Princeton, Robbinsville play in state semifinals
The Colonial Valley Conference Colonial Division champion Princeton High and Valley Division champion Robbinsville High are the two boys’ soccer teams still alive representing The Trentonian’s area as the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Tournament heads to its state semifinal round Wednesday.
Interestingly, they will meet up with the two teams that squared off in the South Jersey Coaches’ Cup final this fall. Clearview and Washington Township played to a 2-2 tie following two 10-minute overtimes in that Oct. 21 game before the Pioneers grabbed their first Coaches’ Cup title on a 2-1, penalty-kick shootout.
Three-time state champion Washington Township (18-1-2) won the South Jersey Group IV title Saturday by defeating Toms River North, 3-0, and will head to Tigers Stadium to face head coach Ryan Walsh’s 20-2 club at 2 p.m. Wednesday. Three-time state champion Princeton defeated Howell, 5-1, Saturday to win the Central Jersey Group IV crown.
This year’s Mercer County Tournament runner-up, which was last in the Group IV state final in 2017, is led by senior striker Pasquale Carusone, who has 25 goals and four assists this fall. Junior forward Azariah Breitman is behind him with 11 goals and three assists, while freshman Harry Smith (seven goals, 10 assists) and his junior brother, Archie (five goals, 14 assists), also key the Tigers’ attack from the midfield.
The Minutemen, who last won a Group state crown in 2018, are led by senior midfielder Drew Heil’s 28 goals and 11 assists, plus senior forward Ajani Dwyer’s 19 goals and 14 assists. Junior midfielder Nick Guzak has seven goals with eight assists, while senior midfielder John DiNoto has eight goals and two assists.
Both teams’ defenses are solid. Washington Township has posted three consecutive shutouts in state play (12 overall), while outscoring its four state tournament opponents, 172. Princeton has only posted two state tourney shutouts, but has 17 overall, and has outscored its four CJ IV opponents, 14-2.
Defending state champ Robbinsville (17-5-1) will host Clearview (17-2-4) at 6 p.m. Wednesday in the Group III state semifinal. The game will be video-streamed live on www.wbcb.com and on WBCB’s Facebook page.
Head coach Jeff Fisher’s Ravens went to penalty kicks to get by Steinert, 5-4, in the CJ III final Saturday after the teams played to a 1-1 tie for 100 minutes. Head coach Dodd Terry’s Pioneers defeated Shawnee, 3-1, to win their first SJ III title.
R’ville, which defeated West Morris Mendham on pks to gain its first state crown in 2022, will follow the lead of Lehigh University-bound striker Bora Turker, who has an area-best 32 goals with nine assists this season. More of the Ravens’ senior class adds to its punch with forward Adrian Ivanov (12 goals, six assists), forward/midfield Stefano Muscara (nine goals, 11 assists), midfielder Alex Ivanov (five goals, 10 assists) and midfielder Daniel Silva (seven goals, three assists).
Clearview, which reached the Group IV final in 2013, has gotten 17 goals and three assists from senior forward Seamus Watson. Senior midfielder Tyler Puckett has provided eight goals plus eight assists, while junior forward Matt Gahan has turned in eight goals with six assists.
Robbinsville’s defense has 11 shutouts this season with three in CJ III play and has outscored its state tournament opponents, 111. The Pioneers have 10 shutouts (one in the state tourney) and outscored their four SJ III foes, 11-3.