Blaze Earn First Victory of Season

The New Jersey Blaze men's and women's teams found themselves on either side of a 4-1 match result last week. While the ladies would fall away to Millburn Magic, the men would grab their first victory on home turf against the Pocono Snow - a team they took four points from last season.

Down 1-0 at the half after a goal from Chris Scharff on 21 minutes, the Blaze were unable to convert a number of chances and missed a penalty. Coach Rob Napier explained: "We should have had the game sewn up in the first half with the chances we had so it was a matter of having better composure in front of goal for the second half. "

As a result, heads did not hang low and the Blaze pushed forward from the whistle.

Dragan Naumoski, looking to recoup losses after missing the spot kick, fired home on 55 minutes, followed shortly by Marist's Troy Confessore on 60 minutes, turning the game on its head in just five minutes.

However, Coach Napier was hesitant to sit back. Knowing that the tide had firmly turned in the Blaze's favor, he pushed for another conversion to kill the game off. Adopting a more attacking style with tactical substitutions, the Blaze would have to wait until the dying minutes of the game to capitalize. After the Snow were reduced to ten men, it seemed like the Blaze's ambition to win would be unstoppable.

They would have to wait, however, until the 90th minute. Michael Lodge would power the ball into the back of the net, followed by a great finish from Albert Rivera on 92 minutes to truly kill the game off. There was a sigh of relief as the Blaze got their first three points of the season, after recent results had failed to highlight the team's stronger dynamic in the 2011.

"Getting the first win of the season is very pleasing and gives us a confidence boost going into Friday's game against Erie Admirals," said Napier. "When they went down to ten men, we needed to maintain our focus and discipline and play intelligently in order to find the spare player. Eventually, we were able to put the game out of reach and settle some nerves with two well- taken late goals."

Things did not go as well for the Blaze women, despite a particularly spirited performance from the first-year squad. The young team would ultimately be undone by a Magic squad who found their true form in the second half. The Blaze, who missed a penalty in the first half like their male counterparts, were given hope with a goal from Meghan Ledwith, tying the score in the 70th minute and reflecting the pressure the girls had put on the hosts for the most part of the first half.

However, the Magic would add three in quick succession to build on Katie McDonnell's opener in the first half. The first of the trio undoubtedly became a nominee for goal of the season for the home team, as Monmouth Hawk Kim Malecki curled an unstoppa- ble shot into the top corner two minutes after Ledwith's strike. A lucky rebound would see this score upped to 3-1 when Wesleyan's Laura Kurash's attempt from the left crept over the line. Former England international Kayleigh Hines would strike from 25 yards in a stunning solo effort to make it 4-1 at the close.

"We dominated most of the game, had most of the possession and created more goal-scoring opportunities," said Blaze co-head coach Erwin van Bennekom after the game. "The 4-1 loss does not reflect the game, but we should have been much more clinical on both ends of the field. There are some specifics we need to work hard on as a team, but both Rob Alman and myself are proud of the way we played yesterday and have seen a solid base to build on."

The New Jersey Blaze are members of the National Premier Soccer League and Women's Premier Soccer League, the highest levels of amateur soccer in the United States. They are part of the New Jersey Soccer Group, a management company for a family of soccer based organizations offering a full range of soccer services in New Jersey.

The next Blaze home game for the men's team will be on June 10 against FC Buffalo, while the women will play the NY Fury on June 11.  

For more information on the Blaze, click here.