 shortly after when Sanchez provided teammate Raul Galindo with a perfect through ball, which found its way into the back of the net.

“It’s very important psychologically to take an early lead not only for us, but the other team too,” New Brunswick coach Rafael Castillo said. “It’s very difficult to come back, and I think that played a factor.”

Though they conceded two early goals, South Brunswick, which received the top seed in the GMC Tournament, played like it in the second half.

In what’s been a lethal combination all year, senior Keiler Knapp sent a corner kick into the box where fellow senior Kyle DeGroff met the ball with his head and brought the Vikings to within one.

“When a team goes up 2-0, they’re more inclined to sit back a bit,” South Brunswick coach Chris Hayston said. “When it’s two evenly matched teams, it’s almost human nature that the team that’s down creates more because you start to press. We played a little better in the second half and moved the ball quicker into more dangerous areas.”

The Vikings kept firing off shot after shot and limited the Zebras’ opportunities in the second half. In a year in which the Zebras have blown out most teams they’ve faced, the Vikings, to their credit, kept the game close.

However, even with momentum on their side, the Vikings could not find an equalizer.

“Our team is resilient in the face of adversity,” Castillo said. “When you are going up against the best, you have to play the best. They played their hearts out today.”

Named the second seed in the GMC Tournament behind South Brunswick, Sanchez and his teammates felt they made a statement with the win.

“I’m happy we took a step forward by defeating a Red Division team,” Sanchez said. “Now we know we’re a quality team and can play with some of those other teams.”

Staff Writer Daniel LoGiudice: dlogiudice@gannettnj.com