The boys put out a terrific effort on a sloppy final day of our fall season today and walked away (muddy!) with a 1-1 tie, bringing our final record on the season to 2-2-6. The boys came from behind today and had several chances to put away the game but the Somerset Hills keeper was up to the task, knocking away at the last second what the coaches and I thought was a sure goal by Kyle, including another shot by John that looked like it got past the GK but was actually cradled underneath him. Rohin scored the lone Knights goal in the second half.

The Knights came away from Spotswood today with a strong overall effort that ended in a heartbreaking tie. The Knights came out firing when Kyle beat the Spotswood keeper at 3:00 in the 1st half after taking an agressive throw-in assist from Rohin. When Brendan put the Knights up 2-0 after an assist from Matt's throw-in and Kyle's touch pass 13 minutes later, it looked like the Knights were cruising against a strong Spotswood team that came into this game with a 6-2 record.

However, Spotswood upped their attack and took advantage of several turnovers in front of the Knights' net and scored with 9 minutes remaining in the first half to close the lead to 2-1.

After halftime, the Knights gathered for a strong finish and came right back with Nick's goal from John's assist to make the score 3-1  seven minutes into the second half. Unfortunately, Spotswood kept up their high-pressure attack and again took advantage of Knights' turnovers and defensive lapses just 3 minutes later to pull closer at 3-2.

The remainder of the game was a struggle both ways as the Knights increased their pressure on Spotswood's dribblers and fought for every loose ball but couldn't put the ball in the Spotswood net. Spotswood attacked again and again and finally put the equalizer past our keeper to pull even at 3 with just 5 minutes remaining.

The tired Knights organized for one final attack and found themselves with a great opportunity as time ticked down with a free kick just outside the Spotswood penalty area. Unfortunately, the ball used was much harder than our boys were used to and Matt's free kick was blocked by Spotswood and the referee signaled the end of the game.

Both teams played their hearts out and matched up well, and the Knights played valiantly after losing the momentum after their third goal, and many of them were saddened by the game's result. All in all, the Knights showed continued improvement with timely passing and field presence, but showed dire needs at the defensive zone that will warrant attention in the practices to come.

The WWPSA Knights again showed their steady improvement today with a 3-1 win over the visiting Hillsborough Dragons. The boys continued to show unselfish play with well-timed passes and communicated well.

The first half mimicked yesterday's game as the Knights and Dragons were scoreless. As the Knights prepared to play uphill in the second half, they seemed to turn up their game a notch and really attacked well, keeping the ball in the Hillsborough half much of the time. Matthew opened up the scoring with a well-played shot into the corner at the 5-minute mark of the second half, and the Knights were rolling. The next goal was destined for the highlight reel: Matthew played a strong throw-in that reached the goal mouth in the air. Sarang positioned himself perfectly and headed the ball directly behind him, reaching the corner of the goal past a helpless keeper at the 12-minute mark. Brendan rounded out the scoring with a strong shot past the keeper with only 8 minutes to go in the game.

The Knights' defense held tight today, allowing only a few shots on goal and consistently keeping the Dragon attackers away from the middle of the field.

Liam, Michael, Brian and Kyle combined in goal with a strong showing. Today's win brings the Knights record to 2-2-4. The Knights continued to improve their aggressive play by winning loose balls and we have begun to build some momentum with their demonstration of how unselfish play leads to strong finishes.

The WWPSA Knights finally put together a strong game and came away from Westfield  today with their first win of the season. The boys looked really strong with some well-timed passes in the attacking zone and really played well together as a team.

The first half showed a little tentative play as the Knights and Westfield were scoreless. John opened up the scoring with a high shot over the keeper at the 8-minute mark of the second half, and then Kyle alertly took advantage of the Westfield keeper being out of position with a towering shot from just inside of the attacking half at the 9-minute mark to make the score 2-0. Nick rounded out the scoring with a quick shot along the ground by the near pole at 28:30 to make the score 3-0.

Liam, Michael and Kyle combined for the shutout with some strong play and good decision-making.

The boys will hopefully take this feeling into tomorrow's game against Hillsborough. Today's win brings the Knights record to 1-2-4.

The Knights played a strong team from Glen Ridge today and came away with a 1-1 tie. John scored the Knights' lone goal at the 12-minute mark as he caught the GK out of position and smartly fired a shot into the open goal. The Knights had their chances throughout the game but just couldn't find the back of the net. Some terrific passing and aggressive play was counterbalanced by some defensive lapses that we will address this week. The boys also showed marked improvement in how they handle punts using all parts of their bodies, particularly their head and chest, as several high balls were neatly played towards teammates to begin attacks.

The tie brings the Knights' league record to 0-2-4 heading into the latter half of the schedule.

The Sayreville Bombers played a strong game against the Knights, winning a rescheduled game 6-1. The game was closely contested for most of the 1st half until Brendan smartly pounced on a poor punt by the Sayrevill GK and launched a tall shot over his head for a 1-0 Knights lead heading into halftime. However, the Knights' midfielders and defense allowed Sayreville's attackers to move the ball at will in the 2nd half and allowed several shots, resulting in 6 unanswered goals.

The loss  was tough after such a strong start but the boys will come back strong for tomorrow's game against Glen Ridge.

The Knights came away tired and disappointed today after allowing another comeback that resulted in a 2-2 tie. The Knights had their chances to put the game out of reach, including a rolling ball in front of an open net, but just couldn't capitalize on opportunities. They pushed very hard late in the 2nd half, moving the ball uphill and coming away with two very strong chances but an offsides penalty and good save by the West Orange GK nullified any chance at victory.

Bright spots for the Knights included a pair of goals by Matthew, one with a strong left foot at the 9 minute mark of the first half and another by PK at 10:00 in the second, which he had to kick twice due to a Knight player in the box during the first kick. Other positives were strong play by midfielders to get balls out of the middle and to the wings for upfield runs. The West Orange GK had a strong foot, which helped them push the ball upfield, something that we hope to help our GKs to develop with GK-specific training over the next few weeks.

This game brings the Knights record to 0-1-3, bringing into question what's holding the Knights back from putting away games where they're ahead going into the final minutes? The coaches think that the potential is there and the ability is there; it's just discipline to play positions and play together, and with every game and every week, the boys are playing better and better, as we saw at the Hamilton Tournament this weekend.

The Knights put together another strong performance by defeating GAK Chaos 2-0 this morning for a 2-1 record in the 2007 Arbey Hudson Tournament in Hamilton, NJ. Brian and Liam combined for the shutout, while Matthew and Nick provided the offense to put the game away. Matthew's solid left in the 4th minute and Nick's keen awareness of the lack of a whistle on a close play in the goal area in the 15th minute gave the Knights all the offense they needed for the victory.

All in all, the boys played 4 1/2 solid halves of soccer out of 6 and will hopefully use this experience to build their confidence and faith in each other to bring to their next League game later this afternoon.

The Knights broke out early and often in both their games today, but left the field with a split of their first two games in the Arbey Hudson Tournament in Hamilton. The first game showed just what the Knights are capable of as they roared to a 3-1 lead at halftime, dominating the game with sharp passing and tight defense, as Kyle scored twice, once assisted by John, and Matt scored on Kyle's assist. However, three quick goals in the second half sealed the comeback for Hamilton as the Knights lost their previously strong defensive focus, ending in a 4-3 defeat.

The boys took their disappointment away with them and quickly bounced back against the Lawrence Cobras, with Michael scoring on the opening possession after only 6 seconds! With follow-up goals by Michael (assisted by Matt) and Brendan in the next 4 minutes, the Knights were crusing. Brendan scored his second of the half at the 24 minute mark, just before halftime, and the boys were pumped and determined not to allow a repeat of the earlier game.

The boys didn't disappoint as Matt and Nick added two more goals in the second half and turned it into a rout. Brian and Liam played tough in goal and ensured the shutout for a 6-0 victory. It was exactly the kind of display we knew the Knights were capable of when they executed their passes and runs without the ball. All in all, it was a positive day and we're looking forward to our final game tomorrow against GAK Chaos.

The Knights played a previously undefeated team from Watchung Hills who had played together for 3 years before facing the Knights from WWPSA. While the Knights jumped out to an early 1-0 lead on a shot from Nick, a soft goal in the 2nd half tied it up and a highly-competitive contest ended with the score knotted at 1 apiece.

The game could have been VERY different, as Kyle (2) and Sarang (1) both missed close shots that could have turned it into a rout. The boys are playing more and more aggressively, and repeatedly beat Watchung Hills to the ball, so we have high hopes heading into the Hamilton Arbey Hudson Tournament this coming weekend.

The Knights showed better team play today as they hosted East Brunswick at Schalks Meadow Park in Plainsboro, ending in a 2-2 tie. Whenever the Knights played as a team, they were able to move the ball against EB, resulting in 2 goals by Kyle, the second a beautiful display of ball movement as 4 players touched the ball, landing it right at Kyle's feet for a crisp shot above the EB keeper. He narrowly missed a hat trick as he took a free kick from Matt in the air during the second half and just missed the one-timer wide right.

The Knights were able to meet a pre-game goal of giving up only 3 shots the entire game; however 2 were goals, including the equalizer with just 5 minutes to go. Even though the Knights played uphill in the 2nd half, they produced some solid ball movement and had several opportunities to add to their total but strong defensive play from EB and positioning by their keeper prevented the Knights from taking the lead.

Training for this week will continue to build their passing and ball-handling skills, as well as introduce the defensive training principles of 1st defender, 2nd defender and pressure.

Our WWPSA Knights showed their inexperience and unfamiliarity with new teammates as they let an equally-skilled Woodbridge team defeat them on their home field, 4-1. The Knights applied consistent pressure, starting early with a goal from Michael, assisted by Brendan and John, but couldn't find the net again despite their efforts.

The boys need to improve their conditioning, aggressiveness, positioning and trust in each other if they hope to change their fortunes during their next game at home against East Brunswick on Sunday, September 23.

The WWPSA Knights ended their South Brunswick invitational with a strong morning but came up with an empty gas tank in the afternoon game. The Knights defeated a strong team from Hazlet 3-2, then lost to a tough South Brunswick team 3-0 that was a lot closer than the score indicated. The Knights had possession often but couldn't get quality shots on net.

With conditioning and experience, we're sure they'll improve and learn to play together.