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Boca Teams Fall Short In MSSL Cups
 | | The Jersey Shore Boca women and men both made league history this season. |
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FT. DIX - The Jersey Shore Boca U23 men's and women's teams both fell short in the finals of the 2007 Mid-Atlantic Summer Showcase League (MSSL) Cup Championships on the grounds of Ft. Dix, but not before scoring some big-game upsets and making league history along the way.
The Jersey Shore Boca men and women become the first teams in MSSL league history to advance to both the men's and women's final game of the MSSL Cup Championships during the same season from the same soccer club.
The Boca women dropped a 1-0 heartbreaker to the Middlepath Soccer Club from New York in the U23 women's championship game while the Boca men fell 2-0 to AC Perugia from Eastern Pennsylvania in the U23 men's championship match. In their first preliminary-round game, the Boca women pulled-off one of the biggest upsets of the afternoon, knocking-off the highly favored NJ Wildcats 1-0 on a goal by Brick Memorial alum Jessica Fuccello assisted by Lakewood's Erin Cunliffe. Cunliffe, who tallied five goals and two assists in 16 games last year, found Fuccello streaking down the right side with three minutes remaining to play in the first half. Fuccello collected the ball at her feet and buried her shot to the near post past the Wildcats keeper for the game winner. The NJ Wildcats squad is also a member of the United Soccer League's W-League.
In their second game of the day, the Boca women recorded a 0-0 tie against the Eastchester Patriots (NY), giving them three overall points during the initial MSSL Cup rounds and advancing them to the women's championships. Emily Wagner, a 2004 Brick HS graduate, was nothing less than exceptional between the pipes for Boca, allowing just one goal in three games while recording two shutouts in Boca's championship run.
On the men's side, Boca started the day with a 2-0 win in preliminary-round action against the NJ Rangers on goals from former Toms River North standouts Mark Schmiegel in the 17th minute and Jay Mancuso in the 55th minute. Jeremy Zahn of Manchester Township assisted on Schmiegel's goal with a cross from the left side while Schmiegel assisted Mancuso on a service from the right side to the far post. The Boca men then recorded their own upset of the afternoon, playing last year's MSSL Cup Champions and this year's favorite selection West Chester United (PA) to a scoreless draw in their second match of the day giving the Boca men three overall points during the MSSL Cup preliminary-rounds and advancing them into league history and the men's championship match. Recent Lakewood graduate Charlie Cunliffe led Boca in the net for the U23 men, allowing only two goals on the day while recording two shutouts in three games. Cunliffe will vie for time between the pipes this September as a freshman joining Boca U23 teammate Andrew Finger, when he begins his college career at Rowan University.
For more information about the Boca U23 teams and all other the Jersey Shore Boca programs, logon to the club's official Web site at www.jerseyshoreboca. com.
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