Boys Varsity Soccer suffers tragic 0-2 loss in violent NCS Final against Roseland University Prep at Home

This Saturday night, the boys varsity soccer team faced a heartbreaking defeat in the NCS championship at Witter field.
The Highlanders(11-9-4) faced up against Roseland University Prep(14-4-2) with the home-field advantage. However, the Highlanders did not come out as strong as hoped.
“I’m proud of our team; we all showed up, but it wasn’t our best game,” said junior starting Right Back Henry DeVan,. “I think we were the better team.”
Roseland scored their two goals in the first half of the match.
“I had a lot of missed opportunities in fifty-fifty balls, which probably could have helped our team when in the midfield and defensive half more,” senior starting Right Center Back Max Goldfarb said.
The second half of the game became more physical and intense, with a small scrap and shoves thrown by Piedmont and Roseland nine minutes into the second half.
“It was getting really gritty,” DeVan said.
16 minutes into the second half, a fight broke out between senior Center Attacking Midfielder Jacques Saldanha and #16 of Roseland, with Roseland’s #16 throwing fists and punching Saldanha, resulting in a red card for Roseland.
“[Piedmont and Roseland interactions] were not good,” senior captain Striker Gianluca Bini said. “Lot of people lost their heads, a lot of fighting, a lot of exchanged words from Roseland. It turned into a pretty physical game instead of a mental game that we usually play.”
Goldfarb said he hoped to get a couple of goals in after Roseland’s ejection, but the game ended with Piedmont at a devastating 0-2 loss in the championship.
However, the Highlanders automatically qualify for regionals.
“We need to be mentally maintain prepared for the game because if we crumble this easily mentally it’s going to be rough on the path to states,” Bini said. “I think that’s really important for us.”