On the last day of the regular season, the Storm Varsity soccer team clashed with the Kushner Cobras. TABC was trying to avenge its only loss of the season suffered several weeks earlier. More importantly, the first place in the NJ division and the overall playoff seeding was at stake.

TABC started the game by applying relentless pressure on Kushner. Three minutes into the

game Dani Kilmnick opened the score after executing a picture perfect “give-and-go” with Edud Adler. Several minutes later, Matan Meir doubled the score, and shortly afterwards Dov Muller beat two Kushner defenders deep in the left corner of the field and placed a perfect shot in the

bottom right corner of the net. The first quarter ended with TABC leading 3-0.

Early in the second quarter, Ben Shelling increased TABC’s lead after a scramble in front of the Kushner net. But the Cobras didn’t panic. They called a timeout, regrouped, tightened their defense, and began to apply relentless pressure on TABC. The Storm’s goalie, Michael Feuerstein, was forced to make a number of very hard saves, some of them from point blank shots, to keep Kushner off the board. But despite Michael’s heroics, Kushner finally scored itsfirst goal, and with just 11 seconds remaining in the first half pulled to within 2 goals. The teams went to their locker rooms with the Storm leading 4-2.

In the second half both teams continued to play aggressive, attacking style. Both teams hit the posts and cross bar on several occasions, and both goalies played very solid. Midway through the third quarter, Ehud Adler cut across the field and using Kushner’s defender as a shield, unleashed a powerful shot in the bottom right corner of the net, increasing TABC’s lead back to 3 goals. But then, in the fourth quarter, Kushner’s captain scored a similar goal, again pulling Kushner within 2 goals. With lots of time remaining in the game, TABC’s assistant coach Micah White decided to continue playing the attacking style, rather than protecting the lead. The strategy quickly paid off when one Kushner defender scored after another scramble in front of their net. But with just under four minutes remaining in the game, Kushner again cut the lead to 2 goals.

With little time remaining, Kushner sent the entire team on the attack trying to equalize the score. But TABC continued to play organized defense, led by Jared Breen, Ben Book, Yishai Kaplan, and Yoni Shcwartz and not allowing any more shots on the net. They even mounted occasional counterattacks. Just like he did throughout the entire game, Noah Hiller was all over the field disrupting Kushner’s play again and again. With 30 seconds remaining in the game, Dov Muller intercepted the ball in the Cougar’s zone and scored the final goal of this very exciting game. The final score TABC 7 – Kushner 4.

With the victory, TABC won the NJ Division for the second year in a row—the first time in its history. Both teams, as well as the Frisch Cougars, have made the playoffs. TABC will now play the DRS Wild Cats at home in the first round of the playoffs.

By Sam Shteingart