Absegami scores lone goal after 75 minutes of stalemate in sectional semifinal
GALLOWAY – Down their starting goalie with the sectional semifinals on the line, the Mainland Mustangs battled until the very last whistle against a strong Absegami team Nov. 11.
The margins for error for both teams were razor thin the entire game. It was a 0-0 stalemate until the final minutes. A red card issued to Mainland Regional High School’s starting goalie, who kept the high-scoring opponents off the board, brought in goalie Alex Foster, who had not seen any game time all season to finish the last 23 minutes.
The Mustangs held a high-powered Absegami offense in check for as long as possible before eventually surrendering the go-ahead goal with four minutes on the clock and falling to the Braves 1-0.
Freshman Eliam Santos had the game-deciding shot with a strike from the right post that ended up in the left corner of the net. Foster had already amassed three saves in his time as goalkeeper, but the tie could only go on for so long against an Absegami team that has five players who have each scored at least 10 goals this season.
Foster entered the game for longtime goalie Brandon Dionicio, who was given a red card for a tackle against a Braves player charging toward the goal. Dionicio had been the primary keeper for Mainland for the last three seasons. He had two shutouts this postseason.
Mainland dug deep following Santos’s goal and found a burst of energy that propelled Mainland straight down the field. Eyeing overtime, Jayden Velasquez, who set up Mustang goals all season long with a team-leading seven assists, had one more play left in him. The direct kick barreled past the group of players in front of the net, but Braves goalie Josh Jerome came up with a clutch save.
The Mustangs nearly got two kicks behind Jerome earlier in the second half when they had a one-on-one opportunity, but Jerome’s full extension jump gave him enough reach to get his fingertips on the ball to deny the score.
Jerome and Dionicio traded saves the entire game as the tension mounted in anticipation on which offense would score first. Both goalies surrendered a goal early in the first half, but both were called back. Absegami’s shot bounced off the field goal post above the net before going in and Mainland was ruled offsides after a great behind-the-back pass by Velasquez led to a goal.
The red card slowed down the Mustangs’ offense in the second half but they still found good shot opportunities they made a habit of creating in the playoffs. Mainland’s first-round game against Hammonton High School was a similar 0-0 tie after most of the time on the clock was wiped out.
Late into the playoff opener, senior Broer Linblad scored the game-winning goal off an assist by Velasquez.
The team had similar success in the second half of its quarter-final matchup against the higher rated Cumberland Regional High School. The seventh-seeded Mustangs traveled to the second-seeded team in the bracket and knocked off Cumberland with two second-half goals by Bill Todd and Ty Pierce.
Finally, against the 18-3 Absegami Braves, the Mustangs looked to be following the same pattern of a timely second-half push. Absegami similarly reached the semifinals in comeback fashion with a 4-2 win over Ocean City High School after trailing 2-1 at the half.
Despite being down a player, the Mustangs still managed to get a great look at the net but a better save ended the season.
Dionicio leads a sizable senior class set to depart the team at the 2027 graduation along with Velasquez and offensive threats including Linblad and Pierce. One of the biggest names ready to fill in some shoes is sophomore James Ryan, who led Mainland in goals and points this season en route to a 10-9-3 record.
Absegami, 19-3 and 12-0 in the Cape-Atlantic League National Conference, was playing No. 1 Toms River East in the sectional finals Saturday.
– STORY by WILLIAM TRUITT/For the Sentinel
– PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
