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Oscar Nunez and the Memorial boys soccer team aren’t just putting the rest of Hudson County on notice.
With an inspiring 4-3 comeback victory over state-ranked St. Peter’s Prep Wednesday night, the Tigers officially announced their arrival on the statewide radar.
Nunez turned in a three-goal performance for Memorial (9-4), which scored four times in the second half and erased a 2-0 halftime deficit at Caven Point in Jersey City. His third and final tally came in the 71st minute, sending St. Peter’s Prep (11-2-1), ranked No. 6 in The Star-Ledger Top 20, to its first in-county loss of the season.
“These guys are pulling it together,” said Memorial coach Albert De Los Reyes, whose team dropped a 6-1 decision to the Marauders on Sept. 11. “Physically, they know that we’ve been playing tough teams the last four games and they know what it takes to play at this level right now.”
Memorial won for the eighth time in its last nine games. The Tigers’ season took a decidedly upward turn Sept. 30 when they upended Kearny — ranked No. 16 at the time — 3-1. Then came a 4-0 victory over North Bergen, giving way to a thrilling 1-0 overtime victory against West Orange on Saturday. Nunez delivered the game-winning goal against the Essex County squad in the second 10-minute overtime.
The senior forward wielded his scoring touch once again Wednesday night, sparking the visitors with a goal in the 41st minute. Nine minutes later, Memorial pulled even at 2-2 when Brandon Cruz converted on a penalty kick.
“The first goal just got us going. I told the guys, ‘Once you get there and find a goal it could lead to different things and the game can turn around in your favor,’” said De Los Reyes. “The guys got momentum and they kept going.”
Nunez, however, was just getting started. Some 15 minutes after his teammate’s penalty kick, Nunez gave the Tigers a 3-2 lead by burying a rebound off a shot from Cruz.
Yet, Nunez’s goal in the last 10 minutes stood as the game’s decisive play. Junior forward Gian Garcia raced up the left side of the field and slipped a pass to Nunez, who pumped in his final goal of the night — one that would ultimately send Memorial to perhaps the most significant win in program history.
St. Peter’s Prep received first-half tallies from Juan Garcia and Jack Szumski, before Garcia pulled the Marauders to within 4-3 with a late goal. But Memorial held on, as goalkeeper Mark Giron finished with six saves.
Of course, the two teams could see each other once more in the not too distant future. If top-seeded Prep can take care of Ferris in the quarterfinals of the Hudson County Tournament on Saturday, and Memorial does the same against Bayonne, the schools will meet again in Wednesday’s HCT semifinal.
“We weren’t playing our best game,” De Los Reyes added. “We just had to make adjustments defensively and keep possession of the ball. I told our guys that’s not our game that we’ve been playing.”
Luckily for their coach, the Tigers quickly found their game and showed just how potent it can be.
Memorial (9-4) 0 4 — 4
St. Peter’s Prep (11-2-1) 2 1 — 3
Goals: (M) Oscar Nunez 3, Brandon Cruz. (S) Juan Gomez 2, Jack Szumski.
Assists: (M) Gian Garcia, Brandon Cruz. (S) Nolan Collier 2. Saves: (M) Mark Giron 6. (S) Juan Alcantara 3.
From www.nj.com