Millburn Boys Season Ends at Mendhem

The Millers soccer team loses 2-1 in the second round of the sectional playoffs.

The sixth-seeded Miller boys had Mendham right where they wanted. Millburn was up by a goal on the road in the second half with less than 25 minutes to play. But a crucial missed penalty kick and two goals allowed off of set-pieces by third-seeded Mendham turned a thrilling upset into a heartbreaking 2-1 defeat for Millburn on a rainy Thursday in the second round of the North II Group 3 state sectional playoffs. With about 25 minutes left to play, James Raystin was tripped inside the goalie box and awarded a penalty kick to potentially put the Millers up 2-0. It would have given Millburn a stranglehold on the game. But Raystin's kick was high and gave the Minutemen new life, which was all they needed. "Every loss is tough, especially in …

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Millers Boys Advance in Sectional Playoffs

The Millburn soccer team holds off East Side in the first round of the state tournament.

They had to work a lot harder than they probably should have, but the Miller boys soccer team was able to escape from Dr. Keith A. Neigel Field on Monday afternoon with a win. Millburn came away with a 2-1 win over Newark East Side in the opening round of the state playoffs. The Red Raiders entered the game with just four wins on the season and had lost two previous matches to the Millers this fall by a combined score of 10-1. But with under 10 minutes remaining in regulation the game was tied at one, and the two squads were locked in a battle. "We expected the game to be close. Obviously the state tournament play is different than any other play," said Miller head coach Rob Grosso. "It's hard to beat a team three times and it's hard to …

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Millers Boys Soccer Upends Mounties

Millburn beats Montclair 2-0 at home.

Millburn and Montclair boys soccer teams are going in opposite directions as they both were looking to improve their state playoff stock this week. The Millers scored early in the first half and cemented with a goal late in the second half en route to a 2-0 victory over Montclair on Tuesday in Millburn. The Millers got goals from sophomore midfielder Nick Politan in the first half and senior midfielder James Raystin in the second half. The victory raised the Millers record to 7-5-2 while the Mounties dropped to 4-6-2 on the season. For Raystin and the Millers, home sweet home was the key. "I think in that game we played a little laxidasical," said Raystin about the scoreless tie in Montclair earlier this season. "Today we were at home, …

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Millburn Boys Advances in the County Tournament

The Miller soccer team wins 1-0 over Glen Ridge.

Mike Budlow had seen his Millburn teammates struggle time and time again Tuesday afternoon in its Essex County Tournament first-round game against Glen Ridge. But he never lost faith. "I knew it was a matter of time before we scored," said Budlow, a senior midfielder. "And we were able to finally break through." Budlow headed in a nice serving pass from Morris Dweck with 13:56 remaining in the second half to lift fifth-seeded Millburn to a 1-0 victory over 12th-seeded Glen Ridge in the final game of the first round of the Essex County tournament on a blustery, rainy day in Millburn on Tuesday. "Morris put it in the box and I was able to put it away," said Budlow. "It was a good feeling to get that goal." Millburn was scheduled to play its …

Millburn Boys Lose to West Orange

The Millers boys soccer team loses 2-0 in a rematch with the co-county champions from last season.

West Orange High School's boys soccer team got some vindication Wednesday afternoon. The Mountaineers (6-1) knocked off defending co-Essex County Tournament and North 2, Group III champ Millburn 2-0 at Niegel Field. Second-half goals by junior Jelanie Williams and senior Fabricio Acosta were the difference. The Mountaineers tied Millburn last year and lost a heartbreaking 2-1 decision later in the year to the Millers. Millburn is 4-2. "Road wins are tough to come by in this league," said West Orange coach Doug Nevins. "We have to keep pace with Seton Hall Prep. We don't want to drop any more points and the more power points you get the better chance you'll have to play playoff games at home." Williams dribbled down the right side of the …

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Miller Boys Take First Loss of Season

Millburn gives up three first half goals, falls 4-2 to Columbia

The Columbia boys soccer team is playing like they have something to prove, and the Millers were their latest victims on Monday afternoon at Meadowlands Park. The Cougars used three first half goals to build a commanding early lead and held on for a 4-2 win, earning their first division win of the season. "They underestimated us. They did not rank us, they did not talk about us," said Columbia head coach Gene Chyzowych about The Star Ledger's rankings. "Nobody mentioned us. We are the leftovers. We want to stand up now from the chair, rise and shine and show everyone what kind of leftovers we are." With 34:50 left to play in the opening half, Columbia's Jeremy Witherspoon scored the first of his two goals, knocking in a high bouncer from …

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Boys Soccer Looks for Another Championship Run

The Millers come off a 16-6-2 season a year ago, which included a county championship tie and an appearance in the Group 3 championship game.

Millburn has emerged as a state power in the world of boys soccer over the last few years, and that suits James Raytsin just fine. "It's been great to watch this team improve each season," said Raytsin, a senior midfielder. "We hope to keep it going this year." Millburn, which begins its 2010 campaign Wednesday at 4 p.m. when it hosts Newark East Side, is coming off a 16-6-2 season when it reached the NJSIAA Group 3 state final for the second straight year. While Millburn bowed to Princeton, 2-1, in the state final, it still had a very successful season. It tied Seton Hall Prep—last year's top ranked team in the state—in the Essex County Tournament final, 0-0. It marked the third straight year Millburn has earned a share of the county …

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Top Fall Senior Male Athlete: Chris Benedict

He was a rock for Millburn soccer on both sides of the ball

Anyone who has ever seen Chris Benedict play soccer knows that he is a fantastic player-that is anyone except Benedict. Despite leading the team in goals scored as a defensive player, winning three state sectional championships, three county championships and a Group 3 title between soccer and baseball, you'd have an easier time yanking a tooth from his mouth than getting the senior to say anything overly complementary about himself. "I just work hard, I guess. I don't know," Benedict said. "I'm not like one of those flashy players. I just try and get the job done." This season, Benedict led the soccer team to its second consecutive county championship and North II Group 3 state sectional championship. He was the leader of this year's …

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Millburn Boys Soccer Exceeded Expectations Despite Graduations

Miller boys win 16 games, a county and sectional crown.

The move to the newly formed Super Essex Conference American Division was a blessing in disguise for the Millburn boys soccer team this season. Playing in one of if not the most difficult league in the state, the Miller boys took their share of losses during the regular season. But in the playoffs they were almost unbeatable on their way to a North II Group 3 sectional championship. “The entire coaching staff is extremely proud of the boys,” said Millburn head coach Rob Grosso. “Doing it twice in a row is tough to do.” Many of the teams in the state sectional championships and the group championships came in with 18 or more wins. Cranford was undefeated before facing Millburn in the sectional semifinal. In the Group 3 semis Montville had …

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Miller Boys' Run Ends in Group 3 Finals

Millburn boys soccer loses 2-1 to Princeton, ending the season.

It was a tale of two halves, with the first being dominated by Princeton and the second won by Millburn. But the Miller boys soccer team did not do enough in the second half and could not completely erase a two-goal deficit, losing 2-1 at TCNJ on Friday night in the Group 3 championship game. With the teams coming in with 30 shutouts combined between the two of them, it was likely that the team that got to two goals first was going to be the winning squad. Considering Princeton had not given up more than a goal in a single game and had only allowed six scores all season, coming back against Princeton would be very tough. Princeton got on the board right away off of two set pieces in the opening half, which were deflected in. The first came…

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