Shore Regional High School had no luck during the boys’ soccer regular season.
The Blue Devils lost nine games by one goal.
They were just 6-13 going into the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 2 sectional tournament.
But in the postseason, their luck turned, and their quality play was rewarded.
Shore Regional, the No. 14 seed out of 16 teams in the state sectional bracket, won three straight games by one goal.
On Oct. 29, Shore Regional upset third-seeded Delaware Valley Regional High School, 2-1, in overtime. Three days later, in a quarterfinal, the Blue Devils surprised sixth-seeded Raritan High School, 1-0, also in OT. Finally, on Nov. 5, Shore Regional upset 10th-seeded Carteret High School, 3-2, in another extra session.
The shocking run, though, ended in the state sectional championship on Nov. 8 at Holmdel High School. Shore Regional lost, 4-0. The top-seeded Hornets were just too powerful.
But the Blue Devils still enjoyed a riveting run that salvaged their season.
“The season started off shaky and not how we wanted it. This run says a lot about us. We could have stopped,” said Shore Regional senior Mike Adams. “But we kept going and made it all the way here as a (No.) 14 seed. I’m proud of all the guys.”
“We just love each other, you know? We stayed focused the whole time. Every single game we played our hardest,” said another Shore Regional senior, Taylor Sousa. “When it came to playoff time, we knew we had a chance against every single team. Shout out to Holmdel. They are a really good team.”
Adams, Sousa and their fellow seniors did not just salvage their last high school season. They also carried Shore Regional through the state sectional tournament.
Seniors Ryan Bongarzone, Max Cameron and Brandon DeNovaes scored the overtime game winners in the first three rounds. Senior goalkeeper Chris Panduri kept games close all year, making 99 saves.
Panduri did his best to keep the sectional title game close, too, making some big early stops to maintain a scoreless tie.
Nothing clicked, necessarily, for the Blue Devils in the postseason. They just kept going all out.
“Heart. We had heart,” said DeNovaes. “We came out here and gave it our all. Everyone doubted us in the first round. We came out here and shut everyone up, getting to the final as the (No.) 14 seed.”
“I don’t think anything went fully wrong today (against Holmdel). A couple missed passes and 50/50 balls,” Cameron said. “But when it comes down to it, they (the Hornets) have five DI players. They are expected to win that game.”
Next year, and in future years, Shore Regional might be expected to win the state sectional championship game.
Four freshmen started for the Blue Devils on Nov. 8. Ten earned varsity letters this fall.
“We have a lot of guys coming back and I’m very excited for our future. A lot of those freshmen played heavy minutes this year,” said Shore Regional coach Christian Pontier. “That might have contributed to things not going our way today. Maybe if we had a bit more experience, the ball might have bounced a different way.”
“But I’m just proud of these guys,” Pontier added. “They are fun to be around. They are a nice group. And I’m happy we were able to win a few games and get to the final.”
