Mendham nabs 1st-ever Group 3 title with dominant 4-0 win over Toms River South

UNION - Heading into Sunday's Group 3 state championship game, Mendham may not have been able to watch much film on South Jersey Group 3 champion Toms River South, but two elements of the Minutemen's pregame preparation helped to get the Morris County side plenty ready to put forth a resounding 4-0 80-minute championship effort.

The first variable was the fact that Mendham competed three times vs. NJ.com No. 1Delbarton, contending with the vaunted Green Wave's Non-Public dynasty and proving to themselves that they could play with the best. No matter who Mendham took on in the NJSIAA/Sports Authority Group 3 Tournament, they knew Delbarton was just as good if not better.

"We are the only team in the state to play Delbarton three times, and that helped us," Mendham head coach Russ Raffay said. "Without a doubt that helped us. And the kid's weren't afraid."

The second variable was thanks to an old relic of a NJSIAA Tournament championship artifact provided by a former Minutemen player. Prior to Sunday's final, former Mendham player Eric Mauriello held up a photo from after Mendham's loss to Hamilton East in the 1988 Final. In that photo, Mauriello, head buried in hands, reflected the kind of haunting anguish losing in a state championship game can mean for a proud player.

"He was on the 1988 team that had lost in the state final, the only other time we had been there," Raffay said. "And (Mauriello) held up the picture - it was in the Advance or the Record, I believe. And he said: 'Don't be this guy. We didn't play for 80 minutes. We played for 40 minutes. You play for 80 minutes.'

"And the kid's understood. The kid's gave us a good 80 minutes."

A good 80 minutes by the Minutemen is quite the understatement, as Mendham dominated No. 19 Toms River South in a clinic of a championship game all over the Kean University pitch, outshooting the Indians 11-3 in the game and bottling up the NJSIAA Tournament's leading scorer Cameron Geernick in the process. On the offensive end, senior Julian Montilus and Christian Pedercini scored one goal each while junior Jared Beneducci tallied two goals for the Minutemen thanks to their dogged aggressive approach and efficient finishing abilities.

Montilus also recorded an assist, as in the game's opening portion Mendham took control of the match via Montilus getting wide, winning the right sideline and sending a cross into the box to a wide open Beneducci, who put Mendham ahead 1-0.

Then just minutes later, Christian Pedercini tallied a second goal for the Minutemen, as Dillon Wintz provided service into the box, TRS keeper Dom Pizzi punched it away, but the loose ball went right to the feet of Pedercini, who slid the chance into the empty net.

Mendham entered the half with the 2-0 lead via containing the speed of Geernick and rendering Tyler Egnatuk and the Indians other offensive players not as successful as they had been in their march through the South Jersey NJSIAA Tournament.

At halftime for the Minutmen, Mauriello's words of wisdom really resonatated, as Montilus and company focused on finishing what they started. Montilus in particular continued to wreak havoc on the wide portions of the field where he says he knew he'd be able to find success vs. Toms River South thanks to his speed. In the game's 53rd minute the senior Montilus effectively put the game away with a goal of his own, making a scintillating one-v-one play vs. Toms River South's defense, beating an Indian defender with flair and slotting the Minutemen's third goal of the game inside the far post. The third goal came before the Indians even managed a shot on goal.

Fifty two minutes in, Mendham was well on its way to one of its best 80-minute showings of the year. Maybe the best.

"It was close. For a state championship, yeah, it was probably some of the best minutes," the coach Raffay said.

Before the next and final 28 minutes expired, though, Mendham tacked on one more and nearly more than that. With just over 14 minutes remaining in regulation, Beneducci bookended his fantastic day and provided the exclamation point on an 80-minutes Mauriello would be proud of with his second goal of the day.

Nearly three decades after Mauriello's despair was etched in time via a newspaper photo for all to see, Montilus and his teammates celebrated on the Kean University field in triumph. Superior in ever element of Sunday's game, the Minutemen put together perhaps the most resounding championship performance against an elite foe of the entire state tournament season.

Said Montilus: "We are a brotherhood."

Mendham boys soccer ousts Old Tappan, 2-1, in Group 3 state semifinals

BASKING RIDGE -- Troy Browse and Julian Montilus scored in the first half to advanceMendham to its first Group 3 state final since 1988 with a 2-1 victory over Old Tappan in theNJSIAA Group 3 semifinals on Tuesday at Ridge High School.

Browse scored what proved to be the game-winner in the 14th minute off a cross from Christian Pedercini. That goal gave Mendham the advantage it needed to move on to the Group 3 final, which will be played at 3 p.m. Sunday at Kean University in Union.

In addition to celebrating the end of its title-game drought, Mendham also rejoiced in knowing that it continued an emotional championship run for Montilus, who lost his mother, Joanne Jacques-Montilus, to breast cancer this fall.

"This is pretty special," said Browse, whose team got past Hopewell Valley, 2-1, in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 final. "It's just coming together well at the end here, especially for Julian, who lost his mom before the season. We're playing for something more than just ourselves this year and it's nice to keep it going."

Old Tappan struggled to get shots past Mendham keeper Zach Bible throughout the contest, but the Bergen County squad found its opening in the final minute of the first half. Louis Long notched that score off an assist from Andrew Squillace.

The goal looked like it might be called off, as the clock was close to zero when the shot was taken, but the officials ruled that the ball hit the back of the net with one second to spare.

After the break, Mendham continued where it left off, controlling the pace while limiting quality chance that came toward Bible. The keeper didn't allow any scores in the final 40 minutes and finished with nine saves.

Montilus nearly added another score and put the game away down the stretch as he took off on a run similar to one that led to a goal in the first half. The shot attempt after he beat the keeper came from a tough angle though and the shot went just wide.

Old Tappan tried to rally after that miscue and find some more of that magic that helped it win North Jersey, Section 1, Group despite being the 12th-seeded team in the bracket. The equalizer never materialized though, bringing what was one of the most impressive outings in the state tournament to an end.

Last-minute goal pushes Mendham boys soccer past Hopewell Valley to North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 title

By Matt Stypulkoski | For NJ Advance Media

on November 13, 2015 6:22 PM, updated November 16, 2015 3:27 PM

MENDHAM – The only thing more frenetic than the start of Friday's North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 final between second-seededHopewell Valley and top-seeded Mendhamwas its finish.

With the game tied in the 78th minute, Mendham's Jared Beneducci sent a long throw-in into the box, which Christian Pedercini neatly chipped home to lift the Minutemen to a 2-1 win and the sectional title.

"It was just the fortunes," Mendham head coach Russ Raffay said. "Sometimes the ball bounces your way and sometimes it doesn't. This time, I think it bounced our way."

While that might have been the case in the game's final minutes, early on it looked as if luck – or at least Mother Nature – was working in Hopewell Valley's favor.

Just 1:06 into the game, Max Wills lofted a free kick into the box from 40 yards. On its way, the ball got caught up in a howling wind, drifted over Mendham goalie Zach Bible and into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

"I thought that was a nice advantage for us," Hopewell Valley head coach Ed Gola said. "But credit to Mendham. They didn't panic and they stuck to their game plan."

The resilience paid off quickly for Mendham, as it found a game-tiyng goal just two minutes after falling behind.

Just as he eventually would on the winner, it was Beneducci who set up the equalizer, as he sent a long throw from the left side over a pack of players at the near post and landed it on the foot of a teammate. This time, it was Matt Hankswho buried the chance, slotting a right-footed shot past goalkeeper Kevin Crowand inside the far post.

"When you have a long throw-in, sometimes instead of following your mark, you kind of lose sight and follow the ball," Gola said. "If you follow the ball and don't follow your man, that ball moves rather quickly and leaves guys open. I think that's what kind of happened."

After Hanks' equalizer, the two teams played to a stalemate for the next 75 minutes. Though both sides were able to create some chances, neither could get past the opposing goalkeeper, as Crow finished with four saves for Hopewell Valley and Bible stopped five shots for Mendham.

Then, the deadlock broke on the precipice of overtime.

"The last (home) game as seniors, the last 80 minutes on our turf," Pedercini said. "This was the best win we could imagine."

As a result, Mendham has its first sectional title since 2012 and will face Old Tappan in the Group 3 semifinals on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Ridge High School.