The first ever “Cranford Unified Soccer Team” won the Shriver Cup Gold Medal Trophy at the Special Olympics Unified Games held this fall at Mercer County Park in West Windsor.
Coached by Sally and Mike Curci, Cranford captured the gold by defeating teams from Hazlet and Montgomery, before edging Monroe in the championship game by a score of 4-2. All four goals in the final were scored by Cranford’s special Olympic athletes.
The special Olympians are: Brian Curci, Jessie Gaeta, Brian McAuliffe, Dominick Vito and Elizabeth Garcia. Their high school teammates are Andrew Rojo, Tom Curry, Matt Mederios, Matt Perino and Addison Chang.
Presented by Special Olympics, unified sports teams combine athletes with and without special needs, bringing everyone together on sports teams to train and compete side-by-side, each one an equal and meaningful part of the team.
(above) Cranford Unified Soccer Team was recognized during halftime of Cranford High School Varsity Boys Basketball game on December 22, 2016.
