It may be the first time in its history that Yeshivat Noam has fielded a boys soccer team, but this group of sixth, seventh and eighth graders are playing like a bunch of seasoned veterans.
Under the tutelage of coaches Benjamin Book and Ehud Adler, both of whom are Yeshivat Noam graduates, the Noam boys soccer team is having an inaugural season for the ages. They began the season with a perfect 6-0, grabbing wins over Yavneh, Kushner, Ben Porat Yosef and Hillel. The Noam boys soccer team went on a remarkable run as they outscored their opponents by a combined score of 30-0.
During that incredible stretch, they benefitted from the outstanding play of goalkeeper Avraham Kahan, who has quickly proven to be among the elite goalies in the league. Spectacular play from the starters Yonadav Rimberg, Natan Neugroschl, Dylan Breen and Natan Rifkind, and from the second line of Yechiel Keiser, Joe Baron, Ozzie Jeselsohn and Zachary Wolf, helped propel the team to its historic start. Key contributions were also made by Noam Troodler, Yonatan Naor, Daniel Dresdner, Eitan Weisrose, Uli Weisrose, Ehud Meir and backup goalie Jake Rothenberg.
On Tuesday night, May 19, the Noam boys soccer team welcomed a formidable Moriah team into their home gym in Paramus. It was evident from the outset that it was going to be a highly competitive contest. The game was scoreless throughout most of the first period, until Moriah struck first. Noam came back to tie the game at 1-1 when Yonadav Rimberg scored off an assist from Natan Neugroschl with just 16 seconds left in the first period. After a scoreless 2nd, which featured terrific play from Noam goalie Avraham Kahan and Moriah goalie Jake Fromen, the two teams entered the locker room at halftime with the score knotted at 1 goal apiece.
The third period featured some superb play by Moriah, led by Benny Matheson and Zali Tollinsky. With 6:34 left in the 3rd, Moriah’s goalie got the ball to Matheson who put in it in the net with a nice header to give Moriah a 2-1 lead. Moriah went on to score twice more and extend its lead to 4-1.
Despite facing a 3-goal deficit, the Noam boys were not ready to go down without a fight. With just 18 seconds left in the third period, Yechiel Keiser scored for Noam, and then again off an assist from Joe Baron with 3:24 left in the 4th, trimming the Moriah lead to 4-3. But with solid play by the Moriah defense and stellar goalkeeping by Fromen, Moriah prevailed with a 4-3 win.
Just two nights after its first loss of the season, Noam traveled to Yavneh and bounced back with a big 7-1 win. Holding a record of 7-1, Noam remains atop the standings in first place. Utilizing its high-powered offense, strong defense and extraordinary goalkeeping, the Noam boys soccer team is going to be a force to be reckoned with as it prepares for its playoff run.
By N. Aaron Troodler
