Ranked #1 in the Big North National League, Pascack Valley Boys’ Soccer Team has been nothing but “gold” lately, according to head coach Roy Nygren.

Starting on October 11, Pascack Valley beat the 9^th seed, Ramsey, in the first round of the county tournament. With a score of 3-1, Pascack Valley moved on to the quarterfinals round.

Last Thursday, October 15, Pascack Valley faced the Tenafly Tigers in one of the biggest league games from the Big North National. Tenafly, known for being a great team, was a tough match, as the boys had played them earlier in the season and lost 1-0. However, the boys were determined to put up a good fight.

Coach Nygren said that, “This game was a team effort, and we maintained possession of the ball, while playing both sides of the ball. With Michael Lin out on an injury, the team really rallied together and grew with confidence.”

Defenders Emilio Quevedo and Theo Morris led the back row, followed by Ryan Miller, TJ Mastowski, and Jon Dinnell in midfield. With goals from Alex Lin, Andrew Varteresian, and Ryan Miller, the team won 3-1.

Going into County Tournament game against Bergen Catholic, the boys were confident.

Nygren said, “We have grown into a team where we truly believe and feel that if we do our job, we can beat anyone. We knew Bergen Catholic was going to be a tough team, they were undefeated, the number one seed in the tournament, and even the seventh best team in the state.”

However, the boys were on top of their game, “Every time we lost the ball, we transitioned from offense to defense pretty quickly.”

For the first half of the game, PV was up 1-0, with a goal by Miller. In the second half, Bergen Catholic came back and scored 2 goals, but the Indians weren’t done yet. With 6 minutes left in the second half, McManus had a shot a corner kick, that was matched by touches from Quevedo and Miller.

Nygren continued, “The guys showed great character and never gave up. They gave every ounce of energy that they could muster throughout the rest of the game, which led to over time.”

With a personal foul from Bergen Catholic on Varteresian, the Indians were granted a 22 yard free kick. Michael Lin got behind the ball and curled it into the upper left for the game winning goal. Not only did the team and coaches storm the field, but the fans that were in the crowds all crowded the field as well.

“Not only was it a phenomenal goal, but it was a phenomenal feeling. Nothing beats that natural high, I’m glad everyone got to experience a game like that.”

Goalie, Josh Ulin played his best game of the season with a total of 16 saves.

On Tuesday, the boys faced Bergenfield away, which was also an intense game. With only one day’s rest, the boys won 1-0 with a goal by Michael Lin in overtime, but not without putting up a fight. Nygren said, “Bergenfield needed to win that game to get into the state tournament, and they played with great energy, as did we.”

The boys will be facing one of the best teams in the Big North National, Ramapo, this Saturday night at Indian Hills at 7pm. Be sure to come support our boys, who are currently ranked #1 in Big North National League, #2 in Big North Group 3, #4 in North Jersey, and #17 in New Jersey State.