Hats off to Sepers

Schalick sophomore posts hat trick to lift Cougars over Woodstown, all four of his goals this season have come against the Wolverines

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Anthony Sepers didn’t know much about Schalick’s soccer rivalry with Woodstown when he transferred into the school this summer. As the new kid he just wanted to do something to make new friends.

That was after he scored the game-winning goal when the teams played in their season opener.

They may give him a parade now.

The sophomore right wing scored a natural hat trick that spanned each half to lead the Cougars past their rivals 6-2 Saturday and spoil the Wolverines’ Alumni Night under the lights in the football stadium.

“It was just wanting it. Everyone’s here. It was a big game,” Sepers said. “This is my first year at the school so I didn’t really know the rivalry was that big. The first day of school we played them and everyone was talking about it so I just thought I had to come out here and do something, score a goal, and thought I’d make these people like me.”

Sepers has scored only four goals since joining the Cougars and all four have come against the Wolverines. He had the game-winning goal in both games as his first goal – with 2:37 left in the first half – gave them a 3-2 lead.

His first goal came after Woodstown’s Adrian Ibarra and Cole Lucas swapped goals with Michael Nelson and Luke Price. He took a cross from Nolan O’Toole near the left post, hit the post with his initial shot and then banged home the rebound.

His first goal in the second half came after he played a long throw-in off his chest and tucked it inside the left post. He completed the hat trick three minutes later in a similar manner.

“We had a guy here tonight, an alumnus, who always seemed to score in these games against Woodstown,” Cougars coach Joe Mannella said. “Some guys do that. Some teams they just find a way to do good things against and if that’s something, (Sepers will) do it, but I think he’ll score a lot of goals before it’s said and done.”

The player he referenced was Rowan College of South Jersey-Cumberland freshman Jesse McFarland. Ironically, McFarland also scored a hat trick earlier in the day in his team’s win over County College of Morris.

The win was one of the gutsiest for the young Cougars (8-3). They already were down two starters and fell behind 1-0 and 2-1, but they didn’t get discouraged and rose up to win the fifth time in their last six games. The loss snapped Woodstown’s seven-game winning streak since that Opening Day loss to the Cougars.

“It certainly wasn’t easy,” Mannella said. “It was (all about) how our guys are gonna respond when it gets like that, because it’s an intense atmosphere and now you’re behind twice. They showed me a lot tonight.

“The occasion wasn’t too big for them. When you’re trying to build a championship team games like this kind of show you what you’re made of a little bit, especially in that mental character portion of it. Can you still play your game when it’s under pressure. That was a pressure-filled first half and to come out of that first half (up) 3-2 was huge.”

The win also moved the Cougars a half-game ahead of Glassboro for first place in the Diamond Division, tied in the loss column. The teams play at Schalick Friday.

“You control your own destiny at that point,” Mannella said. “Hopefully, they get a little taste of what this could be and run with it.”

NOTES: Schalick and Glassboro are both 5-1 in the division, Woodstown is 4-1 … O’Toole scored Schalick’s final goal … You’ll have to go back past 2010 to find the last time a team scored six or more goals in the rivalry … Woodstown recognized its Tri-County Conference championship teams of 1984, 1989, 1999 and 2009 at halftime. Current Wolverines head coach Darren Huck played on the 1989 team.

Schalick 6, Woodstown 2

Schalick (8-3)	3	3 –	6
Woodstown (7-2)	2	0 –	2

Goals:
W – Adrian Ibarra, 15 (Kaleb Gerace), 3:21
S – Michael Nelson, 3 (Lucas Sepers), 6:04
W – Cole Lucas, 2 (Blake Bialecki), 27:17
S – Luke Price, 7 (unassisted), 32:28
S – Anthony Sepers, 2 (Michael Nelson), 27:23
S – Anthony Sepers, 3 (unassisted), 60:08
S – Anthony Sepers, 4 (Michael Nelson), 63:35
S – Nolan O’Toole, 2 (Oscar Hernandez-Guzman), 74:18
Cards: Elijah Cummings, Schalick (Y), 34:16; Grant Prater, Woodstown (Y), 54:53