Pennington, Princeton seeking history in championship decider
History will be made Thursday night when second-seeded Princeton High and the topseeded Pennington School boys soccer teams meet in the Mercer County Tournament final at The College of New Jersey’s Lions Stadium.
No matter who wins the game, which is slated for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff, the outcome will be historic.
If head coach Chad Bridges’ squad wins, it will be the only team besides Princeton to repeat as county champs since the tournament started up again in 2003.
The Little Tigers won three straight crowns between 20072009.
Should head coach Wayne Sutcliffe’s squad pull off the upset, Princeton will win the county title for the seventh time in the 14 years since it has been back. It would be the Little Tigers second crown in the last three years.
When Princeton won in 2014, it played 100 minutes of soccer with Allentown and came away tied, 1-1, before taking the trophy on penalty kick, 3-0. A penalty-kick shootout would also be used this season should the teams end up tied after regulation and overtime.
The Red Raiders and Little Tigers met in last year’s MCT semifinal round. In what many felt was arguably the best game of the tournament, Pennington defeated Princeton, 2-1, at Hopewell Valley High to advance to the championship game with West WindsorPlainsboro High South. The Red Raiders defeated the Pirates, 3-1, in that game, also at Hopewell’s Ackerson Field.
This will be the third time Pennington and Princeton have met in the MCT final. The Little Tigers defeated the Red Raiders, 2-0, in 2008, then, 1-0, in 2011.
Junior Ibrahima Diop leads 14-0-2 Pennington with 27 goals and five assists, while senior Pedro Dolabella backs him with 11 goals and nine assists. Ten different players have scored this season for the Red Raiders, who have scored 60 goals in 16 games.
Senior Andrew Goldsmith leads 17-1 Princeton with 14 goals and eight assists, while junior Noam Davidov has 12 goals and four assists, and senior Sam Serxner adds four goals and an area-best 23 assists.
Goalkeepers Patrick Jacobs and Sam Tarter have led the Little Tigers’ defense to eight shutouts, while goalkeepers Max Pinado and Noah Levinson have led the Red Raiders’ defense to six shutouts.
MCT FINALS HISTORY BOYS SOCCER 2016 — Princeton vs. Pennington 2015 — Pennington 3, WW-P South 1 2014 — Princeton 1, Allentown 1 (Princeton wins title on penalty kicks, 3-0) 2013 — Notre Dame 2, Hightstown 2 (ND wins title on penalty kicks, 4-3) 2012 — Pennington 2, TCA 0 2011 — Princeton 1, Pennington 0 2010 — PDS 1, Princeton 0 (2 OTs) 2009 — Princeton 2, WW-P South 1 2008 — Princeton 2, Pennington 0 2007 — Princeton 1, Steinert 0 2006 — Hun 0, Notre Dame 0 (Hun wins title on penalty kicks, 3-0) 2005 — Notre Dame 0, Hopewell Valley 0 (cochampions) 2004 — Steinert 1, Hun 0 (2 OTs) 2003 — Princeton 2, Steinert 0