Freshman keeper turns away penalty kick, scores his first career shutout as Penns Grove blanks Pennsville 3-0
THURSDAY SOCCER
Penns Grove 3, Pennsville 0
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT – Mano Massari had a big problem. His all-star goalie had graduated, leaving a big hole on the back line of his Penns Grove defense.
He was just about resigned to promoting last year’s backup who had never played in a varsity game anywhere before and take his chances. Then, about a month before school started, a freshman named Ruben Torres Saenz showed up on his doorstep. Just like that, that backup plan was on permanent hold and the rest, as the world is discovering, is becoming history.
Saenz has proven in five games already to be a reliable replacement, some say even better than his predecessor at that age. He came up big for the Red Devils Thursday night, making 14 saves, surviving two penalty kicks and recorded his first career shutout in a 3-0 win over Pennsville.
“We lucked out with him, we really did,” Massari said. “I don’t think I’m being very biased by it: I think for a freshman he’s really solidified a tough position to play.
“I think we have a tough division historically, a lot of good teams, a lot of good coaches, and having a keeper you can depend on, especially at a young age who can contribute right away, is a blessing for anybody. So, I’m very blessed to have him.”
Of course the freshman has some big shoes to fill. Dwayne Guzman was one of the top goalkeepers in South Jersey and a big reason the Red Devils won 37 games over the last four years. He feels “very honored” and “very excited” to be the next in line.
“I know he was amazing; he was something,,” Saenz said. “I’m very glad to take the position since he left because he graduated. I feel very happy to be in his spot and very proud.”
Ironically, he was thisclose to landing on Pennsville coach Derek Foglein’s doorstep as he considered his options for high school. Ultimately, the family decided Penns Grove was more convenient to where they lived. It didn’t hurt that the goalie already had relatives on the Red Devils roster.
Saenz said he was just a “pretty meh” goalie in the Pitman Summer League as he prepared for his first high school season, but he worked at his it all summer and has turned into a stone wall on the goal line.
He has looked very much like the keeper he replaced, standing his ground without flinching even as opposing attackers came at him one-on-one. He made several acrobatic saves in his debut against Gloucester Catholic and he stoned several Schalick players in the first half of their game last week and was the reason that game stayed as close as it was at halftime. Massari called him the “one bright spot for us” in an otherwise 7-0 loss.
Massari said Guzman told him Thursday night the freshman was better than he was at that age.
“I saw him a couple times in the summer and I’ve seen really big glimpses of myself in him,” Guzman said. “He was scared coming into the first high school match, but I told keep everything calm, play simple and play what you can do. You can only do so much. I just told him he has to control what he can control. I only see really big things for him, really big things.”
While Saenz continually turned back the Eagles in the first half, he faced his biggest channel shortly before halftime when he found himself staring down the first penalty shot of his varsity career. He gave up two in the Pitman league, but said he learned from that experience. This time he turned away Sam Hassler, diving to his right and stopping the low shot at the post to maintain the Red Devils’ 2-0 lead.
He faced a second penalty shot midway through the second half and survived that as Justin Michaca banged a rocket off the crossbar.
“The first penalty, and I’m being completely honest, a teammate pointed at where he was going to go,” Saenz said. “I just went for it and I saved it with one hand and I felt very happy because that’s first penalty I saved in my high school season. I’m going to remember that one.”
Foglein is going to remember him, too.
“A keeper stopping a PK, the odds are against him, so I’m always going to give hat’s off to a keeper who stands tall on a PK,” he said. “I’ll be excited to see what he does for his next four years. He’s a great keeper already and he’s only going to get better as he gets better and better and more refined.”
NOTES: The Red Devils have won all five of their Homecoming Week matches under the portable lights in the football stadium (Pennsville, Gloucester Catholic, Pitman, Salem Tech, Woodstown) … Their goals Thursday were scored by Ricardo Vichi Torres in the sixth minute, Prince Ledbetter (17th minute) and Juan Ortiz (early in the second half)… Penns Grove has won three in a row and is 4-1 for the first time since 2017. Pennsville is 1-5 for the first time since 2023.
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