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Gillen’s Golden Goal Ends OT Thriller For Toms River East in SCT

Matt Manley|October 17, 2025|Last Updated October 20, 2025

RUMSON — Brady Gillen spent most of the 100 minutes of Thursday’s Shore Conference Tournament round-of-16 game between his Toms River East boys soccer team and Rumson-Fair Haven heaving throw-ins into the Rumson box, then tracking back to make sure the opponents did not inflect any damage in his team’s own box.

With just seconds remaining until the two teams — neither of which displayed many signs of fatigue despite 100 competitive minutes — would have settled the game on penalty kicks, Gillen had unleashed his last throw and completed his job keeping the Bulldogs from scoring in overtime. With Toms River East — the No. 9 seed in the SCT — setting up for one final corner kick in the final seconds, there was only one way for Gillen to impact the final score and it was to do something he had yet to do at the varsity level.

On the final play of Tuesday’s SCT early-round classic, Gillen volleyed home the golden goal with three seconds remaining showing on the game clock to end a 2-1 Toms River East overtime win over eighth-seeded Rumson-Fair Haven in stunning fashion.

The goal is the first in the varsity career for Gillen — a sophomore who is already an accomplished athlete at Toms River East, but saved his first goal for the most dramatic moment possible. Not only did Gillen play at the varsity level as a freshman soccer player; he also averaged just under 16 points per game at the varsity basketball level, which led all Shore Conference freshman while ranking 26th in the conference.

“It’s great,” Gillen said. “It’s my first goal in two years, so this is completely different for me. Usually, I’m the one throwing the assists in, but this side of it feels great. It’s a great win and now, we move on to the next one.”

Gillen also comes from an accomplished athletic family. His father, Ted, is currently the Toms River District athletic director and the former varsity boys soccer head coach at Toms River East. Ted Gillen starred as a player for Toms River East and later at Penn State before going on to a professional career with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars in Major League Soccer. Brady’s mother, Vicki, enjoyed a long run as the head girls basketball coach at Toms River North, which came after a standout playing career at both Toms River East and Central Connecticut State University.

Scoring has not come as easy for Gillen on the pitch, but it also has not been his role as a first-year starter. His long throw-in has been one of Toms River East’s best offensive weapons and just moments before knocking in the game-winner, he was launching a throw-in into the box in hopes of initiating the goal that would send the Raiders into the SCT quarterfinals.

With 23 seconds left in the second overtime period, as Gillen geared up for one last throw, one of the two officials stopped the clock to separate players from both teams in the box as they were jockeying for position. No cards were issued and play resumed on the whistle, with Gillen firing another bomb into the box that ended with Rumson kicking the ball out of bounds past the touch line and gifting Toms River East one last corner kick before the game transitioned into a penalty shootout.

Sophomore Vincenzo Nasuta served a corner kick to the near post that junior Evan Capetta flicked to the front of the goal. Gillen slipped through a host of players and volleyed the ball into the back of the net for his first varsity goal and the game-winner.

“I haven’t really been in (the box) for the corners because I’ve just been playing back the whole game,” Gillen said. “I just go in there and the ball finds my foot and goes in the net — as simple as that.”

Prior to the golden goal, the goalkeepers on both teams made heroic saves to extend the game. Toms River East senior Aiden Corapi ripped a 23-yard free kick on frame in the 85th minute. Rumson senior Jack Del Priore made a diving save to his right, then lunged for a save on the follow-up to deny Toms River East’s best scoring chance after halftime until the last seconds of overtime.

In the 88th, Toms River East keeper Mike Moore made a leaping save on a dangerous strike by Rumson senior Patrick Huber.

“Mike played great,” Gillen said. “He came out to get the ball in the air when we needed him to, made the catches and got us out. Defensively, it was alright. We kept playing tough, kept getting balls out, sent it down to (senior Aiden) Reis, let him run. He has been our attack the whole season, so he has been great.”

Toms River East scored the game’s first goal in the 21st minute, when Reis knocked in a volley from junior Ayden Salazar after Gillen initiated the action with a long throw-in.

Rumson leveled the score in the fourth minute after halftime, with senior Charlie Gronau scoring from point-blank range after senior Kyle Winig headed Bobby Quaglia’s corner kick from the far post back to the near left post.

The back-and-forth battle between stellar defenses and high-level goalkeepers was mostly even, with a slight tilt to Rumson up until Gillen’s golden goal. Rumson outshot Toms River East, 13-11, overall (8-7 on goal) and held a 10-4 advantage on corner kicks. DelPriore made five saves while Moore stopped seven shots.

“Those (Rumson) fans were amping up the game a bit,” Gillen said. “The atmosphere was great. This is what you live for. It’s what you play soccer for.”

Despite the exhilarating victory, Toms River East’s celebration was tempered due to a straight red card issued to Moore for taunting the Rumson-Fair Haven student section after the game ended. Ted Gillen said he planned to appeal that the card be reduced to a yellow card. Should the red card stand, Moore would be required to sit for Monday’s quarterfinal at No. 1 seed Christian Brothers Academy, plus whatever the following game is for Toms River East.

While Toms River East could be missing its standout keeper Monday, the Raiders are still eager at another shot at CBA, which beat Toms River East, 3-2, in overtime to clinch a bye in the Shore Conference Tournament.

“This is a great game, a great moment,” Gillen said. “I’ll definitely remember this one, but now it’s time to get ready for CBA. We’re looking forward to it.”

Update: Toms River East won its appeal of Moore’s red card Sunday and Moore will be eligible to play Monday at CBA.

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