Trojan Soccer Scoreboard
	Trojans - 2 Scranton Prep - 3 Playoffs Trojans - 1 Lake Lehman - 1 (Tie) Trojans - 1 Meyers - 2 Trojans - 2 Pittston Area - 0 Trojans - 5 Wyoming Area - 3 Trojans - 1 GAR 0 Trojans - 2 Hanover Area 1 Trojans - 5 Berwick - 0 Trojans - 1 Meyers - 4 Trojans - 1 Lake Lehman - 0 Trojans - 2 Pittston - 0 Trojans - 5 Wyoming Area - 0 Trojans - 6 GAR - 0 Trojans - 2 Hanover - 0

CITIZENS VOICE SOCCER ALL-STARS
DIVISION I and DIVISION II

JOSH OLZINSKI

School: Nanticoke Area
Class: Junior
Position: Forward
Highlights: Has excelled at both midfield and forward for the Trojans since his freshman season.
A very quick and aggressive player loaded with skills. Team captain led Nanticoke
Area with 12 goals and 8 assists. Has totaled 20 goals and 20 assists which ranks
him 12th all-time on the Trojans scoring list.


JOHN ALBANESE

School: Nanticoke
Class: Senior
Position: Goalkeeper
Highlights: Albanese never missed a minute of action during his 3 years as a starter, except for
the final 3 minutes of a match against Berwick this season. Finished his final season
with the Trojans with 10 shutouts.

11/4/2007
The Sunday Voice

ALL-STARS
WVC SOCCER COACHES
ALL-STAR TEAM

DIVISION II
First Team

Josh Olzinski Mid
Jason Zmijewski Def
Robert Bertoni Def
Johnny Albanese Keeper


DIVISION II
Second Team

Joe Zannetti Fwd
Mack Martin Mid
Joe Zwiebel Def

10/27/2007
Nanticoke loses in double-overtime - Title edited by GNA Webdesign
drosengrant@timesleader.com

Greater Nanticoke Area is becoming too familiar with heartbreaking losses.
Exactly one year ago today, the Trojans felt the wrath of a devastating defeat in a shootout to Dallas in the first round of the district playoffs.
On Friday night, in the first round of the 2007 District 2 Class 2A tournament inside the Riverfront Sports Complex, the Trojans were the recipients of yet another shocking setback.
With a two-goal lead 73 minutes into Nanticoke’s match against Scranton Prep – the ninth-ranked team in the state – it appeared the Trojans were going to pull off the upset.
But again, it just wasn’t meant to be.
The Cavaliers scored twice in the final seven minutes of the contest and then notched the game-winner in the second overtime to win 3-2 and send the Trojans to their second consecutive early exit.
Scranton Prep (9-5-1) advanced to the semifinals to face Crestwood on Tuesday at Scranton Memorial Stadium. The time has not been announced.
“It was a very well-played game on both sides,” said Nanticoke coach Mark Matusek. “It’s always tough to lose this way, but I thought the guys played their hearts out and I couldn’t be much happier with their effort.”
The game-winner came off the foot of Prep standout Dylan Mencia. He beat the Nanticoke defense then slotted the ball past keeper John Albanese. That miscue was one of few for Albanese, who made several diving stabs and leaping grabs in the more than 107 minutes of soccer played.
Mencia, a sophomore, also scored the equalizing goal with 4:29 left in the second half when he pulled Albanese away from the net and found the right corner of the net.
“I heard from other coaches how good he was and we marked him the entire game, and I don’t do that too often,” Matusek said of Mencia. “He’s a good player and just got free.”
The Trojans (11-3-1) came out fired up and quickly staked a 1-0 lead with 31:46 left in the first half when Josh Olzinski took the ball from about 55 yards out and maneuvered his way inside the 18-yard line, beating Prep keeper Anthony Hassey with a shot in the right corner of the net.
Olzinski, a junior, had four of his team’s 11 shots on goal in the first half.
Nanticoke opened a 2-0 lead with 1:20 left in the first as Josh Lukaszewski got the ball in front of the net off a corner kick. The shot was stopped by Hassey, but Will Grabinski rebounded and tapped it past the Prep sophomore.
Then the second half came and the Cavaliers showed why they are highly ranked in the state.
They outshot the Trojans 11-2 in the half and came up with numerous opportunities before connecting for the two goals late in the game.
“A two-goal, I always say is a dangerous lead,” Matusek said. “We were trying to and wanted to get that third goal, but we unintentionally fell in a trap of playing defense and (Prep) did a good job of keeping the pressure on.”
Neither team had many opportunities in the first overtime, but when the second sudden-death session started, Nanticoke was knocking on the door several times, holding a 4-1 advantage in shots before Mencia’s winner.
Adam Ryan scored Scranton Prep’s first goal with 6:59 left in the game connecting off a corner kick.
The positives the Trojans will take from another heart-wrenching defeat in the postseason is that they are only losing one senior this year’s squad.
Sure, it is Albanese, arguably the best keeper in the Wyoming Valley Conference, but Matusek said this is something to learn from.
“This is definitely a good thing for the future, but we are losing a good keeper that will be hard to replace,” he said. “Unfortunately, we just didn’t do it tonight.”

10/25/2007
Playoff Outlook for the Trojans

Record: 11-2-1
Coach: Mark Matusek

Key Players: John Albanese, GK; Josh Olzinski, 27 points (10 goals, 7 assists); Joey Zannetti, 23 points (11 goals, 1 assist); Josh Lukaszewski 20 points (9 goals, 2 assists); Jason Zmijewski, defense.

Outlook: The only two losses the Trojans took this year were to unbeaten Meyers, but they have a solid defense and will be a tough competitor in their second straight trip to the tournament. Last year, they lost an overtime marathon to Dallas in the first round. They draw a tough Scranton Prep team today, but if this young team remembers what it was like last year, the Cavaliers will have their hands full.

PLAYOFFS

GAME 13
10/18/2007
Lake-Lehman 1, Nanticoke 1, 2OT
Times Leader

Nanticoke’s Josh Lukaszewski got the first goal of the game at the 9:04 mark in the first half off a pass from Will Grabinski.
Jamie Bronson’s unassisted goal with 38:17 left in the second half tied the match.
The Trojans (10-2-1) have wrapped up a berth in the District 2 Class 2A playoffs that start next week.

GAME 12
10/17/2007
Mohawks win WVC Div. II title
drosengrant@timesleader.com
(Note: Edited for space by GNA Webdesign - See full article in the Times Leader)

The biggest match in Wyoming Valley Conference Division II this season definitely lived up to the expectations.
The top two teams, Meyers and Nanticoke, took the field under the lights at Greater Nanticoke Area’s football stadium to duke it out for the division championship.
And the outcome wasn’t settled until the final seconds.
With 30 seconds left in the game and the crowd and both benches on their feet, Trojans coach Mark Matusek pulled his keeper and pressed the offense with hopes of forcing a tie to send the game to overtime.
The veteran coach’s strategy was effective as Nanticoke got three scoring opportunities in that period, but the Mohawks defense came up huge and held on for a 2-1 victory.
With the win, the Mohawks (13-0) clinched the division title for the second consecutive year. They also extended their conference-winning streak to 20 and have a Colorado Rockies-type streak by claiming wins in 23 out of their last 24 contests.
“That was a heck of a game,” Meyers coach Jack Nolan said after he was drenched with a bucket of ice water. “The guys worked hard. I’m proud of them. Nanticoke is a great, great team. They gave us fits and everything we wanted and more.
“We have more to do. We want to have an undefeated season and we got a lot of work to do starting next Thursday.”
Next Thursday is when the District 2 tournament is slated to begin. The Mohawks are the early favorite to be the No. 1 seed for the Class A tourney because no other team in A has zeroes in the loss column in the district.
Meyers will host Hanover Area on Friday in its last regular season match.
The Trojans (10-2) have two more matches left before the District 2 Class 2A event. They can wrap up a second straight trip to the tournament with wins against Lake-Lehman on Thursday and Berwick on Friday.
With Trojans senior goalie John Albanese playing out of net and a goal wide open as the seconds ticked off the clock, Nanticoke made the most of its opportunities with the extra man right until the clock struck zero, as Joe Zannetti had the last shot when time expired.
Leading up to that shot in the final seconds, the Trojans were kicking the ball all around the net, but Meyers keeper Pat Singer and his defense got the ball out of bounds twice. One shot by Nanticoke sailed over the net.
Said Nanticoke assistant coach Ryan Amos about the fantastic ending: “That’s unbelievable, isn’t it? But what can you do? They gave an effort. And kept trying and even had the chances to score right up until the end.”
The eventual game-winning goal came with 19 minutes left in the second half when Omar Jobarteh slotted a shot into the right corner of the goal past a diving Albanese. The assist was from Nick Guesto.
To the pleasure of Amos, Nanticoke played better this time than the last time it played Meyers, which resulted in a 4-1 loss.
But eerily, the game started the exact same way, with the Trojans staking a 1-0 lead. This time, it was Zannetti posting the score with 26:09 left in the first half.
The Mohawks tied it with 18:00 left in the first when Brett Mirigliani found the back of the net from 15 yards out. Guesto also had the assist on that goal.

The Injury Blog - Times Leader

After Tuesday's schedule every team in the WVC will have played 13 of 14 division matches this season and injuries have taken its toil on every team at this time of the season.
Perhaps the most eerie scenario has been for Greater Nanticoke Area. In Friday's 5-3 win over Wyoming Area, the Trojans lost three integral players to wounds, Josh Lukaszewski and Josh Olzinski are two of three plagued with injuries and are the team's top scorers.
The trio are expected back within the next seven days, just in time for a key divisional showdown against Meyers.


Around Division II - Times Leader

Nanticoke (10-1) and Meyers (10-0 before Tuesday's match against Wyoming Area) are the frontrunners for the Division championship.
Lake-Lehman (6-3-1 before Tuesday) is still alive with four matches left.
The Trojans host both contenders before ending the season on the road at Berwick. Lehman travels to Nanticoke on Thursday, while the Mohawks make the trip on Oct. 16.

GAME 11
Nanticoke 2, Pittston Area 0

Nanticoke recorded its eighth shutout of the season on Tuesday in a 2-0 win over Pittston Area in a Wyoming Valley Conference Division II boys soccer match that ended with apprximately 32 minutes left in the second half because of the weather.
Joey Zannetti scored both goals for Nanticoke (10-1) while Rob Bertoni had an assist.
For the Patriots (6-4-1), keeper Nick DiBiassi made five saves.

GAME 10
Nanticoke 5, Wyoming Area 3

Joe Zannetti scored two goals to lead Nanticoke to a win over Wyoming Area at home. Josh Olzinski, Alex Pawlush, and Josh Lukeszewski rounded out the scoring for the Trojans, with Mack Martin picking up a pair of assists.
Dan Bott scored all three goals for the Warriors.

GAME 9
Nanticoke 1, GAR 0

Joe Zannetti scored a first half goal off an assist from Josh Olzinski to lead Nanticoke (8-1) to the win. John Albanese had seven saves in goal.
Keith Yekel had 17 saves at goalie for GAR (0-9).

GAME 8
Nanticoke 2, Hanover Area 1

At Hanover Area, a pair of Joshes - Lukeszewski and Olzinski scored for the Trojans in the first half. Pat Garrison scored for Hanover Area.

GAME 7
Nanticoke 5, Berwick 0

At Nanticoke Area, Joe Zannetti scored two goals and added an assist as the Trojans shutout visiting Berwick. Alex Pawlush and Josh Lukeszewski also scored, while Josh Olzinski had two assists.
John Albanese had five saves in the win.

GAME 6
Meyers 4, Nanticoke 1

Nanticoke scored the only first half goal, but the second half was all Meyers. The Mohawks remained undefeated at 6-0.
Jon Montalvo led Meyers with two goals and an assist.
Josh Olzinski connected from Josh Lukaszewski for Nanticoke.

GAME 5
Nanticoke 1, Lehman 0

At Lake Lehman, Josh Lukaszewski scored off a corner kick with 31:20 remaining in the first half on Monday and Nanticoke Area hung on the rest of the way for a shutout win over the Black Knights, 1-0. Nanticoke goalie John Albanese had 19 saves.

The win gives the Trojans a 5-0 record in Division II.

9/16/2007
LOVING EVERY MINUTE
mgarvey@citizensvoice.com

To call John Albanese durable is to almost totally understate what he truly is - constant, unchanging, permanent. Not only has the Nanticoke Area senior started every single game since he stepped into the keeper's role as a sophomore, but he's never missed a single minute.
Never had a serious injury, never been taken out of a game. He's goalkeeping bedrock. And, boy, is Nanticoke Area glad to have him back there.
"This guy, I believe, could be one of the best keepers in the league, if not the best," Nanticoke Area coach Mark Matusek said.
But just what makes him so good?
Directing a veteran back line, Albanese and the Trojans have not allowed a goal through four games this season, all wins. That, along with his sturdy frame and mobility, is the physical part.
Some of Albanese's skill is mental, as he's gained an extreme confidence in goal. He's gone from relative silence as a sophomore to directing his back line into proper position.
He has developed trustworthy instincts so that, when the opposing offense gets within 30 yards, he isn't out of position.
"You have to be bouncing around looking for the shot," Albanese said. "You have to think what they're going to do."
And it shows in the way he plays. In the Trojans' win over Pittston Area on Wednesday, he was not shy about running for balls wide of the net, and taking the game into his own gloves. Certainly, some of Albanese's confidence comes from the experienced defenders in front of him.
But Albanese has also come to know how to play off them, knowing who's good in the air and good off the ball. That on-field rapport and most of his confidence comes from all of Albanese's experience.
"As time (went) on, seeing the game," Albanese said. "Playing made the game more knowledgeable to me."
Though, it wasn't until the District 2 playoffs (Class AA) last season that he realized just how much confidence and knowledge of the game he had. In the first round, the Trojans went to Dallas, and faced a potent Division I offense. The Mountaineers won, but not before Albanese stopped 49 shots and sent the game to penalty kicks - Dallas won 1-0.
"He played the best game I've seen a keeper play," Matusek said.
Dallas keeper Peter Steve lauded Albanese, saying in the October 28 game story, "(Albanese) was shutting us down. We had many opportunities and he just kept coming up big."
As for Albanese, he reflected back on the game and said he developed a lot of confidence right then.
"(Dallas) was so good and had so many shots. They don't really match up to anyone in this league," Albanese said.
Armed with that, he feels a responsibility to become the leader with a core group of seniors gone from the 2006 team. And if the Trojans find their way back to the district playoffs, you can bet Albanese will be back in net, controlling the game.
For every single minute.

GAME 4
Nanticoke 2, Pittston 0

Mack Martin scored an unassisted goal in the 55th minute to break a scoreless tie and lift Nanticoke to a 2-0 win over Pittston Area in a Wyoming Valley Conference Soccer Match on Wednesday.
Josh Olzinski polished things off with 15 seconds remaining, scoring with an assist from Will Grabinski.
John Albanese made 4 saves in net for the shut-out. Nick Dibiase stopped 10 stops for the Patriots.

GAME 3
Nanticoke 5, Wyoming 0

At Exeter, Josh Olzinski put together a second half hat trick to lead Nanticoke. Josh Lukeszewski added a goal and an assist and Joe Zannetti drilled a first half goal.

GAME 2
Nanticoke 6, GAR 0

Josh Lukeszewski lead the way with three goals in a convincing win against the Grenadiers. Josh Olzinski added a goal and three assists for the winners.

GAME 1
Nanticoke 2, Hanover 0
At Nanticoke, Josh Olzinski had a goal and an assist to lead Nanticoke past Hanover.
Olzinski assisted on a goal by Joe Zannetti in the 38th minute and later scored unassisted in the 60th minute. Ryan Vnuk had 11 saves.

9/3/2007
Trojan Soccer Capsule
Nanticoke (2A)

Coach: Mark Matusek, 19th season
Home Field: High School or West Side Park (West Grand Street, Nanticoke)

2006 Record: 13-3-0

Key Players Lost: Zach Martin, Dan Olzinski, Ryan Grabinski, Kris Moran, Matt Kruczek

Key Players: John Albanese, sr. GK; Josh Olzinski, jr., MF/F; Robert Bertoni jr., D; Jason Zmijewski, jr., D; Mack Martin, jr., MF; Joey Zwiebel, so., D; Joey Zannetti, jr., MF/F; Josh Lukaszewski, so., MF/F; Will Grabinski, jr., outside/MF; Mike Yalch, fr., D

Coach’s Comments: “There’s a good group of kids on this team who have had a lot of playing time the last few years. I think they gained a lot of valuable experience because the two previous years we were down one year and then challenging for the top the next. Once you taste that you want to get back to the top. They gained confidence and will be ready.”

Players to Watch
John Albanese, Nanticoke: The senior goalie helped Nanticoke allow a division-low 13 goals last season and is the only senior on the team.

Key Matches
Nanticoke vs. Meyers (Sept. 21 at Meyers, Oct. 16 at Nanticoke): Last year the two teams battled each other, but Meyers won both times to win the division title.

Other key divisional games: Lake-Lehman vs. Nanticoke (Sept. 18 at Lake-Lehman, Oct. 12 at Nanticoke);