Chatham mounts remarkable comeback!
Outscores #6 Randolph 9-2 to close the game.
By Coach Carchietta for MorrisCountyVaristy.net
Chatham, NJ - In a tale of two halves, Chatham emerged victorious in a match-up between two of New Jersey’s top lacrosse teams. With two teams of this caliber, one would expect nothing but an epic battle … and today’s game was no exception.Chatham trailing 8-3 early in the 3rd quarter mounted a stunning comeback to defeat the explosive Randolph Rams 11-10. Randolph jumped to a quick 1-0 lead as James Reale converted just 8 seconds into the game. Almost 6 minutes had passed before the Rams would increase the lead to 2-0. Corey Zindel’s resulted as he was the gracious recipient of a fast break off a save by Rams’ Keeper Mike Horowitz. Both goals, the only two of the 1st quarter, were results of fast breaks. Neither team was able to muster much as the defenses held strong.Petey Coleman opened the scoring for the Cougars early in the 2nd. Randolph immediately responded with a goal from Zindel, followed by Ed Bilimkas goal. The quick strikes gave Randolph a 4-1 lead.Up a man, Chatham moved with two as Kevin Murray stuffed one in with about 5 minutes left till halftime. Pat Tracey followed to cut the lead to 4-3.The start of the second half saw the mindset and flow of the game change dramatically. What started out as a defensive stalemate between these two high powered offensive-minded teams, quickly erupted into a scoring frenzy. Randolph converted on four goals in the first four minutes of the third. Zindel scored two with the others coming from the netting of Kevin Sanders and Matt Fullam. The 8-3 deficit may have looked insurmountable to most, but the indomitable Cougars somehow dug in and set forth an explosion that Rams could only hope to contain. Bill Eisenreich started the comeback with an evasive spin move at the goal line, followed by an accurate stuff-in. Petey Coleman received a perfect set-up pass behind the net and was robbed by Rams’ keeper Mike Horowitz. An unfazed Coleman grabbed the loose rebound, spun away from two Cougar defenders and buried the ball just over the keepers’ shoulder. Coleman added another, in sniper-like fashion, to cut the lead to 8-6 with only 23 seconds remaining the 3rd.The Cougars remained in offensive attack-mode to begin the 4th quarter. Jeff Keating, perfectly position in front of the net, grabs a high rebound and finds the back of the net to make it a one goal game just 1:32 into the 4th. The Cougars tie it up as Cam Wood receives an ideal feed in front and converts on the perfectly executed play. Coleman and Keating added goals to give Chatham a 10-8 lead. Keating’s goal capped a 14-minute run of eight unanswered goals. Just as you should expect from one of the best teams in New Jersey, Randolph quickly erased the two goal deficit. Corey Zindel and James Reale connected just 17 seconds apart to tie the game with 3:42 left in the 4th. Before the echoes from the Rams-faithful had faded away, Petey Coleman added his fifth goal on the day. The elusive junior attacker moved in from the corner and picked a low corner for the eventual game winner.Randolph was not done. After Chatham had milked off almost all of the final 3 minutes, The Rams had forced a Chatham out of bounds. With less than 30 seconds remaining, The Rams has one last effort to send the game into overtime. Randolph traveled the length of the field and set up a quality shot off a cross-feed. The chest high rocket was stopped by Cougar Keeper Tommy Polise.Chatham improved to 8-1 on the season and Randolph fell to 8-2. Chatham Goalie Tommy Polise on the last 10 seconds of the game, including defenseman Tyler Cox preventing the tying goal from crossing the goal-line: “(Tyler Cox) just knocked it away and I saw the goal just two inches away from the goal-line. I just clamped it and threw it as far as I could.”Chatham’s Head Coach Steve Manitta comments on:What the coaching staff told the team early in the 3rd, when trailing 8-3: “We were getting quality shots, and (Horowitz) made some big saves. We told them to just keep firing away.”On Randolph defenseman John Lade: “I’d say he’s one of the top defenseman in the state of New Jersey, if not in the nation. I was telling him to tuck his cape in.” jokingly referring to Lade as superman.On the 9-2 scoring spree to finish the game: “We were throwing a lot of numbers at them” in reference to keeping fresh legs in the game and utilizing the Cougars deep bench.On his Goalie Tommy Polise: “Everything was going against Tommy in the 1st half. Then he totally stepped up and made quality saves. Tommy is one of the kids that says, ‘I’ll get the next one.’”Coach Carchietta views a lesson on class from an opposing a parent and coach: While interviewing Coach Manitta, a Randolph parent came over to congratulate Manitta and the team. Both gentleman exchange compliments and Coach Manitta finished the conversation with, “Your son plays for a great program. It’s a great program, it really is.” There is something to be said about sportsmanship, class and the love the game. I was able to witness this all day at Cougar field.
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