Wednesday,
October 21, 2015
By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director
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Andrew Varteresian got off the shot that led to the goal 24 seconds into overtime that gave Pascack Valley a 1-0 win over Bergenfield on Tuesday afternoon. |
BERGENFIELD – It was two days after Pascack Valley beat top-seeded Bergen Catholic in double overtime in the quarterfinals of the Bergen County Tournament and four days before the Indians get a shot at defending champion Ramapo in the semifinals. And for those reasons, Roy Nygren was dreading Tuesday’s match against Bergenfield on the road.
“Walking around the school on Monday all you heard was the kids getting accolades like crazy after the win over Bergen and they deserved it, but it was a physically demanding game and this was our second in three days,” said Nygren. “Bergenfield can play the game of soccer and it is exactly the kind of team that can really frustrate a tired team like maybe we were a little bit. I knew that this was going to be a tough one for us to play well in.”
What Pascack Valley needed was a lead and almost got one less than eight minutes in when Andrew Varteresian cut a volley with the outside of his right foot from inside the area. The shot clanged off the left post, a signal of what was to come.
For the next 72 minutes of regulation and the first 24 seconds of overtime, Pascack Valley was frustrated by a Bergenfield team that is much better than its won/loss record might suggest. It was not until the Indians had had enough of almosts and just-missed opportunities that they were able to find the back of the net for a 1-0 win behind Roy Brown Middle School in Bergenfield.
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Sophomore keeper Alex Arcila made numerous quality saves to help keep Bergenfield in the game. |
Off the opening whistle of the overtime session after 80 minutes of scoreless soccer, Kyle McManus started the winning combination. He sent the ball wide to Varteresian, who decided against an early service and instead pushing for the endline. He won it, ripped a shot on net that was saved by Bergenfield keeper Alex Arcila and followed home by Mike Lin, who tucked his first touch just inside the left post for the win.
“I was upset. I hit a post; I had a chance right in front of the net. I was getting frustrated, I got a yellow card eventually and I just had to do something positive,” said Varteresian, a senior. “I took it down the line, I was not crossing that. I was going to get the endline, I did and I shot at the next. We got the rebound and scored. We deserved that one. We had about 10 chances in front of the net and one of them was bound to go in.”
Lin, who scored the game-winner against Bergen Catholic with a curling free kick in the second overtime, added his second extra time Golden Goal in the last three days. He’s been on quite a tear, as is Pascack Valley, which improved to 10-3 on the season with its fifth straight win. It now has three full days of training to get ready for Ramapo in the county semifinals.
“We were coming off a double overtime win over Bergen Catholic and maybe our legs were a little tired. We knew this was going to be a tough game, coach told us it would be because Bergenfield is a good team,” said Lin. “We finally got the goal and now we can get back to practice, work hard and get ready for Ramapo.”
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Pascack Valley junior Mike Lin scored his second overtime game-winner in the last three days. |
Some of the early missed opportunities that Pascack Valley suffered through were the doing of Arcila, the sophomore keeper who made two brilliant saves in rapid succession. Ten minutes into the second half Alex Lin sent a long ball forward from the back and Ryan Miller sprinted after. Shaking a defender and taking possession almost exactly at the midpoint between the arc and the bottom of the midfield circle, Miller went in 1-v-1 on Arcila.
Miller hit low screamer to the right and Arcila responded with a diving stop. The rebound sat there waiting for Varteresian, who tried the other side. Arcila scrambled to his feet and immediately took to the air against to turn the follow-up around the left post.
Bergenfield was just off in its timing in the first half as it played numerous balls down the channel were too heavy and turned into easy collection for PV keeper Josh Ulin. The Bears got wider in the second half, which opened some passing lanes to the middle from where Sebastian Leon almost put the Bears ahead. Leon found space at the top left edge of the penalty box and took a swing at the far post. Using the outside of his right foot, Leon’s attempt finished a couple of inches outside the frame.
Alex Lin had the last good chance for either side in regulation as his first time liner in the 73rd minute went just wide right and the two teams headed for overtime. Twenty-four seconds after the whistle blew to open the extra session, another sounded to end it and Pascack Valley escaped with its win streak still intact.
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Sebastian Leon had one of the best scoring chances for Bergenfield, which fell to 4-7-1 on the season. |
“It was just one of those games that you have to bring you lunch pail, be ready to work hard, get your hands dirty and do all the little things necessary to find a way to win and that is exactly the kind of game it turned out be,” said Nygren. “This was tremendous for us. We got a win, we can rest up a little bit now and go take a look at the Ramapo/Highlands match [on Wednesday]. We just want to give ourselves our best chance on Saturday night. Wins and losses will take care of themselves, we just want to be a prepared team able to give its best effort.”
While Pascack Valley is moving on to bigger things, Bergenfield (4-7-1) is about to close up shop for the season. The Bears needed a win on Tuesday to keep alive their state playoff hopes. Instead, they have two regular season games left against Teaneck and Tenafly.
Head coach Mike Papapetrou has put in the hours to bring Bergenfield boys soccer back to respectability and the Bears are a representative side playing against a tough schedule. But that is little consolation for a head coach who led his team to the Bergen County Tournament semifinals two years ago.
“It took me too long to figure out personnel, how we should play, who should play. We went through preseason well, but we got into league play it just didn’t work out. I made changes that didn’t work even though I felt like we had a good team and I have to look at myself first,” said Papapetrou. “I look at it like there are teams in Bergen County that are always good and I have to ask myself why I can’t get my teams to always be good because it is possible. I have to figure out how to get this program to that level and that is on me.”
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