Broncos erupt for crown

Charlie Giovenco's first career goal started a 3-goal second-half eruption and doomed upset-minded Marmion Academy night as Barrington won 3-0 to claim the championship trophy at the 20th annual Barrington Classic on Saturday night.

The Broncos (5-2-0) struck back in sensational style after a goal-less 40 minutes of soccer was behind the defending state champs and the Cadets (4-3-0) who, without four injured starters, began the match with three freshmen in their first 11.

Giovenco, a sophomore defender recently moved up front to give rest to some of his mates up front, found the back of the net at 48 minutes at the tail-end of a scrum in front of Cadets' keeper Bradley White.

"There was a scramble (in) front of (their) net and Greg (Navitsky) kept the ball alive by just hitting it high in the air and I was able to just head it in and past the keeper," said Giovenco.

"Charlie's goal actually helped settle us all down," offered Ryan Mangone. "It's a big relief to get that first goal when it's 0-0 and you know that whoever gets that first goal might have the advantage."

Mangone would need less that 60 seconds to top Giovenco's heroics, and both he and Broncos' leading goal-scorer, Ata Ozbay, would combine on a brilliant strike, one that would pull the big crowd up and out of its seats to cheer.

Ozbay would initiate the Mangone goal when he would burst past a pair of Cadets along the right flank before sending a near-perfect low cross to his teammate at the far post, in which the Broncos' senior slotted his shot into the net with perfection.

Up until the two Broncos' strikes, the Cadets served notice they were serious about their place in the tournament final, and despite lacking their injured quartet, gave notice of their intention of challenging the reigning king of class AA soccer.

"That's a heck of a soccer team over there," said Cadets head coach Kevin O'Connor.

Tom Unak recorded his third straight shutout, and Mangone sealed the deal with a driving blast from the right endline that bounded off the gloves of White and into the net.

Seniors Andrew Komnick was once again strong in the middle all evening long, as was the back-line trio of Tim Rudnicki, Shawn Deacon and Will Farrell.

"We're getting better with each match," said Broncos' head coach Scott Steib. "This club is beginning to find its own identity, and tonight it accomplished something that our state championship wasn't able to do last year, and that was to win our own tournament."