Bryan Meredith at MLS Combine

If anything has typified Bryan Meredith’s career until now it has been his ability to ascend seamlessly to the next level of competition. From becoming the first freshman to start at goalie at Scotch Plains Fanwood to leading the nation in lowest goals against average at Monmouth University, Meredith has conquered every challenge in his path.
Having just completed his final year of college eligibility, Meredith now faces a gargantuan leap in upward mobility-a professional career. Meredith was one of only five college goalies chosen to the MLS combine which is a showcase for MLS prospects prior to the MLS draft.

The initial player list of 54 college seniors was chosen by a panel of Division I college coaches, representing all conferences, who nominated and voted for players in conjunction with MLS coaches. The players, plus those from the Generation Adidas Program, Division II and II schools, and NAIA schools, will be added in the coming weeks and will participate in the 2011 Adidas MLS Player Combine at Central Broward Regional Park in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Jan. 7-11. The Combine will separate all players into four teams and feature two games per day on Jan. 8, 10 and 11.

Although he did not play at one of the marquee names in NCAA soccer Meredith had some of his finest efforts against teams like UConn, West Virginia and Seton Hall and never lost to a Big East team during his career.

“It's always a plus to have a good record against teams from powerhouse conferences, especially when we are from a small league like the Northeast Conference” said Meredith, who led Monmouth to a 14-2-4 record this season and a top twenty ranking.

His college coach Rob McCourt a former professional player is confident that the 6’2 175 pound Meredith, who had 11 shutouts this season and 36 for his career, has the proper combination of talent and intelligence to ascend to the highest level.

“Bryan has the perfect size for a keeper and he is extremely quick. He also anticipates what the opponent wants to do and works very well with his defense” said McCourt, who added that perhaps Meredith’s finest skill is his overall soccer ability.

“Bryan was used in the field in high school and that is quite apparent when you see how accurate he is with his punts or goal kicks and how well he handles pass backs. Many of our best counterattacks over the last three years were started by Bryan” said McCourt.

Meredith’s high school coach Tom Breznitsky felt torn between moving Meredith out of a position he dominated to supplying the Raiders with needed offense.

“Bryan was so good with his feet and such an offensive threat that in certain games we thought he could help us more on offense. I had another good keeper and Bryan’s attitude and ability made the move easy,” said Breznitsky, who became aware of Meredith’s ability while in middle school.

“We had seen him play some club games and we had no experienced returning goalies so it was an easy decision to move him in as a freshman” recalled Breznitsky who had never started a freshman in the high pressure goalie position.

Meredith would respond immediately, not allowing a goal until his eighth game and took command of a veteran team, leading the Raiders to what would be the first of three straight section crowns. He was a four time selection to all county and was all state his senior year,

“He is the best goalie we have ever had at Scotch Plains and we have had many good ones but Bryan was great for four years” said Breznitsky.

“Bryan has made some saves at Monmouth that had to be seen to be believed and of course he stopped an all American (Mike Pezza of UConn) in a penalty kick shootout in an NCAA game (2009)” added McCourt.

“I am confident Bryan has everything needed to make it at the next level and will outwork everyone like he always has. He wants to totally master his position.”

For Meredith a superb athlete, who eschewed other sports for only soccer while in high school, the invite to the combine is the culmination of a lifelong dream fashioned from countless hours of practice with his PDA club and his school teams. A good student who will graduate with a communications degree, Meredith has no immediate plans to work a normal 9-to-5 occupation.

“It has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid to play professional soccer, so I am going to try everything I can to play professional soccer.”

Brez nears 600

From December 2010 Patch


If it had been one of those formula Disney sports movies, then the Scotch Plains Fanwood Boys soccer team would have won the Group 3 State final in dramatic fashion and carried their emotional coach off the field with his 600th career victory. But the Raiders’ Cinderella run through the state tournament ended in a sectional finals loss to Chatham and Breznitsky will return for a 37th season in 2011 four wins short of becoming the fourth coach in New Jersey history to reach the 600 mark. Ironically enough, in a season where the Raiders finished with a pedestrian 10-8-7 record, there were many that thought Breznitsky did one of his finest jobs taking a team that had only three experienced players and molding them into a squad that nearly won the county title before losing in overtime in the finals and then won three road games to make the section finals.

“It's hard to say if it was the best coaching job or not; the way it turned around was dramatic, but every year just as much work goes into the job. He is incredibly passionate about the program and spends all his time thinking about the team and what he can do to help improve it. He is without a doubt the most dedicated high school coach I have ever known,” said Joe Mortarulo a former player in the 1980s who has been an assistant coach the past 17 years.

(Note) The Newark Star Ledger named Breznitsky the Union county coach of the Year for 2010.

“This season I could not be happier for the boys. They did a great job all year and were an absolute pleasure to coach,” said Breznitsky, who added he is not motivated by career wins numbers but by the challenge and enjoyment of molding a new group of young men into a successful unit.

“I don't coach for the wins. I coach for the kids and because I enjoy it. 596 or 621 wins are just numbers. As for retiring I have no plans to do so,” said Breznitsky.

Breznitsky’s biggest challenge this season may have been getting his young team to believe that they were good enough to win.

“We had a very young and inexperienced team. We had been working so hard in the first half of the season, and each game we found a way to give away a positive result. We never took our eye off the next opponent. And that kept the entire group focused,” said Mortarulo.

It was September of 1975.when Breznitsky was coaching his first varsity soccer game. Amazing as it may seem today, Breznitsky thought he would only coach soccer until he could become head baseball coach, a sport he was much more knowledgeable about.

“I figured I would keep coaching junior varsity baseball and eventually take
over as head coach, but the coach never left,” said Breznitsky with a chuckle.

While seemingly as intense as ever, Breznitsky seems to have his imminent achievement in the right perspective.

“600 wins tells you have had some longevity and you’ve been lucky enough to have had some great players.”

It took Breznitsky some time to build the soccer program into the dynasty it is today. He credits an exceptional group of players led by three times all state player Lino DiCuollo, who Breznitsky considers his best player.

In addition to DiCuollo, who was a college All American at Rutgers, other key members of his first state finalist team in 1985 were such Scotch Plains legends as Victor and Alex Passucci as well as Mortarulo. In their first game of the 1985 season they made a major statement by winning 3-1 at Wall, one of the state’s top soccer powers, before a packed house.

“Coach told us that we had nothing to fear and we played with a lot of confidence,” recalled Mortarulo.

Although he was an exceptional talent, it was still considered a novelty when DiCuollo started as a freshman.

“He was ahead of his time. Nobody put freshmen on varsity at that time
but he was not afraid to play his best players not matter how old they were” said DiCuollo, who now works as a Player Personnel/International Business Director for Major League Soccer (MLS) in New York.

After playing professionally in Germany, DiCuollo enrolled in law school and practiced at the private law firm in Newark before being hired by Champions World. At SPF he was the first three-time member of the Star-Ledger All-State First Team and led his team to the 1987 Group III title.
DiCuollo was recognized as one of the nation’s premier forwards during his career at Rutgers. He was a 1989 All-America choice following a year where he was also named Atlantic 10 East Division Player of the Year. In his four years, he led Rutgers to a 71-15-8 record and three NCAA Tournament appearances. He stands third on the Rutgers career points list with 122, fourth on the goals scored list with 48 and fourth on the assist list with 26.

“We had a great time in high school and a big part of it was the coach letting us play and realizing that we could use our individual skills within a disciplined system. It is not surprising to see what the program has become over the last 25 years.” added DiCuollo.

The sophomore-dominated team would lose to West Deptford in the state finals. Breznitsky considers the 1986 team perhaps his best ever but that team was upset by Randolph in the sectional finals. Finally in 1987, Breznitsky broke through defeating Wall 4-0 for the first of his seven group championships. That team outscored its opposition by an astounding 120-6
and nine of the eleven starters wound up playing at Division I universities.

If DiCuollo is the number one player in SPF history then Todd Moser (1995-8) may be 1A. His most impressive feat was playing four consecutive Group III championship games losing only in the finals his sophomore year. As a freshman in 1995 the Raiders shared the title and won in 1997 and 1998. The 1998 team set a still standing school record of 24 wins. He was named all state junior and senior years and was voted the NJ State Player of the year. He was also voted as one of the top ten players of the 1990’s decade by the Star Ledger.

Like DiCuollo, Moser also went on to play college soccer at Rutgers from 99-03. He was team captain for three years and was voted All Big East and All American in 2001.

Moser currently work in logistics for Dotcom Distribution as a Sales Manager and also coach youth soccer at the Players Development Academy (PDA) in Zarepath, NJ. His wife, Amanda teaches at SPFHS and he is the father of a nine month old son.

“His pride in SPF soccer continues to resonate through generations of players. I attended a game recently and there were former players there to watch who had graduated over the past four decades, this is because of him and what he has built. When I was younger I watched my brother’s teams and dreamed of playing for the Raiders one day. 15-20 years later you still see younger kids as ball boys with that same dream. It’s called tradition and I do not see it or Coach Brez slowing down anytime soon,” said Moser who recalled a contentious relationship his senior year.

“He was pretty tough on me that year,” said Moser. “We had a very young team and he wanted me to set an example. He set the bar for me at a very high level and I wasn’t always able to reach it but it made me a better player and made us a better team,” said Moser, who vividly recalled a rousing halftime talk that Breznitsky gave in the 1997 finals with the Raiders trailing 1-0.

“We were losing and spirits were down. Guys who had played together for 10 years started questioning each other. Brez looked us in the eye and rallied us. We came out, scored two goals, and won the first state title outright since 92,” said Moser.

“Personally, I never had a coach in my entire career that, made sure I gave everything I could. He pushed me, not just physically but mentally too. Since I graduated SPFHS he has been there for me during the good and bad times, came to my wedding, and is now a good friend,” added Moser.

The new millennium could not slow the Raider soccer express. The 2000 season was the debut of Breznitsky’s son Ryan, who would be a three time all county player and a two time all state selection and followed DiCuollo and Moser to Rutgers.

Ryan’s’ final two games in 2003 were truly special, leading the Raiders to the section title in a melodramatic double overtime battle with Middletown South. It gave his father his eleventh section title and first since 1998, a major drought for Scotch Plains. In the state semi-finals against Ramapo, the younger Breznitsky scored two goals to lead the team back from a two-goal deficit in the second half only to lose in a dramatic penalty kick shootout.

“Coaching my son was a great treat. It was much better than people had said it was going to be,” said Breznitsky.

The younger Breznitsky not only survived the huge spotlight he was under but seemed to embrace it and thrived.

“It was fun, but also challenging. I was never given any special treatment by him during training or games. We both knew the microscope we were under and that made it competitive, which made it fun for me. I enjoyed the challenge of being the son of "Brez" and having to live up to the expectations,” said Ryan Breznitsky, who is following in his father’s footsteps, as an assistant coach at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT).

Ryan Breznitsky had a relatively simple college decision to make.

“Rutgers was where I was going to end up from the beginning I think. I had spoken with guys like Todd and Lino about it quite often and liked what they had to say. I had known Coach Reasso for a long time and knew that he was competitive and wanted to win like I did. Also being a "jersey guy" I wanted to stay close to home and be able to have my family and friends come to games,” added Ryan Breznitsky, who at the age of 24 already has two Division 1 coaching seasons behind him.

“As for my coaching, I don't know if it gives me a head start, but having my father be as successful a coach as he is gives me motivation to hopefully achieve that same success one day.”

Another key player on those teams was Michael Hessemer whose younger brother Brian would also make his mark in SPF history. Hessemer anchored the defense for three years and had an outstanding college career at Lehigh. After starting in several games as a freshmen and sophomore Hessemer was the captain and started every game his junior and senior years.

“Playing at Lehigh would not have been possible if it weren't for the time I spent playing for and learning from Coach Brez and Joe Mortarulo. Coach Brez knows how to push young high school athletes to reach their potential” said Hessemer.

Hessemer keeps active in soccer by coaching the U8-U10 teams at PDA and currently plays in the Garden State Soccer League on a Scotch Plains - Westfield - Cranford based team with many former Scotch Plains players. Hessemer has worked for the past three years at the Louis Berger Group, a Civil Engineering Consulting firm based in Morristown. Currently, he works in the New York office doing Construction Management for the World Trade Center.

The goalie on the 2003 section champions was freshman Bryan Meredith, who has just completed a remarkable career at Monmouth University and has a very good chance of playing professionally in the Major League Soccer (MLS). Breznitsky had never started a freshman in the high pressure goalie position but Breznitsky was able to look beyond Meredith’s youth and relied on what he saw on the field.

Meredith would not allow a goal until his eighth game and led the Raiders to three sectional titles including finals appearances in 2004 and 2005 and was a four time selection to all county and was all state his senior year, But Meredith was even better in college.

As a junior he led the nation in goals-against average, allowing .306 goals-per-game and stopped a penalty shot in an NCAA tournament victory over UConn. Meredith was just as good this year finishing with 11 shutouts and 36 for his career.

From the Passuccis to the Mosers to the Hessemers, Breznitsky has always been blessed with multiple players from the same family. Sophomore Andrew Leischner, who calmly scored twice in a penalty kick shootout victory in the county semi finals this year, is the third member of his family to play for Breznitsky. Freshman Christian Zazzali, who showed flashes of brilliance, is the second family member joining his older brother Ed who graduated in 2004. Their father Ed played on for Breznitsky on the 1974 Junior Varsity baseball team and was a member of his first soccer team. Zazzali has a unique perspective on his and his son’s coach.

“I guarantee the baseball program would have had all the accolades if Brez had coached baseball. Kids and Parents come and go, but the expectations remain very high, and Brez wants it that way. “

Common County Bonds

It would be difficult to find two high schools more diverse than Elizabeth and Oak Knoll but the behemoth urban school with the state’s largest enrollment and the tiny private school in bucolic Summit are all that stand in the way of Scotch Plains Fanwood’s soccer teams of sweeping the Union County boys and girls titles this weekend.

Except for the names on their jerseys the Raider teams share little in common when it comes to the county tournament. The boys will be making their ninth straight appearance in the finals and have won four of the last five years. The girls, despite losing only ten games the past three years had not made it past the second round of the tournament the past two years.

But all that changed on a cold windy day at Union when Coach Kevin Ewing’s team held off a determined Arthur Johnson team 1-0 and now with the boys stand one win any way from Scotch Plains joining Westfield as the only schools to win both titles in the same years. The Raiders have some catching up to do as the Blue Devils have turned the trick an impressive seven times.

The season could have not opened more differently for the two teams. While the boys vaulted right to the top of the state rankings by impressively winning at Delbarton, the state’s number one team last fall, the girls were ambushed by an aggressive Westfield team 3-1. That loss, coupled with a brutal early season schedule left the girls reeling at 0-3-1, before they turned things around with tough victories against Union Catholic and Kearny.

In recent weeks, the team has played its best soccer of the fall, having an unbeaten streak of eight games marred only by a tie with Westfield. The Blue Devils had earlier annexed the Watchung Conference back from the Raiders after two straight Scotch Plains titles.

Twice in the county tournament the girls lost the possibility of revenging their two previous year tourney losses when Governor Livingston (2003) and Rahway (2004) were defeated. The Raiders had lost to those two teams as the second and first seed respectively but for the girls it is more important to win the tournament than seek revenge.

The losses the past two years gave the impression that the Raiders were snake bit. In 2003 they had to face lower seeded Governor Livingston on its home field and lost a 1-0 heartbreaker. Last year as a top seed, facing upstart Rahway they dominated the game but held only a 1-0 lead when Rahway tied the game on a stunning direct kick. The Raiders never recovered and lost in overtime. Now after those two disappointments 2005 finds a mature team that may finally know what it takes to win the tournament.

It has not been all smooth sailing for the boy’s team either. A rash of injuries and inconsistent offense has forced veteran coach Tom Breznitsky to take his two times all county goalie Bryan Meredith and move him to offense, relying on previously inexperienced senior Marc Stiffler to man the important goal keeping duties.

The boys have also had their difficulties with rival Westfield, having split a pair of 2-1 overtime decisions. Last Wednesday, Westfield beat the Raiders for the first time in eleven years. But it’s the Raiders and not Westfield that are in the county finals, facing an explosive Elizabeth team that ruined a possible all Scotch Plains final by handing Union Catholic its first loss of the season.

Two very different teams, one with a youthful coach, one with one of the state’s legends.
One team that expects to be in the finals the other glad it finally found the secret to clearing the hurdle. Tomorrow they convene in the same place to play each end of a doubleheader that could bring all the county tournament trophies to the same display case.

Raider Fans

Amid the grayness of one of the shortest days of the year, there was a bright glow to the Scotch Plains Fanwood High School parking lot
in the late afternoon on the Friday before Thanksgiving. It not only came from a cadre of school buses that would provide transportation but from the unbridled enthusiasm of students, parents and Raider fans who were preparing to split off in southern and northern directions to watch two Scotch Plains teams in search of playoff glory. Young boys in their Pal football jerseys played catch with each other while giggling girls in their soccer jerseys gabbed on their cell phones waiting for the buses to leave.

For many town residents, it was a difficult choice, for many it was an obvious decision but considering the circumstances it was an impressive showing of school pride and spirit. Although this writer would rather of watched the soccer team complete its incredible season against Wall at The College of New Jersey, I chose the football game at West Morris Central, because I was helping to load the band equipment and to watch my daughter perform in color guard. Another Scotch Plains parent had the choice between watching his son play the same tunes in the band he had heard dozens of times or watch his nephew play soccer. He opted for the band after prodding from his wife.

Earlier in the season it had appeared very likely that this would be a night free from Raider athletics. The football team struggled mightily and barely squeaked into the playoffs. Decided underdogs at second seeded Warren Hills, the Raiders exploded with their best performance of the season to score a stunning 21-0 victory. The soccer team started 1-2, but caught fire and won seventeen straight games, including a 1-0 victory on what was essentially Ramapo’s home field in the semi-finals Monday night.

There was a good amount of history surrounding both match-ups. The Raiders had twice beaten Wall in the state finals and had already taken care of Wall neighbor, Middletown South in the sectional finals the week before. The football team had never beaten West Morris, losing all three playoff games, prompting the saying “West Morris is where Scotch Plains goes to end its season.”

There was only one other high school in the state that had the dilemma Friday night and ironically enough it was the Raiders’ Group III soccer opponent, Wall, which would win both of its games. The games would start an hour apart, with the soccer game starting at 6 pm. everyone it seemed had somebody who would provide updates.

We arrived at a virtually empty West Morris football stadium at 5:30. It would eventually fill up but rush hour traffic would keep the Raider fan buses from arriving until right about game time. Meanwhile down at Ewing, the fan bus was fighting similar traffic.

As we got ready to watch the start of the game, my cell phone rang and the shocking news from Ewing arrived. Not only were the Raiders trailing at halftime but they had yielded two goals, as many as they had given in up in the past seventeen games. Not to worry, the caller said, we were down at West Orange 2-1 and came back with three unanswered goals. I spread the news to the Raider fans, some of who knew already and there was a look of shock but most firmly believed that the soccer team would prevail.

The start of the football game did nothing to pick up our spirits as West Morris quickly pounced on the Raiders’ weakness for giving up long plays and ran the first play from scrimmage 85 yards for a quick 7-0 lead. Scotch Plains would march smartly down the field on a time consuming drive to tie the score. We were hoping that it was a good omen for our soccer brethren fifty miles to the south. I kept looking at the cell phone wondering when the happy news of a Group III championship would arrive. As the clock said 7:40, I could wait no longer..

“One hundred Scotch Plains fans are breathlessly waiting for an update ,” I said breathlessly as the band noise and the crowd on his end made the connection barely audible. “I said please tell me 3-2 Raiders “ but he returned “I can barely hear you but it’s 4-1.”

Bad news spreads quickly and in minutes everyone knew that it was up to the football team to save the night. The first half ended badly as West Morris added a third touchdown in the final thirty seconds of the half to take an imposing 21-7 lead.

The Raiders fought hard to the very end, cutting a 28-7 lead to a touchdown but their last chance at recovering an onside kick failed and the old saying rang true once again.

Like they had done an hour before in Ewing, the buses loaded the Scotch Plains faithful for an unhappy ride home.

Terrence Charles (2004)

Anybody who has spoken to veteran Scotch Plains Fanwood soccer coach Tom Breznitsky knows that he is not prone to using superlatives. But Breznitsky, who recently became the fifth coach to have won over 500 games, has no hesitation putting his current sweeper, senior Terrence Charles in the stratosphere of his pantheon of his brightest stars.

“Terrence is as good as we’ve ever had back there,” said Breznitsky.
“He probably has the fastest first three steps of anyone I ever coached. There is no player we’ve faced that Terrence hasn’t been able to stay with.”

That quickness and speed, accomplished with an effortless grace makes Charles an easy player to overlook when watching the Raiders play. Sweepers, like offensive linemen in football, are often most successful when least noticed.

But the player who benefits most from Charles’ defensive play, Goalie Bryan Meredith notices and appreciates who plays in front of him. “He is a great player to have in front of you” said Meredith, who like Charles, was first team All Union county last year.

“Terrence is almost never out of position and stops a lot of hard shots before they ever reach me,” added Meredith. And the feeling is mutual.

“Playing in front of Bryan is great. I have the confidence in my goalie to know
that if I make a mistake he can cover for me right away. Having confidence in
your goalie is probably the most important aspect of playing in the back. You
need to know that at any point in time he will be there to support you and make
the right decision,” said Charles.

Born in Trinidad and Tobago Charles moved to America before he turned one and lived in Plainfield for the first 8 years of his life before moving to Scotch Plains

After lettering as a freshman, Charles has been a fixture in the starting lineup for the past three years. As a sophomore he played midfield before moving back to sweeper last year where he joined with senior Michael Hessemer, another All Union County player to form the backbone of a defense that produced 15 shutouts.

“ Now that I’m a senior I feel that I need to take more of a leadership role on the team. A lot of the younger players look up to not only myself but also the other seniors on the team. We feel that we need to show them and teach them what the Scotch Plains-Fanwood soccer tradition is all about, “ said Charles.

In addition to Meredith, Charles is joined by four other senior returning starters, Greg Leischner, Billy Albizati, Sean McNelis and Casey Hoynes-O’Connor, and juniors Jeff Bell and Joe Jacobi, who have helped meld a young team into another Raider powerhouse, currently enjoying a sixteen game winning streak, allowing only one goal and have given up only eight goals with seventeen shutouts.

Although all free kicks were taken the past three years by two time first team all state star Ryan Breznitsky, Charles proved in the most pressure packed games of last season that he was adept at making penalty kicks. In the sectional final against Middletown South, Charles made his kick as the Raiders won 4-2, Tom Breznitsky’s eleventh sectional title. In the state semifinal round against Ramapo, Charles connected again but the Raiders lost the shootout 5-4. Charles has converted all three of his penalty kicks this season

“I’ve been taking penalty kicks since I was a little kid. I would go outside
and practice them with my father. So coming to high school and taking penalty
kicks really weren’t too hard of a task. I was pretty nervous before I took
both of those kicks because of all of the hype of the games, but as soon as I
walked up to the spot all of the tension went away,” said Charles.

Although he is known for his defense, Charles has played every position including goalie.” I’ve done just about everything. I prefer to play defense because it allows you to defend or mark someone, and at any point in time be allowed to attack without the other team realizing it.”

In Breznitsky’s 500th victory at Cranford on October 20, Charles displayed his versatility as he helped the Raiders withstand the absence of center midfielder Casey Hoynes-O’Connor and lineman Sean Young by moving to an offensive midfield position at times. On several occasions Charles took a loose ball in the defensive end and using his explosive speed advanced the ball into the offensive end. When Cranford counterattacked Charles quickly recovered into a defensive position. In Saturday’s second round Union County Tournament game Charles filled in at Hoynes-O’Connor’s position and scored a goal in the second half in the Raiders’ 4-0 victory. A victory over Elizabeth tomorrow puts them in their eighth straight final.
“I have a lot of confidence in his decision making. He is like having another coach on the field ,” said Breznitsky.

Many top soccer colleges are anxious for Charles’ services including University of Connecticut, North Carolina State University, Ohio State University, and Seton Hall University. But for Charles there is much work to do and feels honored to be one of the captains at Breznitsky’s 500th victory.

“I enjoy playing for Brez. He is an accomplished coach and knows what he’s
doing. I feel that he is not only a good coach but also a good motivator. He finds a way to get the most out of his players and that is why he has been so
successful over the years, “ said Charles.

“Being the captain of the team that wins his 500th is a great honor. Hopefully along with his 500th win we can bring him a state championship.”

The Seniors (2004)

They have been playing together for almost a decade and their homes are bursting at the seams with trophies won from almost every conceivable competition. Their uniform numbers are almost consecutive 8,10,11,12 and 13 and if you understand the recent history of Scotch Plains Fanwood soccer it is apparent why number nine was skipped. (See below for explanation)

The five senior starters of Scotch Plains Fanwood High School soccer team, striker Sean McNelis, center midfielder Casey Hoynes-O’Connor, stopper Greg Leischner, midfielder Billy Albizati and sweeper Terrence Charles have all started a minimum of two years, and all have at least three varsity letters

Their efforts plus that of the four other seniors AJ Appezzatto, Chris Annese, Chris Heuther and Stefano Gaetano melded with a strong junior class, sophomore goalkeeper Bryan Meredith and a precocious group of six freshmen to make the Raiders one of the hottest teams in the state, with sixteen straight victories including fourteen shutouts which ended with a 23-4 record and a 4-1 loss to Wall in the Group III finals.

McNelis saved much of his heroics for the biggest games, including the state semi-finals when his goal with sixteen minutes left edged Ramapo 1-0. In the Union County Tournament finals against Union, McNelis took Leischner’s perfect cross to score the only goal of the game with 19 minutes left. The day before in the opening round of the State Group III tournament against North Hunterdon, McNelis had converted a pass from Albizati for the only goal.

“He’s a four year starter and a gamer. He just has a nose for the goal,” said Coach Tom Breznitsky of McNelis.

When Breznitsky won his 500th game on October 20 in Cranford, it was appropriately enough Leischner who scored the winning goal and assisted on the clincher by Heuther in a 2-0 victory.

“ It was cool scoring the winning goal on such a big day, “ said Leischner.
“It meant a lot to us to contribute to his 500th victory.”

“This is a very talented bunch of kids. They all bring a lot of skills to the table and it helps that they’ve played with each other for such a long time,” said Breznitsky.
“Greg can help us in a number of positions. He kicks well with both feet and knows his role. Sean has been a great player for us. We asked him to move around a lot this year and he has been a great asset wherever he has played. Billy has a great understanding of his role as a center midfielder. He has been excellent all year taking corner kicks and direct kicks. Casey has excellent skill and great vision.”

Of Charles, a two time first team all Union County player, Breznitsky said “Terrence is quick as any player as I’ve ever had back there. He has a tremendous understanding of defense and his role.”

The seniors started playing together when they were nine years old on Scotch Plains Fanwood Sabers travel team coached by McNelis’ father, David.
“We learned the basics of the game, learned how to trust each other's game, and had a lot of fun,” recalled McNelis.
“ We played on various club teams over the years and eventually wound up all together again on the Morris United Mayhem club team and then the high school team,” said McNelis.

McNelis is not certain how the others got their numbers. “My Dad always wore number thirteen, so I asked wear it also. The
thing I am most proud of is that I am playing my fourth year of varsity soccer, and he is able to be there to watch me, and cheer on our victories.”

“Last year when myself, Greg and Terrence were three of the defenders we actually realized that our numbers were ten, eleven and twelve,” said Albizati.

“Before a few games when we would try and come together the three of us often said "right here 10 - 11 - 12" So it was something that we picked up on a few games into last season.”

“ When we were younger and all played on the Sabers, Terrance actually had number nine,” said Albizati.
“But once he got into high school he had to change his number because Ryan (Breznitsky, the coach’s son and a two time all state player) had it. My number before high school used to be seven so my number had to get changed once I made the team as well.”

Hoynes-O’Connor always wore number eight and Heuther always wore fourteen. Gaetano’s number on the Sabers was ten, meaning the numbers could actually go from seven to fourteen consecutively.

Albizati, Hoynes-O’Connor and Leischner were the only players to stay together on the Sabers from third through eighth grade although the others played most of those years.

“We all have been playing together a long time. so it is safe to say that we know exactly how one another plays. Once we got into high school and when the soccer started to become more serious and we started to have practice everyday we all started to become even closer not only on the field, but off the field,” said Albizati.

Albizati and Leischner have also had success in tennis, both playing doubles but not playing together. Albizati teamed with Jeremy Sanders to finish third in the county at first doubles.

Albizati notes that the Raiders have won four Watchung Conference championships, three Union County championships and one sectional championship, but there was one championship not won. “The state championship was the one we all wanted the most. but that is a very difficult thing to do,. You not only have to be good, but you have to be extremely lucky as well.” said Albizati.

Hoynes-O’Connor, Charles and Albizati were three of the shooters in two pressure packed penalty kick shootouts the Raiders
competed in against Middletown South and Ramapo in the sectional finals and state semifinals. In the 4-2 win against Middletown South both Hoynes-O’Connor and Charles made their shots. Albizati didn’t have to shoot. Against Ramapo all three connected but the Raiders lost 5-4. They were hoping that their final year ended up with a victory but it was not to be.
“Soccer has been a huge part of my life, my family's life, and it will be a little sad to have it end, ” said McNelis.

Brez 500

It was September of 1975. President Gerald Ford was trying to heal the nation from the scars of Watergate and a war that had polarized the two political parties. The Red Sox were on their way to breaking their fans’ hearts again in the World Series. And in Scotch Plains young Tom Breznitsky was coaching his first varsity soccer game.

Now fast forward twenty nine years. Red Sox fans are still having their hearts broken and the nation is divided as ever about another foreign war but
Breznitsky is still coaching and winning. If the team continues at its current
pace, he should reach his 500th victory before the end of this season, a feat
accomplished by only four other New Jersey high school soccer coaches.

Breznitsky took over from long time coach Al Formicella who was forced to
retire due to health problems. Amazing as it may seem today, Breznitsky thought he would only coach soccer until he could become head baseball coach, a sport he was much more knowledgeable about.

“I figured I would keep coaching junior varsity baseball and eventually take
over as head coach, but the coach never left,” said Breznitsky with a chuckle.

Although he would never become head coach Breznitsky fondly recalls his baseball tenure. “Those were good years on baseball. We had a lot of success and I experienced my first state championship in 1977.”

Breznitsky won the first soccer game, he ever coached, 5-0 over Roselle Catholic on four goals by senior Alphonse Checchio. Breznitsky remembers little about. that game. “It was a long time ago. It’s pretty fuzzy in my mind,” said Breznitsky.

Checchio would wind up with 31 goals that year and became the first of a pantheon of Raider players to gain All Union County and All State honors. Checchio, who lives around the corner from his coach has vivid memories of that first year when the Raiders were 10-5-2, one of Breznitsky’s lowest win totals.

“He didn’t have a clue how to coach and I didn’t have a clue how to play but we both wanted to win, so we put up with each other” said Checchio.

The most memorable win of that first season came in the Union County Tournament when the Raiders, who had snuck into the Union County Tournament as the eighth and final seed stunned top seed Governor Livingston 1-0 on their home field on a goal by Checchio off a pass from sophomore John Appezzato, who would become Breznitsky’s second big star, and was Union County Player of the Year in 1977.

Appezzato and another player on that first team Ed Zazzali both stayed in town and have had their sons grow up watching and then playing for the Raiders.

Zazzali had played for Breznitsky on the Junior Varsity baseball team and though he had never played soccer, figured he was a good enough athlete and had the fitness to play.

"Brez told me my job was to chase the player with the ball on the other team
and when I got it, to pass it Al Checchio and stay out of his way," recalled
Zazzali. His son Eddie played for Breznitsky from 2001-2003 and is now playing at Rowan University...

Appezzato’s son AJ, a senior on the 2004 Raiders, scored a key goal in one Scotch Plains Fanwood’s biggest wins of the year, a 4-2 road win at then number seven ranked West Orange.

“It’s very interesting playing for him after spending my early life watching them and then being a ball boy,” said the younger Appezzato.

Did his father give him any advice on playing for his old coach?
“He told me he yells a lot but he knows what he’s talking about so I should pay close attention.”

“It makes me feel old,” said Breznitsky when asked of the significance of
coaching the progeny of his former players. The younger Zazzali played three years on the varsity with Breznitsky’s son, Ryan, a two time first team all state player now at Rutgers. Ryan’s’ final two games in 2003 were truly special, leading the Raiders to the section title in a melodramatic double overtime battle with Middletown South. It gave his father his eleventh section title and first since 1998, a major drought for Scotch Plains. In the state semi-finals against Ramapo, the younger Breznitsky scored two goals to lead the team back from a two-goal deficit in the second half only to lose in a dramatic penalty kick shootout.

Despite the pressure of playing for his famous father, Ryan almost seemed to thrive on it. “He never let me get off easy. He probably pushed me harder than other players because of what he expected out of me.

“We knew we were both under the microscope because of who he was. Anytime I messed up would be big news, but we accepted that,” said Ryan Breznitsky.

“Coaching my son was a great treat. It was much better than people had said it was going to be,” said Breznitsky.

“We had a unique relationship. I miss him not being here.
Eddie Zazzali was also a joy to coach. He brought his father’s enthusiasm and a winning attitude.”

The elder Zazzali sees little change in Breznitsky's intensity from the coach he first met over 30 years ago.

"We had the young Brez who really wanted to be the Varsity Baseball Coach back then. I guarantee the baseball program would have had all the
accolades if Brez had coached baseball. Kids and Parents come and go, but the expectations remain very high, and Brez wants it that way."

It took Breznitsky some time to build the soccer program into the dynasty it is today. He credits an exceptional group of players led by three times all state player Lino DiCuollo, who Breznitsky considers his best player.
In addition to DiCuollo, who was a college All American at Rutgers, other key members of his first state finalist team in 1985 were such Scotch Plains legends as Vic and Alex Passucci as well as, current Raider assistant coach Joe Mortarulo. In their first game of the 1985 season they made a major statement by winning 3-1 at Wall, one of the state’s top soccer powers, before a packed house.

“Coach told us that we had nothing to fear and we played with a lot of confidence ,” recalled Mortarulo.

The sophomore-dominated team would lose to West Deptford in the state
finals. Breznitsky considers the 1986 team perhaps his best ever but that team was upset by Randolph in the sectional finals. Finally in 1987, Breznitsky broke through defeating Wall 4-0 for the first of his seven group championships. That team outscored its opposition by an astounding 120-6
and nine of the eleven starters wound up playing at Division I universities.

The Raiders in 1991-2 gave him his first back-to-back titles and in 1995-98,
led by Todd Moser, went to four straight state championship games winning three. Moser preceded Ryan Breznitsky to Rutgers, where he was a four year starter and co-captained the team his senior year. Although Moser was also a four-year starter for the Raiders and was co-captain his final two years, the two often had a contentious relationship, especially Moser’s senior year.

“He was pretty tough on me that year,” recalled Moser. “We had a very young team and he wanted me to set an example. He set the bar for me at a very high level and I wasn’t always able to reach it but it made me a better player and made us a better team.

“He’s mellowed out some since I graduated. He almost seems calm.”

After an uncharacteristically slow 1-2 start, the Raiders went on a six game
winning streak, before losing to Kearny 1-0. Five of the Raiders’ first ten
games were against team rated among the top fifteen in the state another
Breznitsky trait.

“Every year he tries to schedule everybody. He wants the team to be ready for the tournaments at the end of the year,” added Moser.

In addition to his state titles, Breznitsky’s teams have almost been unbeatable in the Union County tournament, having won four straight titles and 19 straight games, before being upset in the finals by Linden last year.

The long line of success has brought a legion of loyal former players. One of the traditions in Scotch Plains is for the seniors to hold pasta dinners before big games. “This has helped unify the teams throughout the years and is one of the reasons alumni to this day come back and helped Brez and the soccer program. He has taught us that we are all one - A Raider no matter what age ,” said John Appezzato.

“ If there is one thing Brez has taught us is that we are all in it for Scotch Plains Soccer no matter how old we are. We ,the former players, are always welcomed by him and I respect that, up to this date.”

When asked how much longer he will coach, Breznitsky hedges and says “Maybe another four or five years. You know when you’ve had enough... I may quit teaching first and keep coaching...”

When he’s not teaching on the soccer field, Breznitsky is teaching Basic Biology plus Anatomy and Physiology at Scotch Plains Fanwood High School.

“It is amazing how hard he still works, how much he prepares the team for anything that can happen. They are ready for any situation ,” said Mortarulo, who has assisted Breznitsky for the past nine years.

While seemingly as intense as ever Breznitsky seems to have his imminent achievement in the right perspective.
“500 wins tells you have had some longevity and you’ve been lucky enough to have had some great players.”

Delbarton 0-1

Delbarton and Scotch Plains-Fanwood, two teams used to playing meaningful games deep into November, opened the season on a brilliant late summer day with a classic struggle that neither team deserved to lose Ultimately the game came down to a fortunate bounce which Delbarton’s Mark Murphy converted from short range in the second sudden death overtime to give the Green Wave a 1-0 victory Friday at Scotch Plains.

“It’s a long time since we lost on opening day,” said Scotch Plains Fanwood coach Tom Breznitsky. “But I would rather lose a game like this in September than in November like Ramapo last year.” Breznitsky was referring to the final game of last season when the Raiders lost on penalty kicks after coming back from a two-goal deficit.

The loss for the Raiders was the first on its home field since a 1-0 setback to Chatham in 2000. It was also their first loss in an opener since 1996, when it also fell in overtime against Chatham, 4-3.

The opening loss blunted a superb effort by sophomore goalie Bryan Meredith who was both lucky and spectacular in an effort that showed he might even is better than when he burst upon the scene with 15 shutouts a year ago and was first team all Union County. In the first half Meredith batted away a hooking direct kick from Delbarton’s All State player Will Lee and was rescued when a Delbarton head ball hit the post.

In the final minute of regulation he stopped a point blank blast by Daniel DeGeorge with a hockey goalie like kick save. “It was a big scramble in front. I was fortunate to get my feet out there and get it,” said Meredith of his last minute save.

“Bryan is going to be a big time goalkeeper for many years to come,” said Breznitsky. “He took a goal away from them in each half.”

Delbarton, especially Lee, put continuous pressure on Meredith with several high shots into a very tough sun but Meredith caught everything.
“It was very hard looking into the sun but it’s something you get used to as a goalie,” said Meredith.

After generating few scoring chances in the first half the Raiders awoke in the second half. Some long throw-ins by junior defenseman Jeff Bell and direct kicks by defensive midfielder Billy Albizati were almost converted into goals by Sean Young and Sean McNelis. AJ Appezzatto also came close to scoring on several occasions, including a blistering shot that just tailed wide in the second half.

Hurting the Raiders’ cause was an injury to starting midfielder Casey Hoynes-O’Connor who hadn’t practiced in three weeks with a sprained deltoid ligament in his left ankle and reinjured it 20 minutes into the game and never returned.

Without their main distributor and passer the Raiders moved freshman Brian Hessemer to midfield and despite playing his first varsity game, Hessemer showed much of the same abilities of his older brother, Mike, an all state player who graduated last year.

Also providing a spark was another freshman, forward Jarek Cohen, who was given the number (nine) of Breznitsky’s son, Ryan a two-time all state player who also graduated last spring.

“I’m very pleased to have two freshmen come in and play at this intensity level in their first game, “ said Breznitsky.

“Our big time players Terrence Charles and Bryan rose to the challenge today,” said Breznitsky.

But the coach was not pleased with his team’s lack of offense. “We have to do better than we played today,” said Breznitsky. “We had some good chances but we didn’t finish very well.”

Breznitsky, while disappointed was philosophical. “Overtime game, ball bounces funny, they kick it in. We’ve won a lot of games like that over the years. It’s tough to lose like that. “

2004 Preview

When you have the consistent success that Tom Breznitsky has enjoyed at Scotch Plains Fanwood there are certain trappings that come with the territory. Among them are sky-high expectations that often result from being the benchmark program everybody wants
to beat.

Breznitsky awoke this past Sunday to find the state’s largest newspaper picking his team to win the Group 3 soccer title something that didn’t seem to phase the coach who starts his thirtieth season today when the Raiders host Morris County prep power Delbarton.

“They had to pick somebody to win and they figured we have a lot of quality people back
and we’re usually pretty good ,” said Breznitsky.

What most concerns the coach is the health of senior center midfielder Casey Hoynes-O’Connor, who suffered a sprained deltoid ligament in his left ankle during the first team practice on August 23.. With youthful enthusiasm and quick recuperation Hoynes-O’Connor was more certain than Breznitsky of being healthy for the opener.

“I will definitely play. It’s been feeling better every day” said Hoynes-O’Connor.

“He’s a very important part of our team,” said Breznitsky.

“He’s our field general in midfield and without him we have to do a lot of shuffling around .” Even without Hoynes-O’Connor the Raiders won their most recent preseason tune-up at Princeton 3-0. Hoynes-O’Connor has some huge shoes to fill, those of Breznitsky’s son Ryan, a two time all state and two time Union County player of the year who is now playing at Rutgers.

Hoynes-O’Connor heads up a strong midfield in the Raiders 3-5-2 alignment. He is joined by returning starters Greg Leischner, like Hoynes-O’Connor a third team all Union County selection a year ago, and returning starter Billy Albizati. . The offensive midfielders are seniors Sean McNelis,another third team all-county player and AJ Appezzatto, who is on the varsity for the third year.

The defense is solid up the middle with two first team all-county players, senior tri-captain Terrence Charles has started four years, the last two as center sweeperback. The outside defensive positions are manned by juniors Joe Jacobi and returning starter Jeff Bell who also take most throw ins. The Raiders lost an incredible throw in weapon when three-year starter Ed Zazzali graduated. Zazzali was also a second team all Union County player who had a knack for scoring big goals and now plays for Rowan University.

The other all-county selection is Union County freshman of the year, Bryan Meredith, who burst upon the scene with 15 shutouts and was even more impressive in the biggest games of the year. He may be most remembered for stopping a penalty shot by Middletown South’s Tom Gray that led the Raiders to a heart stopping 2-1 victory that gave Breznitsky his eleventh sectional title.

Offensively the Raiders will start two new players after losing talented Josh Kay to graduation. Sean Young who at 6-3 can win many high balls in the penalty box and has been one of the most improved players. Freshman Jarek Cohen has impressed Breznitsky with speed and savvy and is one of three outstanding freshman that will get significant playing time.

Another newcomer is Brian Hessemer, whose older brother Mike was a three year starter
and an all county and all state player last year and now plays for Lehigh University. Hessemer, Meredith and another talented freshman Robert Cunningham are all teammates on the Players Development Academy(PDA) Socrates team that has won four consecutive state titles.

Hessemer has filled in at midfield while Hoynes-O’Connor has been out and Cunningham will see time at defensive midfield. Two other players that add depth and experience are junior Anthony Baliatio and Matt Fleisser, whose older brother Rick played goalie before Meredith.

While the starting lineup is talented and experienced, Breznitsky worries about depth.
“We have enough when everybody’s healthy but we can’t afford too many injuries.”

As usual, Breznitsky has loaded the schedule with outstanding non-conference opponents. While finally dropping national prep power St. Benedicts, Breznitsky has replaced them with Delbarton, which ended their 169 game state unbeaten streak last year and wound up second in the state last year. Delbarton returns an impressive cast led
Will Lee, a first team all state selection a year ago and a teammate on Hoynes-O’Connor’s club team.

“Will Lee is as good as advertised ,” said Hoynes O’Connor.

In addition the Raiders travel to Bridgewater Raritan(BR),eighth in the state last year and a group IV finalist and West Orange eleventh and a group IV section champion. BR is sure to want to avenge its first loss last year, 1-0 to the Raiders. Another revenge minded team will be conference rival Kearny that also lost its first at home to the also undefeated Raiders in a 1-0 classic.

There are also home and home encounters with conference rivals Cranford,Westfield and Linden, the latter who avenged two regular season defeats by upsetting the Raiders 1-0 in the county finals.

If SPF can traverse these stormy waters well enough to win 12 games, Breznitsky will join a select group of coaches who have won 500 games. He enters the season with a 488-108-38 mark, an .819 winning percentage.

Dead Balls

More than any other major sport, soccer is a game of non-stop action. Unlike basketball and hockey there are no timeouts, few substitutions and almost no play stoppages except for fouls and when the ball goes out of bounds. Those occasions result in what are referred to as dead ball situations-direct kicks, throw ins and corner kicks where an amazing percentage of goals result..

In the 2004 European Championships, the surprising winners, Greece, won their final three games by identical 1-0 scores, with all the goals coming off corner kicks. In the most recent World Cup in 2002 almost 70 % of the goals came on dead ball situations.
The successful teams know how important these situations are and excel at them.

The 2003 Scotch Plains Fanwood soccer team had a lethal combination of dead ball specialists. Halfback Ed Zazzali gave the Raiders a scoring threat on any throw he took. Executing a full somersault he was able to catapult the ball an incredible 60 yards. On two occasions a goalie was unable to catch one of his throw ins resulting in goals. At least several times a game his throw ins resulted in scoring opportunities.

Center forward Ryan Breznitsky, a two time first team all state player, took almost every offensive direct kick including corner kicks and penalty kicks and was a threat from 40 yards in. He saved his most scintillating direct kick for the biggest stage, the state semi finals against Ramapo which spearheaded a second half comeback that tuned a 2-0 deficit into a tie that was broken in that most tense dead ball contest-a penalty kick shootout.

All county center fullback Mike Hessemer was skillful in taking a majority of defensive free kicks. His long floating kicks were frequently converted into scoring opportunities.

The Raiders were clearly not a good team to stop the action against. as the three seniors led them to a 21-3-1 record and a state sectional title.

Unfortunately all those specialists graduated but Coach Tom Breznitsky doesn’t seem too concerned. With 488 victories in 29 seasons Breznitsky has obviously succeeded in replacing talented graduates before. As the cliché goes, Scotch Plains Fanwood soccer doesn’t rebuild, it reloads. In some cases the dead ball duties will be handled more by committee instead of one specialist.

Zazzali and his predecessor Mike Zotti had given Breznitsky six consecutive seasons of long distance flip throw ins but the more conventional Jeff Bell is almost as good according to Breznitsky.
“He can’t throw as far as Ed did but he’s pretty effective ,” said Breznitsky.

Senior halfback Casey Hoynes-O’Connor, a skilled playmaker, will take over much of the free kick responsibility.

All county sweeper Terrence Charles will also take many free kicks both offensive and defensive. Charles is expected to take over the pressure packed responsibility of taking penalty kicks.

Both Hoynes-O’Connor successfully made their penalty kicks in shootouts against Middletown South in the section finals and Ramapo in the state semifinals.

In a weekend tournament at Tom River, where the Raiders compiled a 2-0-1 record against the likes of Christian Brothers Academy (CBA), Ramapo and Howell Township,
they scored two goals off dead ball situations. Charles connected on a penalty kick against CBA and Sean Young headed in a Billy Albizati corner kick.

“It’s going to be different this year , “ said Breznitsky. “Last year we knew Ryan was going to take just about every free kick.

“ We have to look at a lot of different possibilities but I’m confident we have the talent to
be successful.”