Monday, November 23, 2015

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

Wojciech Piwowarczyk scored on headers off free kicks twice in a 27 second span late in the game to give Garfield an improbable 2-1 win over Holmdel in the Group 2 state final on Sunday.

UNION – Riding off into the sunset as a champion is something every coach and every athlete dreams yet very few get to experience, but it was all there right in front of the Garfield boys soccer team. Longtime head coach Mark Pieklo had already announced that this would be his last season on the sidelines and the Boilermakers kept extending it right up to the final day. One more win on Sunday in the Group 2 state final would be the ‘And they all lived happily ever after,’ ending that so rarely happens in real life.

But as the final minutes ticked away in the championship match against Holmdel, it looked like the dream ending was about to turn into a nightmare.

Down a goal in the final minutes, Garfield standouts Dave Herrera and Wojciech Piwowarczyk refused to let the Boilermakers’ go out with anything less than they came to Kean University for. What happened in a 27-second span is something that neither Pieklo, Herrera, Piwowarcyzk, their teammates, nor anyone in attendance will ever forget.

Piwowarczyk headed home a Herrera free kick with just over two minutes to play for the tying goal. Then, with 1:36 to play, a long free kick from Herrera just skimmed the head of Piwowarczyk, who got just enough of a flick on the ball to redirect it past the Holmdel goalkeeper as it bounced into the net for the game-winner that gave Garfield its first ever state title with a thrilling 2-1 triumph at Alumni Stadium in Union.

“Winning a state title was our goal from the start and we wanted to end it with a bang,” said Herrera. “I’m so shocked that this is it, that this actually happened and we’re state champions.” 

For as exciting as the finish was, the first half was completely the opposite with both defensive units keeping the opposition away from the net. Each team only had one good look at the net over the first 40 minutes. Garfield keeper Holman Pinzon made a nice save on a shot from a tough angle. With 7:30 to play in the half, Garfield’s Ege Zyfi collided with a defender in the box. It was Zyfi was called for the foul and the match remained scoreless at halftime.

Senior David Herrera set up both Garfield goals with free kicks.

The Boilermakers picked up the pace to start the second half and slowly took control of the possession game. Holmdel was content to sit back and let the Boilermakers take the space given, which they finally started to take advantage of. Jorge Salas ripped a shot from 15 yards out just outside of the right post.

With just over 10 minutes to play, it looked like Garfield had finally broke through when Salas got enough of his foot on the ball to flick it past Holmdel keeper Tyler Marchiano, but the goal was waved off on a foul. Less than two-and-a-half minutes later, the Hornets pulled ahead on a counterattack. Justin McStay sent a through ball in for Leo Nobrega for a breakaway along the right side. Nobrega ripped a shot into the lower left-hand corner with 8:14 to put Holmdel ahead, 1-0.

It was a crisis moment for the Boilermakers. Their season was on the line and the Hornets were retreating to pack the box. Time was certainly not on Garfield’s side. The confidence that the Boilermakers have displayed all season never wavered and they pushed hard to get the equalizer.

After a foul outside the box near the corner flag, it was in a perfect spot for the left-footed Herrera to swing in a dangerous ball. He did just that, bending a lofted cross towards the back post. The 6-foot-3 Piwowarczyk rose above a pair of Holmdel defenders to head it past Holmdel keeper Tyler Marchiano with 2:03 left to tie the game.

“I know Dave is a great crosser of the ball, so I knew the ball would be right there for me,” said Piwowarczyk. “I knew I had to charge the keeper to get in position. I saw the ball, then I closed my eyes and let fate take over.”

Not even close to being happy with tie that, had it lasted, would have led to a split championship, the Boilermakers, pressed on. They have never before won a state title and sharing it was not all that attractive a prospect.

This is what the first state championship team in the history of Garfield boys soccer looks like.

Right off the ensuing kickoff after the tying goal, Chris Pedraza won the ball in the back and played it forward and a foul gave Garfield a free kick nearly 40 yards from net. It was another great spot for Herrera, who looked for his big target near the left post.

Marchiano jumped up to punch the ball away, but Piwowarczyk made sure he never got the chance. Piwowarczyk jumped right with the keeper and the ball skimmed off of his head and in for the game-winner with 1:36 to play as Garfield stunned the Hornets to win the first state title in school history.

“We always go for the same players (Piwowarczyk and Salas) and I just went for it,” said Herrera. “We had to be on their side of the half and make something happen. I knew he would crash the keeper and we were lucky. It’s a great to go out and this is a dream come true.”

For Garfield, this season and this finish will be one that they will never forget, but for Pieklo it was the end of a long journey that saw him build the Garfield program to the highest of heights. With a dream run through the state tournament now complete and Pieklo’s journey capped with a state championship, he did what any true soccer-loving coach would do to celebrate.

“I’ll relax for a little bit and then go coach my daughter’s U-10 team later on today,” said Pieklo, who was at the helm for 19 years. “We’ve been dangerous on set pieces all year long. We finally broke through. We knew we could get here after getting to the section final last year. This is just icing on the cake though, to win the group is just fantastic.”

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