For the better part of the last 2 decades, Manchester’s varsity boys soccer program has not found a great amount of success. As a matter of fact, since 2010, the Hawks had a losing record every year until 2019, and earned their first winning record of the decade in 2020, the same year in which they earned the programs first ever sectional title. Since their massive turnaround in 2019, the boys soccer program has had their eyes set on one thing: a Class B South division title. A few very talented teams have come up just short, including the team in 2019 that sparked the program turnaround who came up 1 game shy. On Thursday night, however, the Hawks were finally able to get over the hump and clinch a divisional title.
The Hawks began their division title campaign on the first day of school with a hard fought 2-0 win over Brick Township in the brutal heat. Next week they traveled to Lakewood, a tough opponent year in and year out, where they would come back home with a 4-3 win in overtime. 6 days later the boys would blank Barnegat 2-0. After starting 3-0 in the division, the Hawks had their eyes on Lacey, who they have not beaten since 2019. They would unfortunately go on to lose 5-0 in heartbreaking fashion. They would not let this defeat bring them down, however, and had their eyes set on the next biggest game: Point Pleasant Borough. The Hawks would beat the Panthers 4-2 in a thriller and now controlled their own destiny in regards to a division championship. A 2-0 road win vs Pinelands would leave the Hawks set to play vs Donovan Catholic for a division title on their senior night, at home Thursday evening.
The boys unfortunately went down to Donovan early on in the 10th minute, but fired right back with star senior Joey Kurak converting a penalty in the 14th after getting tripped up in the box. 12 minutes later, sophomore Josh Rosado would cross a ball to the back post, where he found junior Cody Mcleod to volley it home. With a 2-1 lead at halftime, the Hawks were 40 minutes away from their first division title in 21 years. Midway through the second half, junior Gabe Occhipinti found the head of senior Jan Tracz on a corner kick, and Tracz headed it home. Occhipinti would later record his second assist of the match, as he laid it off to Joey Kurak who would slot the ball into the bottom corner and give Manchester the final insurance goal in their division championship game.
Throughout their run to a B-South title, the Hawk’s standout forward, Joey Kurak could not be stopped. Kurak recorded 11 goals and an assist throughout divisional play, including a hat trick vs Point Pleasant Borough which was arguably the most important game of the Hawks run. Gabe Occhipinti also recorded a goal and 6 assists vs division opponents. Junior goalie Noah Cundiff shut things down in goal with 50 saves throughout the Hawks division run.
