Hart stop preserves Haddon Township win

Drew Hart wasn't sure exactly what happened.

But his coach spelled it out for the rest of the Haddon Township boys' soccer team.

"I told those guys, 'We'd be playing overtime right now if not for Drew,' " Haddon Township coach Jim Bonder said after his team's 3-2 victory over Gateway on Tuesday in a Colonial Patriot game.

Haddon Township (2-0, 2-0), the defending division champion, received two goals from senior Conor Engelbert and another from junior Mike McCutcheon.

But the play of the game was Hart's save on Gateway junior Ryan Gavin's point-blank shot on a rebound with just 38 seconds to play.

"I just put my hands up," said Hart, a senior. "My priority was the initial shot, because the ball was moving pretty good. I got to that one, but I couldn't hold it and then I'm not sure what happened after that. I just tried to stay in position."

Gateway coach Steve Pasquarello could only shake his head at the memory of Hart's save.

"Time running out, we get a shot on goal and we get somebody going to the goal," Pasquarello said. "What can you say? The kid made a great save."

Gateway (2-1, 1-1) rallied from a 2-0 halftime deficit with a pair of goals off corner kicks.

Sophomore Tony Colofranson scored the first off a corner by sophomore Billy Hickman. The Gators tied the score, 2-2, when senior Alex Farrell converted a corner by Gavin with 24 minutes, 32 seconds left on the clock.

But just 15 seconds later, Engelbert scored his second goal of the game to give Haddon Township a 3-2 lead.

"We battled back and made a game of it," Pasquarello said. "But they came right back hungry to get that next goal. We let them right back in our house."

Engelbert, who has four goals in the Hawks' first two games, credited his teammates with setting up the game-winner.

"They put me in the right spot," Engelbert said. "My work is easy."

Both teams had chances over the final 24 minutes, but none was better than Gavin's rebound in the frantic final minute.

"That was clutch," Engelbert said of Hart's save.

Gateway   0 2 – 2

Haddon Twp.   2 1 – 3

Goals: G-Tony Colofranson, Alex Farrell; HT-Conor Engelbert 2, Mike McCutcheon.

Saves: G-Sean O'Brien 15; HT-Drew Hart 7.