ZAKOWSKI'S GOLDEN GOAL LEADS GLEN ROCK OVER DON BOSCO PREP IN BCT 1ST ROUND

Time was winding down in the first overtime period. Don Bosco Prep was controlling the pressure. Glen Rock wasn't nervous. It had played in big games before, reaching the Bergen County Tournament semifinals last season, and hadn't fell yet in 2018 with a 10-0 record heading into Sunday's Bergen County Tournament first round. Then, Glen Rock got its break. With 2:21 left in the first overtime period senior defender Mark Buckel played a service into senior forward Ben Zakowski, who scored a sliding shot to lead Glen Rock (11-0) over Don Bosco Prep (7-4), 2-1, at Elmwood Park. "It feels great to score the golden goal," Zakowski, who leads Glen Rock with 11 goals, said. "I honestly always knew that we were going to pull out the win. Last year we won from last minute goals in almost every county game that we played. The excitement was going through my head again and I was just thinking of all the fun that we had last year. I figured here we go again, let's make another county run." The tally was Zakowski's second of the game. He opened the scoring in the second minute. He caught a Don Bosco Prep defense napping and slipped behind to hop on a through ball from Buckel and headed it past Rocco Faustini, who had six saves, to give Glen Rock a 1-0 lead. Don Bosco Prep quickly regained momentum and peppered Noah Beverin with 15 shots throughout the game. The first-year senior goalkeeper stood on his head at times and was a huge reason that Glen Rock advanced in the tournament. "I knew that this county game was big and was going to mean a lot against Bosco," Beverin, who had 14 saves, said. "I just tried composing my nerves and made every save that I could." Beverin was not in it alone. His backline of seniors Josh Kim, Owen Corry, Mark Buckel, and juniors Oscar Horwitz and Koki Otsu played lights out against the persistent attack. Kim was everywhere on the pitch and had numerous tackles that negated dangerous chances for Don Bosco Prep. Otsu came up with a huge play six minutes into overtime when he cleared a would-be game-winner off of the goal line. "When we looked at our defensive situation this year, we knew that they were a core group of guys that were something special," Glen Rock coach Casey Schick said. "They play well together. They communicate together. We had to make some adjustments cause Bosco made a lot of great plays. We had to work off of what they were doing. Our back line is the reason why our success is where it is right now." The loss was as frustrating as they come for Don Bosco Prep, which outshot Glen Rock 15-8. It broke through with the equalizer in the 73rd minute when Jarec Morlote headed in a long throw in from Deniz Ersoz. The goal came three minutes after it had an indirect free kick inside the box that Glen Rock blocked and cleared way. All four of Bosco's losses have come in one-goal games. "Congratulations to Glen Rock, they certainly fought hard every minute of the game," Don Bosco Prep coach Vincent Sileo said. "At the end of the day, we just didn't get it done. We shouldn't have left it to one goal. We just didn't get it done." Glen Rock will take on Old Tappan, No. 10 in the NJ.com Top 20, in the quarterfinals next Sunday, Oct. 14, at noon at Ramsey High School.

ZAKOWSKI'S GOLDEN GOAL LEADS GLEN ROCK OVER DON BOSCO PREP IN BCT 1ST ROUND

Photo Credit: Scott Faytok