Cougars Boys Soccer Wins Another

Now, the games are becoming more important, the milestones more precious.

Saturday afternoon, the top-seeded Cougars raised their record to 12-0 with a 3-0 win over No. 16 Union Catholic in the pre-quarterfinal round of the Union County Tournament.

  
The Cougars will play host to defending champion and eighth-seed Elizabeth in a regular game on Monday and again Saturday afternoon in the quartefinals at Memorial Field. Elizabeth eliminated Cranford from the tournament last year. Game time will be determined later.

  
Pat Hartnett opened the scoring with his 15th goal of the season on a breakaway in the 20th minute of the first half, outrunning a Viking, then beating goalie John Howell.

  
"He sprinted downfield about 40 yards and the keeper came out and Pat tucked it below him,''  said Cranford coach Mike Curci. "It was really a great play. A lot of
times you'll see somebody shoot it right into the goalie or somewhere else. It was a great shot.''

  
But that was all the Cougars were able to get until Alex Porter scored off a Nick Pace corner kick. Junior Ray El-Khoury made it 3-0 off another Pace assist in the 68th
minute. The Cougars have now outscored their opponents 49-3. Saturday, they outshot Union Catholic 19-3 and held a 7-0 edge in corner kicks.

  
"I thought we dominated the game,'' Curci said. "But I didn't think we played particularly well. Union Catholic is not a bad team right now and they'll get better
next year. But you have to force a young team into errors. You give them enough room and they can be dangerous.''

  
Curci said the Cougars did come into the game with some extra incentive. They trailed Union Catholic 1-0 at halftime in a regular-season game last month, but rallied with goals from Alex Rocha and Pace in the second half.