UC Boys Soccer Team Scores Win In Final Seconds of Game

Sometimes in sports, as well as in life, what comes around goes around.

Just 11 days ago, the Union Catholic boys’ soccer team suffered a very tough 2-1 loss to one of the best teams in the state in undefeated Cranford.

The host Cougars scored the game-winning goal with just seven seconds remaining in the second half.

Union Catholic was able to turn the tables on Roselle Catholic Tuesday by beating the Lions on a goal with just two seconds left in single overtime.

Playing as the home team because its new FieldTurf is not yet ready to be played on, Union Catholic edged Roselle Catholic 2-1 in overtime Tuesday afternoon in the only Union County Tournament preliminary round game.

The match was contested at Roselle Catholic’s Edward Chakey Memorial Field in Roselle, a grass surface.

Union Catholic, the 16th seed and now 2-5, will next play at top-seeded Cranford Saturday at 2 p.m. in first round action on the new FieldTurf at Memorial Field.

Roselle Catholic, the 17th and final seed, fell to 2-7-2. The Lions defeated Roselle 1-0 in double overtime at home Monday for their first win on the field. Roselle Catholic has a forfeit victory over St. Patrick’s.

 Union Catholic junior forward Michael Veiksans, who is one of only three players to score a goal against Cranford so far this year, took a pass from the left side by Justin Goncalves and blasted – with his right foot – a point blank shot past Roselle Catholic goalie Steve Patricco from close range inside the middle of the penalty box.

Union Catholic head coach John Ceremile said it was Veiksans’ third goal, but Veiksans counts four on the season so far. Veiksans’ and the team’s first two goals were scored against Rahway and Cranford.

“It feels good to win another game,” Veiksans said.

After a 0-4 start in which Veiksans netted the only two goals the Vikings scored, Union Catholic won at Hillside 5-1 Sept. 29 for its first win.

The Vikings also held their own in a 3-0 setback at Scotch Plains Friday.

“I was glad that I finally got a chance to put it in the back of the net because I messed up a couple of times,” Veiksans said. “I made up for it. It was a good pass from Justin.”

It appeared that not only was the match destined for a second 10-minute sudden death overtime period, but that a penalty kick shootout might be needed to decide it after that.

The only real quality scoring chance by either side in the second half and overtime was Veiksans goal.

Goncalves dribbled the ball into the left side of the penalty area and with his right foot struck a line drive pass toward Veiksans’ way.

“I figured that was going to happen (getting a pass from Goncalves) so I put myself in position to score,” Veiksans said. “When I saw the ball I just ran onto it and hit it and it went in.”

Joe Kittell scored his first goal of the year on a header for Roselle Catholic 10 minutes into the game to give his team a 1-0 lead. The Lions were dominating play at that point, with Kittell – normally a defender – moved up front to play forward by first-year RC head coach Scot Simpson, who is a 2004 Westfield graduate.

Union Catholic junior forward Evan Gingrich tied the game at 1-1 some 25 minutes later when he pushed a shot with his right foot past an oncoming Patricco from the top of the penalty box.

Still waiting for its FieldTurf to be ready for play, Union Catholic is getting used now to playing all of its games on the road.

The Vikings will next play Brearley Thursday night at 7 p.m. at Ward Field in Kenilworth.

Cerimele said that the first game played on UC’s FieldTurf might now take place next week.

“This is a good experience for us and we’ll be ready for it next season,” Veiksans said. “When we play at home it will be nothing different.”

Cranford improved to 10-0 with a 2-0 win at Summit Tuesday. The Cougars, who will host Oratory Prep Thursday at 4 p.m. at Memorial Field, have outscored 10 foes 40-3, with seven shutouts and three in a row since the Union Catholic game.

In the Sept. 25 match played on the grass field at Cranford’s Walnut Avenue School, Veiksans scored right before halftime on a counter-attack. He blasted a shot from the left side of the top of the penalty box with his left foot that beat Cranford senior netminder Scott Boyer, who owns six complete shutouts and one shared so far this season. The ball landed inside the right corner of the goal.

Cranford came back to score two goals in the second half for its one-goal victory over the Vikings.

“This time we have to play them better and harder,” Veiksans said. “We need better passing and passing to the open man and just get it through, to me or somebody else.”

Passing is what Cerimele talked about in describing the Roselle Catholic match.

“It was a very sloppy game and it wasn’t really the type of game we played against Cranford,” Cerimele said. “We couldn’t string passes together. The only time we scored the goal was when we actually strung four passes together. Roselle Catholic hustled all over the place and double-teamed us and we didn’t move the ball the way we normally do, which is pass it and move.”

Although it was not an A-plus effort, Cerimele will take it, with his team getting another shot at trying to beat the top-ranked team in the county in Cranford.

“We have to create more openings in midfield to be able to move the ball and we can’t allow Cranford to get set,” Cerimele said. “We have to, basically, make sure we draw them into our game again, but this time the forwards have to do a better job of getting the ball, protecting the ball and then going to the goal.”

Veiksans and Gingrich are both capable goal-scorers for the Vikings and they will need to apply pressure for Union Catholic to have any kind of success Saturday.

“What’s taken the pressure off Mike, which has allowed him to score a little better, is that Evan got off the schneid and now he’s scoring,” Cerimele said. “Teams can’t really concentrate too much on Mike. Today, every time Evan had the ball, Mike was wide open himself. Everyone was closing in on Evan, so that leaves Michael with a lot more space.”

UNION COUNTY TOURNAMENT

PRELIMINARY ROUND GAME AT ROSELLE CATHOLIC

17-ROSELLE CATHOLIC (2-7-2)                    1        0       0 - 1

16-UNION CATHOLIC (2-5)                             1        0       1 - 2

FIRST HALF:

ROSELLE CATHOLIC TAKES 1-0 LEAD

Goal: Joe Kittell. Assist: Nick Telle. Time: 10:00.

UNION CATHOLIC TIES 1-1

Goal: Evan Gingrich. Assist: None. Time: 35:30.

FIRST OVERTIME:

UNION CATHOLIC WINS 2-1

Goal: Michael Veiksans. Assist: Justin Goncalves. Time: 89:58.

SHOTS: Roselle Catholic 3, Union Catholic 7.

GOALIE SAVES: Steve Patricco, Roselle Catholic, 5.

John Hao, Union Catholic, 3.

CORNER KICKS: Roselle Catholic 1, Union Catholic 3.

BOYS’ SOCCER

UNION COUNTY TOURNAMENT

PRELIMINARY ROUND

Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Roselle Catholic

Union Catholic 2, Roselle Catholic 1 (OT) 

FIRST ROUND

Thursday, Oct. 8

9-Summit at 8-Elizabeth, 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, Oct. 10 at various times

REST OF TOP SIDE OF BRACKET:

12-Rahway at 5-Governor Livingston

13-Oratory Prep at 4-Union

16-Union Catholic at 1-Cranford, 2 p.m.

on Memorial Field – FieldTurf..

BOTTOM SIDE OF BRACKET:

11-Plainfield at 6-New Providence

14-Dayton at 3-Scotch Plains

10-Linden at 7-Johnson

15-Brearley at 2-Westfield  

QUARTERFINALS

Saturday, Oct. 17

Matches at the higher seeds at various times.  

SEMIFINALS

Friday, Oct. 23 at Johnson

Bottom side of the bracket match, 5 p.m

Top side of the bracket match, 7 p.m.  

FINAL

Saturday, Oct. 31 at Johnson

Semifinal winners, 5:30 p.m.