ST. BENEDICT'S FALLS ON THE FINAL DAY OF THE INTERNATIONAL TOURNAMENT
Mexico tops Chelsea to win the Cup

Nov. 8, 2008

Missed opportunities!

It not only plagued St. Benedict's during the regular season, it continued during the final week of the 2008 campaign - and on the biggest stage - in the Newark International Cup.

On Sunday, the problem reached a heartbreaking conclusion when the Gray Bees missed on numerous chances, even striking the cross bar twice, while winding up on the wrong end of a 1-0 decision to Trinidad & Tobago's Under-18 National Team as the 16th annual event came to a close.

The Gray Bees finished the five-day tournament, despite only allowing four goals, with an 0-3-1 record. Trinidad & Tobago placed third with a 1-2-1 mark.

Mexico's Under-18 National Team completed the tournament unbeaten, capping the run with a 2-1 victory over the Under-18 team from Chelsea FC in the championship game. The Mexicans scored the first two goals after intermission before holding off a furious charge in the waning minutes by the club from England.

"The epitaph of this team is forwards. We were short a guy - a sniper - this year who knows how to put the ball in the back of the net," said St. Benedict's coach Rick Jacobs. "That being said, we gave it everything we had, emptied the tank and left it all on the field. There's no shame in that."

The Gray Bees certainly made every team work for everything they got. Chelsea coach Paul Clemente was particularly impressed with St. Benedict's after his team's 1-0 effort on Saturday.

"We were never comfortable with the one-goal lead," Clemente said. "They applied a lot of pressure at the end and made it really hard for us to hold on. You have to give them a lot of credit for the way they played. They made it very difficult for us to create many chances."

Despite the accolades, the latest defeat at the hands of Trinidad will haunt the Gray Bees. So many times, Jacobs' club looked on the cusp of breaking the game open.

It started early in the match when Bruno Tavares found himself alone in front of the goal off a cross from Walter Rodriguez. But his shot was parried over the top by the goalkeeper.

Then, after Trinidad scored off a defensive miscue in the 22nd minute, it seemed only a matter of time before St. Benedict's would knot the score.

But that never happened.

Marc Cintron found himself open for a wide open look from 30 yards out and elected to uncork a shot with the goalkeeper off his mark. But the ball, instead of dipping behind the goalie, struck the cross bar flush and was cleared out of harms way.

Just before the half, Branko Dugalic was camped out in front, but couldn't get a shot off as the defense collapsed around him.

The frustration mounted in the second half. First, Wagner Pedroso beat two guys in the box as he made his way to the right touch line before unloading a cross. However, it went for naught as the ball trickled through the goal mouth with no one there to finish off all the hard work.

Then, with 10 minutes left, Clint Caso struck one of his patented left-footed crosses into the box. Bryan Gallego leaped high for the header and had the goalkeeper beat. But, again, the ball found nothing but the pipe as it crashed into the cross bar.

With only two minutes left, Rodriguez beat one man into the box and sent a cross to his right where Cintron knocked down the ball. But the outside midfielder couldn't get a solid strike on the ball as it missed the mark wide right.

The tournament, although played with plenty of resiliency and heart, left Jacobs wondering what might have been had injuries not hampered his teams efforts all year up front - especially to his top gunner, J.P. Rosero, who went down with a knee injury during the ninth game of the year and wound up missing the rest of the season after surgery.

"After 21 games," said Jacobs referring to his team's official 20-1 season before the tournament was staged, "to have played the likes of this competition the way they played is a tremendous tribute to our boys. I asked them to finish it with a huge effort and, despite not scoring, that's what they gave me. I'm very proud of them."

Notes: To view other photos of tournament, Saturday's youth clinic or the host of volunteers who took part in making the event happen, please click here to visit Mike Scanlan's website.

Newark councilman Oscar James was on hand during Saturday's action commending each of the four teams with a certificate in the city's honor.

--By Ron Jandoli

ST. BENEDICT'S SETTLES FOR A SCORELESS DRAW IN DAY TWO OF TOURNAMENT
Mexico tops Chelsea to remain unbeaten in International Cup

Nov. 6, 2008

If it was a night earlier, St. Benedict's would have been content with a scoreless draw.

But a different night brings dissimilar circumstances.

St. Benedict's put forth a determined and dominating effort, but in the end, had nothing to show for it. Thus, the Gray Bees had to settle for a scoreless draw against Trinidad & Tobago's Under-18 National Team Thursday night in the second round of the Newark International Cup at NJIT's Lubetkin Field.

St. Benedict's and Trinidad both stand at 0-1-1 after two rounds of play in the 16th annual event. Mexico's Under-18 National Team, which posted a 2-0 verdict over the Gray Bees on the first evening of action, remained unbeaten by upending Chelsea's U-18 club, 3-1, in the second game of the second night's doubleheader.

"It was every bit as much our game throughout and we managed it very well. We just couldn't find the back of the net," said St. Benedict's coach Rick Jacobs. "We just played two national sides and gave up two goals. I couldn't be prouder of the way we've played against this level of competition."

The Gray Bees had a number of just misses against Trinidad: a toe-poke here or a shot on goal there - Jacobs' club may have been able to pull this one off.

In the first half, Beau Gordon was sent down the left flank on a beautiful ball by Bonny Londono and sent a cross toward the middle. The ball was knocked down by the defense and, in the ensuing scrum, Musa Sackoon poked at the ball and got a shot on goal. But Trinidad's goalkeeper reacted quickly enough to parry the ball past the left post.

Marc Cintron had two quality opportunities after intermission. With the Gray Bees pressuring, Branko Dugalic mis-headed a corner kick, but the ball popped free to Cintron, who one-time a shot through a crowd. Once again, however, the Trinidad goalie, John Thomas, made a huge save with a dive to his right.

Later in the half, with 10:30 left in the match, Cintron had a semi-breakaway on goal off a ball played over the top. Cintron, instead of trying to drive the ball, opened up his body and his side-footed shot sailed over the top of the goal.

Even a corner kick in the waning seconds nearly pulled it off for the Gray Bees. Clint Caso's inswinging left-footed kick nicked the goalie's hands before skimming the cross bar.

But after all was said and done, the Gray Bees settled for a scoreless standoff.

"In big games like this you're not going to get 12 or 13 good looks, you're gonna get two or three," Jacobs said. "I thought we committed a bit more to the attack than the first game. We just didn't get the score we needed."

In the nightcap, Mexico spotted Chelsea the first score, but rallied for three unanswered goals. Raul Lopez and Isaac Brizuela scored before intermission and Aliu Djalo scored in injury time to seal the outcome.

Mexico now sits atop the standings with a 2-0 record, followed by Chelsea (1-1) in second. St. Benedict's and Trinidad are still fighting for a spot in Sunday's final with Saturday's action to determine those pairings.

Saturday sees St. Benedict's going up against Chelsea at 2 p.m., followed by the match pitting Trinidad versus Mexico at 4 p.m. Sunday's third place match will take place at noon with the championship to follow at 2 p.m.

--By Ron Jandoli

SBP PLAYS A MAN DOWN FOR MOST OF THE SECOND HALF AND LOSE TO MEXICO
Chelsea FC beats Trinidad & Tobago in the opener of the International Cup

Nov. 5, 2008

St. Benedict's forte over the years has been defense.

Against Mexico's Under-18 National Team, it was no exception.

The Gray Bees stood up to everything the national side had to offer. But when the official hit Wagner Pedrosa with his second yellow card with over 30 minutes left on the clock, St. Benedict's just couldn't withstand the charge playing a man down.

St. Benedict's put up a gallant fight but wound up losing, 2-0, to Mexico in the nightcap of a doubleheader during the opening day of the Newark International Cup at NJIT's Lubetkin Field, Newark. The Under-18 squad from the Chelsea FC defeated Trinidad & Tobago U-18 National Team, 4-1, in the opener.

"It was disheartening that we had to play a man down," said St. Benedict's coach Rick Jacobs. "It's tough enough to play a national side straight up, but when you have to do it a man down, that's asking a lot."

Pedrosa was sent off with his second yellow card, albeit a dubious one at best, after a hard tackle that shouldn't have warranted anything other than a foul. With his dismissal, under FIFA rules - the guidelines used for this tournament - Pedrosa was not allowed to be replaced after a second yellow. Thus, the Gray Bees were left shorthanded for the final 33 minutes of the match.

Despite the ejection, St. Benedict's hung tough and didn't waver until a little over 14 minutes left. And, even then, it wasn't because of a defensive lapse.

It was looking as though the Gray Bees may slip out of the contest with a scoreless draw against the bigger and quicker opponent from South of the Border, but a corner kick spelled its demise in the 76th minute. Jorge Enriquez got off a header on a corner kick by Jorge Guzman that goalkeeper Brandon Paul had covered easily.

But Paul, who played a stellar game, had the rain-slicked ball squirt through his hands to allow the Mexicans get on the board. Paul was outstanding to that point, making 10 saves in all, including a couple from point-blank range in the first half.

Mexico upped the cushion to two with only five minutes left off a nice give-and-go that put the game out of reach.

"We could have given up after being a man down, but we stood up a dug deep and hung in there with a national team," Jacobs said. "I'm very proud of the way we performed defensively."

Notes: Chelsea looks like the team to beat after only one night. The big and strong European side was way too much to handle for Trinidad & Tobago, building a 3-0 lead in the first half on goals by Frank Nouble, Billy Knott and an own goal. The tournament resumes tonight with St. Benedict's taking on Trinidad in the first game at 5 p.m. with the Chelsea-Mexico game to follow at 7. After a day off, the teams come back on Saturday with games at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.

GRAY BEES SOCCER TEAM LIVES UP TO EXPECTATIONS

Nov. 2, 2008

St. Benedict's motivation since the beginning of the year was to prove last year was an anomaly.

Mission accomplished!

The Gray Bees, coming off a five-loss season for the first time in coach Rick Jacobs' career, righted the ship by coming away with another 20-win season, capped on Sunday with a dominating, 2-0, verdict over Lawrenceville for the State Prep A championship.

The victory gave St. Benedict's its 20th victory of the campaign while securing its staggering 20th straight state championship before a partisan and boisterous crowd at NJIT's Lubetkin Field in Newark.

"At a place like St. Benedict's, you can't do what we did last year two years in a row. This thing needed to be put back where it needed to be and where we wanted it to be," said Jacobs. "It showed that we are far from being a run-of-the-mill team and that last year was something of the past. This validates the kids' hard work and is a tribute to the way we've done this for the last 24 years."

This Gray Bees team stamped its latest victory with perhaps one of its finest outputs of the season. Though it only scored twice, it put together a full, 80-minute effort of vintage Gray Bees soccer.

Junior Bonny Londono and senior Jossimar Sanchez completely controlled the midfield, while an always reliable Walter Rodriguez dictated the tone of the attack.

Londono helped set up the first goal against Lawrenceville (14-4-2) by playing a long ball over the top that skimmed off a defender's head. Pedro Santos converged on the ball in the box and fired a shot that caromed off the near, left post. Rodriguez raced in on the rebound and buried the ball into the open net in the 18th minute.

St. Benedict's (20-1) had a couple quality chances to up the margin before the first half expired, with its best chance coming in the 32nd minute. Goalkeeper Brandon Paul, looking to break into the scoring column for the second straight outing, unloaded a clearance from his on penalty area that sailed over the defense to a streaking Luis Bejarano.

Bejarano raced in on a breakaway and, instead of perhaps putting the game away right there, knocked a shot over the top of the goal. Paul did receive an assist - the second of his career - on a similar play in St. Benedict's 5-0 victory over Princeton Day School two days earlier.

Bejarano, however, would be vindicated only 2:30 into the second half. The sophomore forward received a beautiful diagonal ball from Rodriguez as he crashed the left side of the penalty area. But, unlike his breakaway, Bejarano ripped a left-footed shot that left little doubt of its placement - in the right-side netting of the goal.

The goal and assist by Rodriguez on the day allowed him to wrap up his senior year with 44 points on 17 goals and 10 assists. St. Benedict's finished the year with 66 goals.

The defense racked up its 16th shutout of the season, while Paul, the vocal catalyst who's headed to Delaware, was in goal for all but two of those. He once again received a staunch effort by his frontmen, Bryan Gallego, Jon Sandoval and Mike Stalker.

And, just like that, what was thought by many as a program in disarray just one short year ago, the Gray Bees nation is "back to normal."

"We made it known last year was only a mistake," said Sanchez. "We came back and showed who we are once again, one game at a time."

Notes: To view more pictures of the state Prep final or other happenings at the Hive, please go Mike Scanlan's website.

--By Ron Jandoli
--Photos by Dennis Lansang

BEJARANO SPARKS THE OFFENSIVE ATTACK FOR THE GRAY BEES
Scores a pair of goals during game in front of Alumni gathering at NJIT

Oct. 18, 2008

Luis Bejarano has been trying to establish and identity, or better yet, a position for himself all year.

He may have just found one - up on the front line.

Bejarano came off the bench and scored his first two goals of the year while St. Benedict's put up another solid effort with a 3-0 victory over Maryland's Walt Whitman on Saturday before a crowd that included an Alumni gathering at NJIT's Lubetkin Field.

"I feel good. I think, finally, the bad luck is gone," said Bejarano, who, through his own admission, has struggled at times with his game this year. "I've been working hard to play better. Hopefully this is a good way for me to keep it going."

Bejarano, who began the year playing in the midfield, has been getting more opportunities at forward as of late and finally broke through in the goal scoring column with back-to-back goals bridging the halftime break.

The sophomore helped St. Benedict's register the first goal in the 32nd minute. Pedro Santos, a substitute himself, who saw his first after being sideline for most of the year with a knee injury, got possession of the ball after a scrum in front. He quickly spotted Bejarano squirting through the pack in front and played a pass though the defense.

Bejarano had the wherewithal to turn and quickly unleash a shot that snapped a scoreless standoff. The goal comes three games after he posted his first point of the season - an assist against Rancocas Valley.

The goal was part of a 10-2 advantage in shots the Gray Bees (14-1) put together in the opening stanza. One of the shots was by Marc Cintron, who had a chance to score early in the match. But he didn't get enough on a header after finding himself alone at the far left post in the game's third minute. Brandon Paul kept it a scoreless game soon after by charging off his line to make a save off a break by Walt Whitman.

Bejarano gave the Gray Bees an all-important second goal just 105 seconds into the second half by continuing his push forward even after the play went in another direction.

Walter Rodriguez set it in motion with a cross to the top of the penalty area. Bonny Londono played a beautiful ball along the turf into the box to Jossimar Sanchez. The senior tri-captain, instead of trying to drive the ball, calmly side-footed a shot past a goalie who was left on his heels. The shot caromed off the left post and an alert Bejarano easily finished off the rebound into an empty net.

Cintron capped the scoring in the 55th minute. Sanchez beat the offsides trap - something that caught the Gray Bees 12 times on the day - with a through ball. Cintron outraced the defense before sidestepping the goalie with a nice burst of speed and finished off his eighth goal of the year into a wide-open net.

But the day belonged to Bejarano.

"I have to be ready to come in for the starters and help them out," Bejarano said. "I keep my eye on the game at all times and watch everywhere so I can go in and do the job wherever the coach wants me."

Right now, it's a pretty good bet they'll need him up front.

Notes: To view more pictures of the game or to see pictures of other happenings at The Hive, please click here.

--Story by Ron Jandoli
--Photos by Mike Scanlan

GRAY BEES REBOUND WITH A PAIR OF GUT-CHECK VICTORIES

Oct. 15, 2008

A true test of a team's makeup can be identified after a loss.

But for St. Benedict's, the task was made even harder after suffering its first setback of the season.

The Gray Bees were faced with the unenviable chore of facing its staunchest rival in Delbarton before taking on its stiffest challenge among the prep schools, Lawrenceville, on successive days.

St. Benedict's, however, showed a ton of moxie and perseverance by scoring a pair of one-goal victories over its nemeses on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively, at NJIT's Lubetkin Field.

"I don't think too many teams could have come and scratched out two victories the way we did after what I still call a crushing loss," said Jacobs, whose team dropped a heartbreaking, 2-1, defeat at the hands of Rancocas Valley on Saturday night.

"To come back and play our biggest rival and then play the second best prep team after what happened Saturday night - I don't know how many teams could have found a way to win."

Jacobs' club came out with a purpose against Delbarton and posted a hard-fought, 1-0, victory to take some of the sting out of its loss only three days earlier.

The game's lone goal came midway through the first half when Victor Daza played a ball square just outside of the penalty area to Bonny Londono. The steady Londono ran onto the ball and one-timed a shot that left the goalkeeper with little chance at a blast that found nothing but the left side of the net.

Goalkeeper Brandon Paul kept the score that way only five minutes later off a point-blank shot when he parried the ball away with a dive to his right.

St. Benedict's turned up the heat in the second half, building a 10-2 margin in shots. But coach Jacobs' club couldn't find the net again, despite hitting the crossbar on a shot by Branko Dugalic that bounced over the goalie before a defender cleared the ball, with a header, off the crossbar.

The victory over Delbarton helped the Gray Bees' put the finishing touches on avenging all three of its in-state losses of a year ago. The team had beaten Millburn and Don Bosco Prep earlier in the year. In the game against Lawrenceville, Walter Rodriguez' goal with only 17 ticks left on the clock gave St. Benedict's a 2-1 verdict over a team it could meet for the state Prep championship later this year.

The last-second verdict was the second such win of the season. Rodriguez, who scored the game-winner off a header with only seconds left against Don Bosco, scored again off a header, redirecting an out-swinging corner kick by Clint Caso.

Coach Jaocbs' Club, which looked sluggish and tired after playing its third game in five days, had the fortitude to keep the pace for an entire 80 minutes. That push allowed for the game-winner to be scored only after Lawreceville had scored the equalizer five minutes earlier on a counter off an errant clear by the defense.

"Obviously it was tough coming back after a loss and I think it showed," said Rodriguez, who set up the first goal with a little touch to Leo Casas for a score off a free kick from 20 yards out in the 53rd minute. "But hopefully we can use these two games as a confidence booster to get us rolling again."

Notes: To view more pictures of the Delbarton game, click here to go to Mike Scanlan's website on school-wide happenings.

--Story by Ron Jandoli
--Photos by Elliott J. Hyppolite

GRAY BEES LOSE FIRST GAME, DESPITE A DOMINANT EFFORT

Oct. 11, 2008

Missed opportunities and miscues!

It was as simple as that.

St. Benedict's squandered two glorious chances in the opening 20 minutes, gave up a fluke goal and wound up fighting an uphill battle the rest of the way, eventually finding itself on the wrong end of a 2-1 decision to Rancocas Valley.

Thus, the Gray Bees saw its undefeated campaign and perhaps, its shot at National title No. 7, come to a screeching halt. But, if any of the soothsayers who compile the countrywide rankings happened to see the events unfold Saturday night at Stevens Tech in Hoboken, they know the better team fell on hard luck and not to a superior opponent.

"This is a very difficult one to swallow," coach Rick Jacobs said. "That being said - it was our own making that made it that way."

St. Benedict's, which came into the contest ranked No. 2 nationally and lost for the first time since Oct. 24 of last year, could have put the game away early.

First, Leo Casas missed from point-blank range in the sixth minute. After receiving a long serve from Jossimar Sanchez on the doorstep, Casas hesitated, albeit only momentarily, and saw his shot deflected away by the leg of Rancocas Valley goalkeeper Wes Richards.

Although that one didn't go, a penalty kick would surely do the trick - right?

Not quite.

With St. Benedict's Walter Rodriguez - the usual taker of kicks from the 12-yard stripe - watching from the sideline, Marc Cintron elected to take the penalty kick. Cintron's blast, however, found nothing but the cross bar in the 20th minute and the Gray Bees were left empty handed again.

From there, it only got worse. A seemingly harmless serve by Rancocas Valley from 45 yards out with just less than 12 minutes left in the opening stanza, got caught up in the lighting and goalie Brandon Paul couldn't recover in time as the ball sailed over his outstretched hands.

What should have been a 2-0 lead quickly turned into a 1-0 halftime deficit. That eventually turned into a two-goal bulge when Rancocas Valley scored on a counter after the Gray Bees were going full throttle for the first 15 minute of the second half.

St. Benedict's, to its credit, kept the pressure on and never wilted, finally scoring with 10 minutes left when Bonny Londono converted a pass from Luis Bejarano. The Gray Bees nearly tied the game with 4:13 left on a long serve of its own.

Sanchez lofted a free kick from the same direction in which Rancocas Valley scored earlier in the match. But unlike when their counterpart scored, the goalkeeper was able to get a piece of the ball and then cover it up as Rodriguez was knocking on the doorstep looking for the equalizer.

That play epitomized the way the night went for the Gray Bees.

"Am I proud of the way we played? No," said Jacobs. "But I am proud of the way we battled late. I don't think there are a lot of teams that would have gotten down two and make it the kind of match it was."

--By Ron Jandoli

ST. BENEDICT'S TAKES CARE OF BUSINESS AGAINST PRINCETON'S HUN
Showdown with unbeaten Rancocas Valley Looms

Oct. 7, 2008

It's not hard for the St. Benedict's soccer players to get up for big games. They happen so many times during a season that it becomes commonplace.

But it's those less-than-fancy, or trap games as they are sometimes called, that can cause trouble.

That could have been the case in the Gray Bees last game against Hun. With contests against the state's elite, Rancocas Valley and Delbarton, on the horizon, it would have been easy for coach Rick Jacobs' club to lose focus on the task at hand.

But the Gray Bees took a business-as-usual approach and disposed of Hun handily, 5-0, playing before a partisan home crowd Tuesday at Fr. Benedict Tyler Field.

"It's what the season is about for us. It's being up mentally and physically, not only for the big games, but taking care of the little ones as well," said Jacobs. "This was one of the little ones and we came out and did what we had to - we prepared and trained well coming in and got the result I was looking for."

Jossimar Sanchez, always known as an unwavering defender, continues to make inroads playing in the offensive third. Against Hun, he set up the two first half goals and played a pivotal role throughout the match.

The senior captain helped open the scoring in the 15th minute with a shot that should have been recorded as his third goal of the season. But the ball, on its way in off a right-footed blast, ricocheted off the head of Walter Rodriguez and resulted in the 10th goal of the year for one of the other captains.

Sanchez also set up Branko Dugalic for the second score in the 34th minute with a shot from the top of the box. The Gray Bees, which used nearly its entire bench in the second half, completed the scoring on goals after intermission by Victor Daza, Musa Sackoon and Marc Cintron.

The victory sets up another showdown between unbeaten clubs when the Gray Bees (11-0) take on Rancocas Valley (9-0-1), the fourth-ranked team in New Jersey. St. Benedict's, which comes into the 7 p.m. contest at Stevens Tech as the No. 2 ranked team in the country, already beat previously-undefeated Don Bosco Prep, 1-0, last week in another match held at Stevens. It also handed Lower Merion (Pa.) and Millburn their first losses of the season.

"This is the reason you come to St. Benedict's - to play the best teams in New Jersey," said Cintron. "We will be ready for them, just like we are for any other team that plays us. They are just another high school team, we are family."

St. Benedict's also has a game on tap against Delbarton, a club it lost to last year, 4 p.m. Tuesday at NJIT. The Gray Bees have already avenged losses from a year ago against Milburn and Don Bosco and now has another chance against the Morris Township school.

"It's not about getting revenge," Cintron explained. "It's about doing it for our past and making sure we get the respect we deserve. It's why we put on this uniform."

--By Ron Jandoli

ST. BENEDICT'S PLAYS WITH A PURPOSE AND PASSION IN VICTORY
Londono's heroics help set up lone goal

Sept. 29, 2008

Bonny Londono's play this year has been beyond reproach.

Yet, at times, it goes unnoticed outside of his circle of teammates and coaches.

But, the heady and determined act Londono put forth on Monday night will be talked about for quite some.

Londono, who outmuscled and outraced the goalkeeper for a loose ball, set up Walter Rodriguez for the only goal in the waning seconds when St. Benedict's posted a 1-0 verdict over Don Bosco Prep. It was a battle of unbeaten and unscored upon teams before a boisterous, standing-room-only crowd at Stevens Tech in Hoboken.

Rodriguez's header for the game-winner punctuated a dominating effort for the Gray Bees against a team it had lost to a year ago. It also stamped St. Benedict's ranking as the No. 2 team in the nation while denying Don Bosco's thoughts of gaining state supremacy.

The Gray Bees (9-0), as it has many times in its glorious past, proved once again - on the field - that it is the No. 1 team in New Jersey.

"I've been waiting to play this game for an entire year," said Rodriguez, recalling last year's 2-0 setback to the school from Ramsey. "I never wanted again to feel like we did last year. We proved we can stumble once, but we came right back and regained our dominance over them."

The story, though, has to be of the performance of Londono in the end. Most players were struggling to maintain their stamina in the high pace and physicality of the game, but Londono was still pushing forward from his usual defensive posture into an attacking mode.

He raced into the box for a serve by Victor Daza and barely beat the goalkeeper to the ball. But, while being bumped, he chested the ball too far forward and, instead of going toward the goal, had to give it everything he had to get to the ball before it trickled over the end line.

Londono not only prevented the ball from going out of bounds, he managed to muster enough strength, while falling backwards over the right end line, and sent a cross toward the far post. Rodriguez, always the opportunist, raced in from the penalty stripe and headed the ball down before it bounced hard into the turf and finished high in the net.

"I did the only thing I could and that was to try and get a cross off," Londono said. "Walter just went after it. It's an amazing feeling to score when the game was almost over."

Londono's play was indicative of his entire season. Game-in and game-out, he has been a stoic force of dependability.

"He's just been amazing all year - playing lights-out soccer for all nine games," St. Benedict's coach Rick Jacobs said. "Tonight, he just did what he's been doing all year and just added to that by making a great play in the end."

Londono's effort wasn't the only one that shown bright under the lights in Hoboken. Goalkeeper Brandon Paul rose to the occasion, as usual, when he dove to his right to rob Don Bosco's Ron Scardino on a shot from just inside the penalty area after a turnover.

Paul's defensive mates, Bryan Gallego, Jon Sandoval and Mike Stalker held Don Bosco to only three shots. But, it was the play of Benedict's field generals, Londono, Jossimar Sanchez, Marc Cintron and Rodriguez that allowed the Gray Bees to play a concise game with the ball on the pitch that kept its counterpart from building any sort of momentum.

Make no mistake, Don Bosco - No. 17 in the nation - was dangerous and the play was frenetic at times, but the Gray Bees proved that the better team deserved to win by wearing out its nemesis and now holds a 9-1-1 series lead over the Bergen County power.

"From a fan's standpoint, I'm going to guess it just had to be a great game," was how Jacobs summed it up. "I think it was a classy, great high school soccer game for the state of New Jersey."

--By Ron Jandoli

HARD WORK - AND LADY LUCK - SPELLS VICTORY FOR THE SOCCER TEAM

Sept. 27, 2008

Even teams with invincible auras need a little luck at certain times throughout a long season.

St. Benedict's isn't calling itself unconquerable just yet. But, if the Gray Bees are going to reach the pinnacle as those of its historic past, then they will need some good fortune along the way.

Coach Rick Jacobs' club got just that on Saturday.

Despite looking in disarray for much of the contest, the Gray Bees relied on a "fat" crossbar and a timely penalty kick to live to see another day after a 1-0 victory over a very adept team in Lower Merion (Pa.) at NJIT's Lubetkin Field.

"Sometimes you have to survive and advance and that's what we did today. This was a gut check win," Jacobs said. "We weren't at the top of our game and still found a way to win. It happens to good teams all the time. You just hope it doesn't happen too many times."

The Gray Bees (8-0) not only remained perfect on the year by virtue of Walter Rodriguez's 82nd minute penalty kick, the club remained unscored upon. The unbeaten and goals against streak can be directly attributed to a forgiving crossbar.

Previously unbeaten Lower Merion (9-1) was applying heavy pressure from the beginning of the second half and nearly took the lead in the 51st minute. St. Benedict's Brandon Paul couldn't react quickly enough to the pin-ball like action that was taking place in front of him before Lower Merion's Jordan Wolf cranked a shot from in close. The ball, however, just caught the underside of the pipe and failed to cross the goal line before being cleared out of harms way.

"He hit a good shot and I just couldn't get my hand on the ball," Paul said. "You could say we got lucky there, but we didn't give up and kept up the fight and continued to work hard."

Instead of being down for the first time all season, the Gray Bees eventually stemmed the tide from Lower Merion and started to push the advantage in its favor as the latter stages of the game approached. They did have a hard time keeping the ball on the turf and wasted too many opportunities down the center of the pitch.

But, one of the few times St. Benedict's used the width of the field, it led to the goal.

J.P. Rosero corralled the ball at midfield off a counter and headed upfield past a defender along the right touch line. He averted backside pressure by sending a cross toward the top of the box to Marc Cintron.

Cintron, St. Benedict's workhorse all game, alertly spotted Rodriguez making a diagonal run into the box and flicked a header forward. As Rodriguez broke in a goal, his legs were taken out from behind and he was awarded a penalty kick on a very legitimate call.

Rodriguez had little trouble burying the kick from the 12-yard stripe into the right side off the net in the 72nd minute. It would turn out to be the first shot of the half for the Gray Bees, a team that has been accustomed to pummeling the goal with shots. But Saturday, the team managed only six and relinquished 11.

"We just showed today that hard work pays off," Cintron said. "Last year, we would have lost a game like this. This year, we are like family and nobody on this team will ever give up. We work hard every game for 80 minutes or longer if we have to, but we won't be denied and today just showed what type of family we have."

Speaking of last year - the Gray Bees, which has avenged one of its five losses of a year ago, has another shot at redemption Monday night against Don Bosco Prep. The Gray Bees have won 13 straight since losing to Don Bosco, 2-0, in a driving rain storm in Ramsey last year.

"Rick (Jacobs) will have us really focused and where we need to be on Monday," said Paul of his team's 7 p.m. contest with Don Bosco at Stevens Tech. "We got the bad one out of the way today. Now it's time for revenge."

Notes: The slightest margin of victory for the Gray Bees against Lower Merion comes on the heels of it largest cushion of the year during a 7-0 victory over Orange on Thursday night in Orange. Rodriguez led the charge in that game with two goals and two assists, while chipping in with one goal apiece were Cintron, Rosero, Jossimar Sanchez, Wagner Pedroso and Bonny Londono.

--By Ron Jandoli

SANCHEZ GIVES THE GRAY BEES A HUGE LIFT OFF THE BENCH
SBP now ranked No. 2 in the nation.

Sept. 23, 2008

Jossimar Sanchez has had a tough time watching from the sidelines while recovering from a nagging knee injury. His competitive instincts make him feel like he's letting his teammates down.

He's been a lot more patient waiting to score his first career goal.

On Tuesday, Sanchez' longing to play and his scoreless streak both became part of the past.

Sanchez returned to the lineup for the first time in three games and gave St. Benedict's a much-needed spark with his team's second goal during a 3-0 victory over Peddie in Hightstown.

Sanchez' goal, the first of his four-year career in a Gray Bees uniform, came just 90 seconds after coach Rick Jacobs inserted the senior into the game to start the second half.

"I don't feel like I'm contributing when I'm sitting on the bench," said Sanchez, whose knee has been a bother since preseason training. "So to get back into the action and get my first goal at the same time was unbelievable.

Sanchez, who was told by his doctor that the knee needed rest, scored on only his second touch after coming on as a second half substitute. J.P. Rosero, who also has been battling the injury bug and came in as a reserve after intermission, had the ball knocked away from him in the box. The ball caromed back out to the top of the box to Sanchez.

The tri-captain, looking more like an attacker than the defensive stalwart he's been throughout his career, calmly touched the ball down, looked up and spotted the goalkeeper off his line. He quickly uncorked a right-footed, bending shot that curled into the upper-90 to give the Gray Bees an all-important second goal.

"We were struggling to that point and I was just in there to give us some spirit in the second half," said Sanchez. "To get a goal was hard to believe. But it was more important that I was able to help the team out."

The Gray Bees sealed the outcome by scoring an unheard of own goal for a third straight outing with eight minutes left in the contest. This time, it was Walter Rodriguez who sent a hard, lining cross through the goal mouth that was deflected by a defender into the goal.

A sluggish start, in which St. Benedict's had trouble getting its footing on the natural turf at Peddie, forced Jacobs to use Sanchez and Rosero to start the second half. To that point, the Gray Bees managed only two shots on goal - luckily Marc Cintron was left uncontested on a corner kick by Victor Daza and headed one of those into the goal. The score, just 10 minutes into the game gave Cintron the team lead with four goals on the year.

The Gray Bees ran its record to 6-0 on the year and have yet to yield a goal. Goalkeeper Carlos Suarez was the beneficiary of a strong defensive effort against Peddie.

Sanchez will undoubtedly be able to rest his knee some more on Thursday night against winless Orange before hopefully being cleared to play, along with Rosero, for a full 80 minutes against Lower Merion on Saturday. Monday, Sept. 29, will bring the biggest test of the season thus far when the Gray Bees host Don Bosco Prep. Click here for the latest national rankings.

--By Ron Jandoli

SOCCER TEAM ROLLING ALONG, BUT...

Sept. 17, 2008

A lot of misfiring or great goalkeeping?

The Gray Bees game against Blair on Tuesday featured a ton of both.

Despite winning the contest, 3-0, coach Rick Jacobs' club squandered numerous scoring opportunities on the pitch at NJIT.

"Obviously, we were off the mark a lot," said Jacobs, who received goals from Branko Dugalic and Leo Casas. "But there were also some positives. One being the fact that we got so many chances and didn't allow any."

Sure, the Gray Bees posted a staggering 35 shots (yes, that's an accurate count) and didn't allow even one. But St. Benedict's only found the net twice (one was an own goal). And that has to be of some concern for the coach, right?

Not really.

The Gray Bees were missing as many as seven starters during all or parts of the game. And they ran into a goalkeeper, Calder Powel, who was nothing short of spectacular. The junior continually nailed the door shut with a number of acrobatic saves and other that were fired right into his midsection. He even had a little help from the cross bar a couple times.

The player who found most of the most misfortune was Walter Rodriguez. The diminutive playmaker was on the doorstep a number of times, but Calder was equal to the task a number of times with Rodriguez helping out on others by missing the mark.

Rodriguez, however, made a sensational play to ice the game with just over 15 minutes remaining. Roy Cabrera won a ball at midfield and quickly unloaded a pass up-field to Rodriguez. With a defender all over his backside, Rodriguez quickly one-touched a square pass to Leo Casas, who took one long step and ripped a shot inside the right, near post from the top of the penalty box for the final goal.

St. Benedict's opened the scoring midway through the opening half when Marc Cintron carried the ball to the right touchline and hit a perfectly placed cross along the turf to Dugalic. The forward, who was only inserted into the lineup moments earlier, wasted little time making his mark by burying the one-timer from in close.

The Gray Bees, which upped its cushion to two with an own goal early in the second half, got another stellar effort on the defensive end by Bryan Gallego. He stayed within himself and anchored a defensive unit that has yet to yield a goal in four games this season.

"We had some typically good St. Benedict's moments in the game, especially in the second half," said Jacobs of his team peppering the goal for 20 shots after intermission. "But we need to finish more of our chances when we have them and I believe that will come."

Notes: With the victory, the Gray Bees upped its winning streak to nine games, dating back to last season. The victory comes on the heels of a 2-0 verdict over a tough Somerset County opponent in Hillsborough on Monday, also at NJIT. Cintron and Rodriguez each scored off headers and Brandon Paul picked up his third shutout in that game.

--By Ron Jandoli

GRAY BEES VICTORIOUS IN SEASON OPENER
Defeat Massachusetts foe handily

Sept. 10, 2008

The St. Benedict's soccer team has a lot of making up to do after a very uncharacteristic 2007 campaign.

So far, so good!

The much-anticipated 2008 season-opener was a back to "business as usual" affair for the six-time national champion. The Gray Bees struck early and used a stifling defense to produce a 3-0 victory over Massachusetts' Northfield Mount Hermon School on Tuesday in a game played at Loomis Chaffe in Windsor, Conn.

"The boys were pretty excited and nervous in the early going feeling the weight that comes after a down year," said assistant coach Jim Wandling of the team's first game since suffering five losses a year ago. "Once we settled in though, we took complete control and showed we are ready for what's ahead."

St. Benedict's, which takes on Millburn, a team that handed the Gray Bees a loss in its season-opener last year on Saturday at 6 p.m. night in Millburn, opened the scoring against Northfield Mt. Hermon in the 13th minute. J.P. Rosero, who will be counted for his deft scoring touch all season, hit the back of the net for the first goal of 2008 by knocking in a shot that deflected off a defender from 18 yards out.

"J.P.'s confidence is sky-high right now and to get a goal 12 minutes into the game only furthers that confidence," said Wandling. "It showed he is ready to spearhead the attack."

The Gray Bees, which had a 17-0 advantage in shots, struck again in the 48th minute when Marc Cintron took control off an errant clear by the goalkeeper. He quickly uncorked a shot from 35 yards out that sailed over the netminder's head for a 2-0 cushion. Victor Daza completed the scoring with only 3:30 left in the match when he ran onto a long service over the top of the defense by Jon Sandoval and converted it into the capper.

ST. BENEDICT'S SOCCER TEAM FIGHTING TO SAVE ITS MYSTIQUE
Coach Rick Jacobs' squad out to prove 2007 was a fluke

Sept. 6, 2008

An aberration or the end of a dynastic run?

We'll find out soon enough.

The soccer team is about to embark on perhaps the most significant season in the history of the program under coach Rick Jacobs.

Of course it's not do or die. But it may be a year that shapes the way people view the Gray Bees for a very long time.

St. Benedict's is coming of a 15-5-1 season. Not so bad on the surface and by ordinary standards, but St. Benedict's has built a reputation of being anything but run of the mill. The five losses are the most of any one season under Jacobs since he first started building the dynasty in 1985, one that has gone on to win six national championships.

"You can have a blip on the screen and we hope that's what last year was," said Jacobs. "We showed we were human and we can make a mistake. But I don't think you can afford to do it twice and that's what makes this year so important."

Last year's team was filled with a lot of expectations, coming off back-to-back national championships, and was within reach of New Jersey's all-time mark for consecutive victories. The Gray Bees opened the season riding a 48-game winning streak and just five victories shy of matching its own standard of 53 games without a loss or a tie, a record it established from 1992-'95.

The drive for the state standard fell by the wayside immediately when Jacobs' club dropped a 1-0 setback out of the gate to Millburn. It was the first setback to a New Jersey club, other than Delbarton, in the last 16 years.

But that only signaled the beginning of what would turn out to be the most inauspicious season in Jacobs' 23-year reign. There was a loss to its nemesis Delbarton, the same club that snapped its 169-game, in-state unbeaten winning streak back in 2003. Then there was the unheard of back-to-back defeats in St. Louis before a game against Don Bosco turned out like many others for the Gray Bees, on the wrong end of a 2-0 score.

"Last year was very tough for all the guys," said Walter Rodriguez, "and especially the returning members who have been on national championship teams in the past."

Rodriguez and his fellow senior captains, Brandon Paul and Jossimar Sanchez, are making it their personal crusade to right the ship and bring the mystique back to the Gray Bees.

It won't be easy though. The Gray Bees scored the fewest goals by far (51) than any of Jacobs' previous clubs. Scoring goals, of lack thereof, was their Achilles heel all season. In fact, in all five losses, the Gray Bees failed to produce a single goal.

But why?

Sure the team lost the services to a graduated of Jose Angulo, who poured in 73 goals during their last two national championship campaigns. But St. Benedict's has always found ways - collectively - to win as they did after Tab Ramos (161 goals) left, they did it again after Claudio Reyna departed and again after Petter Villegas and Cesar Cuellar graced the pitch here in Newark.

So what made 2007 so difficult to hit the twine. Jacobs insisted that it was a total team breakdown, not just an offensive burden and he takes full responsibility for it, saying "I made the blunders by having the wrong lineup on the field. It's my job to make sure we have all the players that we need."

Jacobs also stressed that this year will be different, not because it's "in the stars," but because all the pieces are in place - players, fitness and a psychological understanding of what it takes to win at St. Benedict's.

"As soon as I put on the jersey, I feel the weight of 24 years being put on with it," said Paul, the goalkeeper and one of eight returning starters. "It means the world to me to wear the uniform and I am glad I get to do it one more year. We need to (get back) that swagger about us and not lose our edge to other high school programs."

Jacobs feels that where the team fell woefully short last year was in the midfield, the glue that ties everything together, from the defensive third up to the offensive attack.

He's hoping, or matter-of-factly, counting on Sanchez and sophomore Wagner Pedroso to form that cohesion in the middle while dominating opponents like Gray Bees teams of the past. Rodriguez will team with senior J.P. Rosero to get back that vaunted strikabilty that made St. Benedict's so feared.

Paul, the vocal leader as a goalkeeper, will shore things up in the back behind the heady play of sophomore center back Bryan Gallego.

"Anything short of perfect is not going to attain the goal for us, but the record is gonna be what it's gonna be," Jacobs insisted. "I'm more concerned about the effort and commitment and there are signs already this year that these guys are more accountable.

"But talk is cheap. Only time will tell if we've did it right and fixed the problem."

Notes: St. Benedict's opens the season Wednesday, Sept. 10 against Northfield-Mt. Hermon (Mass) at Loomis Chaffe in Connecticut. The Gray Bees have its in-state opener three days later on Saturday, Sept. 13 in a redemption match against Millburn on their field turf at 6 p.m.

St. Benedict's will conclude its season by hosting the 16th Newark International Soccer Cup November 3-10. This year's event, which returns to late autumn for the first time this decade, will again attract some of the top youth clubs from around the world. The field will include the Under-18 teams from Chelsea, FA Cup finalist in 2008, and the National sides from Mexico and Trinidad & Tobago. The games will be played at SBP, NJIT and Rutgers Newark.

--Story by Ron Jandoli
--Photos by Zach Jacobs