ND blanks Princeton to clinch CVC Colonial crown
LAWRENCE — When it comes to the “Team as One” approach, few have displayed it on the field as well as the Notre Dame High varsity boys soccer team has this season.
Each player knows he has responsibility, but it is not simply at one spot on the field. One player covers for another when need be. Everyone is involved in the defense, and everyone is involved in the offense.
The Irish showed that again Monday in locking up the Colonial Valley Conference Colonial Division trophy by defeating Princeton, 2-0, at Msgr. Walter E. Nolan Field.
In a game which figured to be a defensive struggle, Notre Dame (13-2) broke through first with the help of senior goalkeeper Nick Wilke.
The Tigers’ back line of James Novak, Miles Ryan, Ethan Parker and Noah Lapoint had just survived a charge by the Irish and sent the ball forward, only to see their attempted counter end up at the feet of Wilke at the other end.
Wilke responded with a counter attack of his own, sending a long kick with the wind and sun at his back upfield to senior forward Chris O’Neill. O’Neill turned and made an angled run between two defenders, unleashing a shot back the other way which found the net behind Princeton junior goalkeeper Jared Bell with 20:50 left in the second half.
“He whacked it to the 30(yard line),” O’Neill said of Wilke’s long serve. “We knew this might come down to a one- or two-goal game.”
“That time I was just putting it up in the air,” Wilke said after picking up an assist for a second consecutive game. “I know we have guys up there who can handle it, so I just tried to smack it.”
Wilke’s kick made a noticeable impact because now the Tigers had to be a little more cautious at both ends of the field.
“We need to play better as a team,” Bell said. “They connected well on their passes. We need to get back to doing that.”
Princeton (10-5) had reeled off six consecutive wins before falling into its current three-game slide. ND pushed its winning streak to eight games.
“Every day, it’s someone new stepping up for us,” Wilke said. “We are not just one player. Everyone is a part of what we’re doing.”
Whether it be Wilke, his back line which at times included Pedro Navroski, James Watson, Eric Suschke, Matt Jakim and Gianluca Pozzo, or any number of offensive targets, the Irish have made themselves into the top team in the CVC Colonial Division and the top seed for the upcoming Mercer County Tournament.
The Tigers did all they could to try to get the momentum away from the home team. Bell made a tremendous foot save on Guiliano Silva’s penalty kick with 3:08 left in the first half, which gave the visitors a boost.
“That there shows our resilience,” Wilke said of his team’s ability to shake off the missed scoring chance. “We have a lot more belief in ourselves this season.”
Silva got back the goal he missed out on when he roped a pass from James Ferraro into the net from nearly 30 yards out with 6:36 left to ice the game.
“The environment was different in the second half,” said the 6-foot-2 Bell. “The sun was in our eyes, and the wind was in our faces, which they used to their advantage.”
Knowing their field and believing in their teammates’ abilities has helped the Irish embrace their “Team as One” approach under new head coach Dan Donigan this fall.
Princeton (10-5) Notre Dame (13-2) 0 0 — 0 0 2 — 2
Goals: O’Neill, Silva (ND); Assists: Wilke, Ferraro (ND).
Shots: 4 (P), 8 (ND); Saves: Bell 6 (P), Wilke 4 (ND).