Woodstown’s Ayars commits to play college soccer at RCSJ-Cumberland, picks Dukes over system rival
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
Bryce Ayars is always up for a good rivalry. He played in one of the best during his high school career at Woodstown and he’s about to become part of another now that he’s committed to playing his college soccer at RCSJ-Cumberland.
The Wolverines senior confirmed his commitment Friday night after several weeks wrestling with his choices. He chose the Dukes over their RCSJ system rival Gloucester, a decision that is bound to heighten the experience even more when the teams play the next two years.
“There’s always a pretty heated rivalry between the two,” Ayars said. “You know me, I’m always ready for a good rivalry with my past experience with Schalick, so I’m looking forward to that next big rivalry in my career.
“It’s definitely going to be a heated game. It’s something I’m looking forward to, just being out there on the pitch, going against another great team, to see who comes out on top. I’ve always loved the intensity in those games, no matter if we won or lost. Having that intensity is just something you can’t take for granted. You’ve just got to enjoy every minute of it.”
Ayars was impressed with the consistent communication the Dukes had with him throughout the season. He watched the game with Gloucester during the season and although the Dukes lost, he was impressed with the way they played.
Once he decided he was going to one of the RCSJs, the final decision came down to “what program would fit me better and which one can help me develop into the player I want to be and take my talent to the next level after these two years.”
Ayars was a two-way threat for the Wolverines and that’s what the Dukes like in him. He controlled the game from his center back position, but became a goal scorer this past season.
He scored a team- and career-high 17 goals this year, 27 over the last two seasons, and finished his four-year career with 95 points. The Wolverines were 19-2-1 the last two seasons when Ayars scored a goal.
He was a first-team Tri-County Diamond Division pick and played in the TCC-Colonial, South Jersey and All-State all-star games.
“I think I played to the best I could, taking a big leap from my junior to senior year,” he said. “Being able to score goals and getting assists doesn’t just help me but helps the team. I feel like I’d done everything I could for the team and it just didn’t go the way I wanted to in the playoffs.”
Ayars was expected to sign and send a pledge of commitment to Cumberland Saturday. The Dukes have a signing day scheduled in March, which will make it official, and Woodstown will celebrate the achievement with all their college signees in June.
Category: SOCCER
Stars align for TCC
Tri-County Conference sweeps Colonial in soccer all-star games, boys score five goals in final 10:30, girls score shutout
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CLAYTON — Darren Huck was about 30 seconds away from walking down the sideline to ask his opposite number how he wanted to play it if their all-star soccer game ended in a tie. Overtime? PKs? Coin toss at 20 paces?
Turns out he didn’t have to have that conversation at all.
After nearly 70 minutes of close calls, the Woodstown coach’s Tri-County Conference boys soccer all-stars erupted for five goals in the final 10 and a half minutes of the match and wrecked the Colonial Conference stars 5-1 Monday at Haupt Field.
“Just got lucky,” Huck said with some serious side-eye when asked if he planned it that way. “How did they say it on TV, the ‘A-Team,’ ‘I love it when a plan comes together.’
“It worked out really, really well. We had some weapons we were able to make us look like we knew what we were doing on the sideline.”
Actually, the game went a lot like Huck envisioned, for the first 70 minutes at least. It was a close game between two evenly matched teams, nothing like last year’s 9-1 TCC rout.
The Colonials took a 1-0 lead when Gateway’s Ethan LaCroix hit a shot from about the PK spot that was just out of Pennsville keeper Coen Rinnier’s reach less than four minutes before the break.
And it stayed that way until shortly after the TCC’s last wave of substitutions.
Just about the time Huck was headed over to make his overtime pitch GCIT’s Mike Stanwood got the equalizer when he finished Schalick senior Anthony Sepers’ sharp pass through the box with 10:26 to play.
The coach stopped, turned around and decided to rethink this overtime thing. Then the goals came fast and furious.
Before it was over, Sepers had another assist and GCIT’s Cole Madgey and Williamstown’s Amadu Jalloh had two goals apiece. All five goals came in a span of 9 minutes and 12 seconds.
“Sometimes it just clicks and when you score one, then you’re feeling good and get more adrenaline and you score another and then another and then another,” said Sepers, one of nine Salem County players and four Cougars in the game. “I thought it was going to be a really close game, which it was for the most part, and it just opened up.”
The Tris might not have gotten the first goal if Sepers weren’t so good at reading the field. He was going to shoot it from the left side, but saw Stanwood making a run from behind and pushed the ball through to where he anticipated the receiver would be. It would be the play that changed the game.
“The energy completely shifted,” Madgey said. “It was like no one was really caring and then we scored, then it became a huge energy shift and we all started having more fun and it became more of a game. We scored one and we couldn’t stop.”
Jalloh scored the go-ahead goal two minutes later. About 90 seconds after that Madgey lit the lamp for the first time. Madgey got his second goal moments later off a Sepers corner kick and Jalloh closed the scoring with 64 seconds to play shortly after banging one off the post.
“The corner kick (assist) was actually funny,” Sepers said. “A lot of us all used to play on a club team together so we were messing around and calling that one play and it actually worked.”
“They were all talking about a play they had and I joined in,” Madgey said. “They all said ‘crash,’ and went to the goalie. I just joined in and it kind of found its way to me.”
When the train comes in, everybody rides.
Tri-County 5, Colonial 1
| Tri-County | 0 | 5- | 5 |
| Colonial | 1 | 0- | 1 |
Girls: ‘It’s a Schalick show’
CLAYTON – No sooner had Quinn Berger’s goal from the corner settled inside the goal, Cali Fisler ran over to her teammate and enthusiastically proclaimed, “It’s a Schalick show.”
Fisler and Berger scored the first two goals of the game, about five minutes apart in the first half, and Woodstown’s Ellie Wygand made a big save in the second half as the TCC girls won 3-0.
Fisler, who’s normally assisting other players’ goals, scored the first goal of the night when she lined straight up on Colonial keeper Egypt Bolan (Lindenwold) and buried a shot from about 15 yards out inside the left post with 15:07 left in the first half.
“That was pretty exciting considering I’m not much of a goal scorer in the season, I usually get a lot of assists,” the Cougars’ all-time assists leader said. “But I saw the ball open and I had a shot on net, so I was like I’m just going to take it and it wound up in the back of the net so I’m pretty happy.”
Berger made it 2-0 about five minutes later, and of course it came on a corner kick. The set piece specialist, who had five corner-kick assists on Emily Miller goals in a two-game stretch late in the season and scored directly on a corner in the South Jersey Group I semifinals, put a ball on goal from the right corner that exploded off the keeper’s forearms into the goal.
“That’s literally Quinn,” Fisler said. “That’s the definition of Quinn. That’s what she does.”
Berger had two other corners in the half that had chances to go in. The first was headed over the crossbar by one of her teammates and the other was saved by the keeper and cleared by the defense.
“I honestly don’t know (why it works so well),” Berger said. “I just try to aim for the goal and I have my spot to where I put it on the corner.
“I was always the one who took free kicks, so I was always used to that, but this year is just on a whole different level of excellence. I know where to put it and I know the mindset of where people will be and just put it in the box so they can get it.”
Gianna Simon of Overbrook deposited the TCC’s third goal with 2:36 left in the match.
Wygand played at the end of the first half and started the second. She kept the shutout alive when she reached out with her arm to knock away a shot by Audubon’s Charlie Owens targeted for the upper right corner 11 minutes into the second half.
“I was really focused in that moment when I saw the girl coming at me and all I had to do was make the save,” Wygand said. “I definitely knew she was going toward the back post because of the way she was angled. I kind of just planted and it went the right way.
“Once I made it, I was good and I knew I had people to back me up on the back line and everywhere else. It was awesome.”
Tri-County 3, Colonial 0
| Tri-County | 2 | 1- | 3 |
| Colonial | 0 | 0- | 0 |
All-Star Soccer
The Tri-County and Colonial Conference soccer stars face off in annual all-star games Monday at Clayton
By Riverview Sports News
CLAYTON – The Tri-County Conference will put its recent series dominance on the line with another strong roster of all-stars when the games are played on the artificial turf at Haupt Field here Monday night.
TCC has won the boys game the last two years with one-sided outcomes – 9-1 and 5-2 – that weren’t anticipated but just happened.
“The whole point of the game is for it to be competitive and fun and for these guys to play with some really good players and just have some fun with it; that’s the main part of it,” said Woodstown coach Darren Huck, who has the TCC boys team. “I don’t want to see a blowout on either side, that’s not good for anybody. I’m expecting a close game.”
Salem County is well represented with five players in the 5 p.m. girls game and nine in the boys 7 p.m. nightcap.
Among the girls are Schalick’s set-piece specialist Quinn Berger and all-time assists leader Cali Fisler, Woodstown’s Delaney Walker and Ellie Wygand, and Pennsville’s Taylor Bass.
Schalick has four players on the TCC boys roster – Steve Chomo, Jaxon Weber, Anthony Sepers and Michael Nelson – and they’re joined by Woodstown’s Bryce Ayars and Josh Crawford, Pennsville’s Steve Fatcher and Coen Rinnier, and Salem Tech’s Kameron Brown.
“I think we’re going to have a very good showing,” Huck said. “I think we’re going to be very strong with very quality, quality players. It’s a privilege to coach them.”
Huck hasn’t determined his starters, but he does have a plan for the groups. He’ll play with three forwards, giving each of the two groups 20 minutes per half. The two sets of four midfielders also will get 20 minutes per half and the three sets of four defenders will each get 13-minute shifts. Each keeper will get 20 minutes.
“I expect the Colonial Conference to come out with their strongest lineup in the beginning of the game, so we want to make sure we put our strongest goal keeper out there,” Huck said.
Ten of the TCC girls and 12 of the TCC boys will be playing in the South Jersey Soccer Coaches All-Star Game Tuesday at Rutgers-Camden. The Colonial has seven and four players, respectively, in that game.
Girls rosters, 5 p.m.
| NO. | TRI-COUNTY GIRLS | COLONIAL GIRLS |
| 1 | x-Taylor Stuart, Washington Twp. | x-Charlie Owens, Audubon |
| 2 | x-Carli Scrivana, Williamstown | x-Brielle Connor, Haddon Hts. |
| 3 | x-McKenna Eaton, Williamstown | x-Rylee Delaney, W. Deptford |
| 4 | Casey Vilary, Clearview | Penny Floyd, Gateway |
| 5 | Allison Wiggins, Kingsway | Alexis Nelson, Gloucester |
| 6 | Mackenzie Barry, Kingsway | Ayanna Miller, Woodbury |
| 7 | Brianna Weiss, Washington Twp. | Montgomery Graham, Sterling |
| 8 | Brooke Jones, GCIT | x-Kylie Tocco, Audubon |
| 9 | x-Deondria Simon, Clayton | x-Alexis Varela, W. Deptford |
| 10 | Alyssa Shinskie, Clayton | Joselyn Hauck, Haddon Twp. |
| 11 | LeighAnn Nage, Clayton | Madison Eastlack, W. Deptford |
| 12 | Audrey Duffield, Pitman | x-Kayleigh Daley, Gateway |
| 13 | Lauren Narolewski, Glou. Cath. | Whitney Okeke, Lindenwold |
| 14 | Kaitlyn Capalbo, Glou. Cath. | x-Emily Sewell, Gateway |
| 15 | x-Olivia Capecci, Delsea | Madison Sims, Sterling |
| 16 | x-Ayress Maitland, Delsea | Mariela Fuentes Ramirez, Lindenwold |
| 17 | Emma Serrano, Delsea | Egypt Bolan, Londenwold |
| 18 | Gracie Mills, Deptford | Molly Sullivan, Audubon |
| 19 | x-Anna Lawyer, Deptford | Sydney O;Loughlin, W. Deptford |
| 20 | Ciana Ragonese, Cumberland | Moira Schroeder, Haddon Hts. |
| 21 | Elizabeth Anderson, Highland | Jayleen Peebles, Haddon Twp. |
| 22 | x-Amina Brown, Glassboro | Lily Henning, Haddon Twp. |
| 23 | Quinn Berger, Schalick | Alex Billingsley, Haddon Twp. |
| 24 | x-Cali Fisler, Schalick | |
| 25 | x-Delaney Walker, Woodstown | |
| 26 | Ellie Wygand, Woodstown | |
| 27 | Gianna Simon, Overbrook | |
| 28 | Taylor Bass, Pennsville |
Boys rosters, 7 p.m.
| TRI-COUNTY BOYS | COLONIAL BOYS | |
| 1 | William Gallagher, Triton | Connor Wendell, Audubon |
| 2 | Mason Henry, Deptford | Phelan Pizzutillo, Collingswood |
| 3 | x-Kenny Cockerill, Deptford | Mason McCarthy, Haddon Twp. |
| 4 | Brody Rowe, Timber Creek | Ethan LaCroix, Gateway |
| 5 | Aidan Worley, Highland | Juan Flores-Sanches, Collingswood |
| 6 | Joshua Holt, Cumberland | x-Eammon Sheehan, Haddon Twp. |
| 7 | x-Danny Bird, Delsea | x-Riley Yearicks, W. Deptford |
| 8 | x-Bryce Ayars, Woodstown | x-Ben Cameron, Audubon |
| 9 | Steve Chomo, Schalick | Max Ciavarelli, Haddon Hts. |
| 10 | x-Jaxon Weber, Schalick | Allan Medina, Gloucester |
| 11 | Anthony Sepers, Schalick | Zach Fayer, Audubon |
| 12 | x-Michael Nelson, Schalick | Allen Eastlack, W. Deptford |
| 13 | Josh Crawford, Woodstown | Nate Durst, Collingswood |
| 14 | x-Joey Zubert, Pitman | Lester Saba, Woodbury |
| 15 | Zach Payne, Glou. Cath. | Brendan Rettig, Gloucester |
| 16 | Alex Osorio, Wildwood | Shawn Rizzi, Audubon |
| 17 | Steve Fatcher, Pennsville | Quinn Dahem, Haddon Hts. |
| 18 | Ju’son Stewart, Clayton | Alton Rattle, Gateway |
| 19 | Steven Benckert, Clayton | Carter Watson, W. Deptford |
| 20 | Coen Rinnier, Pennsville | x-Bayron Guardado, Lindenwold |
| 21 | Kameron Brown, Salem Tech | Hendrick Guerrero, Lindenwold |
| 22 | x-Connor Brown, Kingsway | Jonathan Rojas, Haddon Hts. |
| 23 | x-Ayden Anderson, Washington Twp. | Jack McGarrigel, Haddon Twp. |
| 24 | x-Cole Madgey, GCIT | Patrick Farrow, Collingswood |
| 25 | Luke Marino, Clearview | |
| 26 | x-Robbie Finnegan, Washington Twp. | |
| 27 | x-Amadu Jalloh, Williamstown | |
| 28 | Cristian Russell, Williamstown | |
| 29 | Angel Lara, Wildwood | |
| 30 | x-Sean Tarsatana, Washington Twp. |
All-TCC boys soccer
Here are the first and second team selections for the Tri-County Conference Diamond and Classic All-Star Teams; 27 Salem County players recognized; x-known TCC-v-Colonial All-Star Game picks
Diamond Division
| POS | FIRST TEAM | SECOND TEAM |
| F | Luke Price, Schalick | Tyler Vanlier, Schalick |
| F | x-Bryce Ayars, Woodstown | Trevor Leach, Pitman |
| F | Steve Chomo, Schalick | Josh Lewis, Overbrook |
| M | Jaxon Weber, Schalick | Nolan O’Toole, Schalick |
| M | Anthony Sepers, Schalick | Thomas Mason, Overbrook |
| M | Jake Lewis, Woodstown | Nate Newcomb, Pitman |
| M | Jake Bowen-Ashwin, Pitman | |
| D | Michael Nelson, Schalick | JT Fleming, Schalick |
| D | x-Josh Crawford, Woodstown | Rooby Dorival, Penns Grove |
| D | Cooper Willoughby, Schalick | Tommy Tucci, Woodstown |
| D | Grady Datz, Pitman | Lucas Razze, Pitman |
| G | Joey Zubert, Pitman | Dwayne Guzman, Penns Grove |
Classic Division
| FIRST TEAM | SECOND TEAM | |
| F | Jonathan Rehm, Clayton | Sam Hassler, Pennsville |
| F | Zach Payne, Gloucester Cath. | Angel Rosario, Wildwood |
| F | Danny Bunay Coronel, Pennsville | Kameron Brown, Salem Tech |
| M | Justin Michaca, Pennsville | Edwin Castaneda-Sanchez, Pennsville |
| M | Jackson Venuto, Clayton | JP Laughrey, Pennsville |
| M | Alex Osorio, Wildwood | Jason Grossman, Gloucester Cath. |
| M | Logan Pace, Salem Tech | |
| D | x-Steve Fatcher, Pennsville | Steven Benckert, Clayton |
| D | Ju’son Stewart, Clayton | Carrington Proffitt, Salem Tech |
| D | Angel Lara, Wildwood | Oscar DeJesus, Wildwood |
| D | Brant Regner, Pennsville | Jackson Mecholsky, Pennsville |
| G | x-Coen Rinnier, Pennsville | Justin Delaney, Clayton |
Tough day
Top-seeded Schalick falls on penalty kicks, Woodstown shut out in South Jersey Group I girls soccer semifinals
SJ GROUP 1 GIRLS SOCCER
Wednesday’s Semifinals
Audubon 3, Schalick 2 (PK, 4-1)
Haddon Twp. 6, Woodstown 0
Friday’s Championship
(6) Haddon Twp. at (5) Audubon, 3 p.m.
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE — Schalick coach Will Kemp searched for the right words. The top-seeded Cougars had just come off the pitch after falling to Audubon 3-2 in a South Jersey Group I semifinal penalty kick shootout and he wanted to make a point, but he wanted to with the proper amount to decorum.
The wind blew steadily throughout the game and although it calmed in the overtime and shootout the Cougars’ coach said it was “another type of influence” that impacted the way his team could play the game.
Several Schalick players were taken to the ground for some extended medical attention and the only yellow card issued was assessed to the Cougars for a contact foul that occurred on the sideline near the Audubon bench.
“It’s a game where we have multiple players who are trying to play proper but kind of get held on a short leash when it comes to the way that we usually play,” Kemp said. “Taking our players out of the game and not being able to get back to our style obviously influenced our game in a negative way.
“Audubon is a tough team to play against. They’ve been to the South Jersey final multiple times. It’s a program that continues to challenge at the top, but at the same exact time we’re a program that challenges at the top as well. I definitely believe we deserved a lot more than what we got today and for this game to go to pens (PKs) it’s unfortunate.”
The Cougars held a 2-0 lead, but Audubon scored twice in the second half with the wind to force extra time. After a scoreless overtime, the Green Wave hit all four of their penalty kicks and won the shootout 4-1.
Kylie Tocco, Charlie Owens, Gi Heller and Molly Sullivan scored in the shootout for Audubon, all of them going for the left post. Cali Fisler hit Schalick’s penalty kick to make it 2-1 in the shootout.
Green Wave keeper Kylie Cannaday stoned Quinn Berger on the Cougars’ first attempt PK and not just for that save Kemp said “in my true heart she actually saved this game for them.”
It was the second year in a row the Cougars were eliminated on PKs, having gone out that way against Glassboro in the quarterfinals last year. The Green Wave is now 3-0 in playoff PK shootouts since 2018.
“I believe the 2-0 lead should have stuck,” Kemp said. “You see the way their players react when it comes to getting touched and things like that, so it’s unfortunate our players get taken out of the game over inexperience from the officiating crew. I hate to say that, but at the same time it’s just the truth.
“Our players get absolutely destroyed and they get nothing for it. I hate that. For that type of influence to happen inside of a high-level game like this, it takes away from two teams out there very competitive that want to win. “
The Cougars (13-6-1) built their lead on a left side corner kick by Berger that sailed into the upper right corner with 5:19 left in the first half and Olivia Vanacker’s breakaway six minutes into the second half. The Green Wave (12-8-1) tied it on goals by Sullivan and Owens three and a half minutes apart midway through the second half.
“We have a group of fighters,” Green Wave coach Bill Scully said. “We played an incredibly tough schedule this year. There were a lot of times when we could have given in a little bit and they never did. Down 2-0 is tough and sometimes you can see a team have doubt, but the fight was actually stronger at that point. They’re just so relentless. This team, they just refused to stop fighting. They’re not going to stop until somebody says it’s done. We have a tough group of kids.”
“That’s something every team says about us, no matter what,” Sullivan said. “We could be losing 4-0 and then come back. We’re going to keep fighting whether we win or lose.”
The goal by Berger gave her 100 career points (31 goals, 38 assists). Fisler joined the 100-Point Club earlier this season.
“For Quinn, it’s an amazing feat to join the 100-Point Club,” Kemp said. “I’m not sure exactly how many players are in there, but even if there are a lot of players in there it’s still an amazing feat especially when it comes to Schalick soccer. We have a special group that’s up there and I’m glad that Quinn will join it.”
Audubon will host Haddon Twp. (11-9-1) Friday, 3 p.m. for the South Jersey Group I championship.
HADDON TWP. 6, WOODSTOWN 0: Aubrey Carson scored two goals in the second half to complete her first career hat trick and set the game on track for a mercy-rule finish. The sophomore also had two assists and now has seven goals and six assists in the Hawks’ three playoff games.
Kaitlyn Martin scored a pair of goals for the Hawks and Abby Wiedeman had their other goal.
“It just didn’t go right for us,” Wolverines coach Kieran Keyser said. “We started off slow and Haddon Twp. didn’t back down. From the first minute to the last minute of the game they poured it on. They were solid throughout. Everyone was on on their team.”
The Wolverines fell behind in the first three minutes when Carson scored on a ball knocked loose after Woodstown keeper Ellie Wygand appeared to make an initial save.
About five minutes later freshman Hailey Kucharczuk had a good chance to tie the game. She gathered the rebound after her initial shot was stopped and had an open goal with the goalie beaten when Hawks’ center back Jocelyn Hauck came out of nowhere, threw her leg up and deflected the ball over the crossbar. Keyser called it “one of the better defensive saves I’ve ever seen a high school center back make.”
Wiedeman made it 2-0 and then Martin scored her first goal on a penalty kick to make it 3-0.
“From that point on it was really an uphill battle,” Keyser said. “Mistakes that we made today we did not make against Gateway (in the quarterfinals), we did not make in the regular season. It wasn’t our best showing today. Sometimes you just don’t always have it. It was an unfortunate way to end the season, but still lots to be proud of.”
GROUP 1 GIRLS SOCCER
Saturday’s Section Finals
South
(6) Haddon Twp. at (5) Audubon, Friday
Central
(9) Point Pleasant Beach at (6) Shore
North I
(5) Pequannock at (2) Midland Park
North II
(11) Glen Ridge at Verona or Mountain Lakes
Tails, they win
Schalick takes the wind in the second half, scores game’s only goal in win over Audubon to reach SJ Group I finals
SJ GROUP 1 BOYS SOCCER
Tuesday’s Semifinals
Schalick 1, Audubon 0
Haddon Twp. 4, Palmyra 1
Friday’s Championship
(2) Schalick (16-3-2) at (1) Haddon Twp. (15-5-1), 6 p.m.
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE — The Schalick boys soccer team is headed back to the South Jersey Group I title game after a windy, workmanlike 1-0 win over Audubon Tuesday and some might say they won this at the coin toss.
The second-seeded Cougars won the toss, defended against the wind in the first half and got the game’s only goal with the wind at their back in the second half.
It wasn’t just a little breezy. The wind was howling straight down the field at 20 mph, with gusts up to 30. The team that could take advantage of the conditions best had the best chance of winning and having control of when you got the wind was as big a factor in the match as any strategic move.
“It’s bigger than you think, especially on days like today when the wind’s ripping like that; definitely got the luck of the coin there,” stopper Cooper Willoughby said. “You don’t really think of it that much – it’s more of just an afterthought, like let’s get this over with and start playing – but it really helped us today.”
“That was the thing,” captain Jaxon Weber said. “We knew the wind was a huge factor today and capitalizing on the coin toss, luck, but we took our side that we wanted to go against first knowing the second half we could come out and dominate.”
The Cougars almost always will take the wind in the second half because it’s much harder to score an equalizing goal against the wind.
“Especially when we’ve got wind like this we love taking the harder end, having the wind coming against us, in the first half, just to weather the storm,” Willoughby said, “so we can really get it going in the second half hopefully with the wind, which we did manage to do today.”
The Cougars (16-3-2) now play at top-seeded Haddon Twp. in the sectional final Friday. There is talk of the game being played at 6 p.m., which would put it opposite of Schalick’s sectional final football game at Glassboro, but nothing has been determined.
Weber scored the game’s only goal, heading home a long, curling shot from Josh Stecher into the top left corner with 21:17 to play.
Stecher was about 25 yards out on the right side and his shot cut through the wind to the far post where Weber was positioned for the finish. The freshman assisted an Anthony Sepers goal on a similar shot from the left side on Senior Night.
“I really like to cross in the box a lot, that’s one of the good things I like to do,” Stecher said. “I was really hoping someone could get a head on it and get it in.”
The Cougars almost scored eight minutes before Weber broke the ice when Steve Chomo banged a shot off the crossbar.
Weber just missed a goal with three seconds left in the first half when the Cougars were going against the wind.
“That one was really close,” Weber said. “That keeper made an unbelievable save. He couldn’t have made a better save I put it in the exact spot at the exact place I wanted it, so him making that save was incredible.”
“That would’ve been perfect,” Schalick coach Joe Mannella said. “We finally got a little patience. It seemed like we were settling in and really had a nice little sequence there. Anthony put it on the platter and Jaxon hit a shot and the keeper made a great save. That would’ve been some nice momentum going into halftime.”
Audubon did mount some attacks with and against the wind, but each time they did the Cougars’ senior back line gobbled it up and cleared the ball to the most open side to start their own attack. And when the Green Wave tried to clear those, the Cougars intercepted and attacked again.
“That’s a big thing with Coach Joe,” Willoughby said. “Get it wide and move it quick.”
GROUP 1 BOYS SOCCER
Friday’s Section Finals
South
Schalick (16-3-2) at Haddon Twp. (15-5-1)
Central
Middlesex (14-6-2) at Delaware Valley (18-5)
North I
North Warren-Emerson Boro vs. Pompton Lakes-Waldwick
North II
Verona-Wallington vs. Glen Ridge (17-4)
This week’s schedule
Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Nov. 10-16
TUESDAY, NOV. 11
BOYS SOCCER
South Jersey Group I semifinals
Palmyra at Haddon Twp.
Audubon at Schalick, 2 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, NOV. 12
GIRLS SOCCER
South Jersey Group I semifinals
Audubon at Schalick, 2 p.m.
Woodstown at Haddon Twp.
THURSDAY, NOV. 13
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Bergen at Salem CC, 7 p.m.
FRIDAY, NOV. 14
FOOTBALL
South Jersey Group I Championship
Schalick at Glassboro, 6 p.m.
Central: Shore at Burlington City, 6 p.m.
North II: Cedar Grove at New Providence, 6:30 p.m.
North I: Kinnelon at Butler, 7 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
South Jersey Group I Championship
Palmyra-Haddon Twp. vs. Audubon-Schalick
SATURDAY, NOV. 15
GIRLS SOCCER
South Jersey Group I Championship
Audubon-Schalick vs. Woodstown-Haddon Twp.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Penn Highlands Turkey Classic
Salem CC vs. Bryant Stratton, 5 p.m.
Sandhills at Penn Highlands, 7:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, NOV. 16
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Penn Highlands Turkey Classic
Salem CC at Penn Highlands, 3 p.m.
Photo credit: Heather Papiano
Carrying on
Woodstown, top-seeded Schalick pick up quarterfinal wins in SJ Group I girls bracket, remain on collision course for sectional final
GIRLS SOCCER
SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I TOURNAMENT
Saturday’s Quarterfinals
Schalick 2, Glassboro 0
Audubon 2, Palmyra 0
Haddon Twp. 6, Clayton 0
Woodstown 4, Gateway 3
Wednesday’s Semifinals
(5) Audubon at (1) Schalick
(7) Woodstown at (6) Haddon Twp.
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
WOODBURY HEIGHTS – Kieran Keyser has been around the game of soccer a long time as a player and a coach, so when he tells you his Woodstown team’s South Jersey Group I playoff game against Gateway was one of the most exciting he’s been involved with you can just about take it to the bank.
The teams went back and forth for 80 minutes Saturday trading goal for goal before Emma Morgan fired back a rebound with less than four minutes left to stun the second-seeded Gators 4-3 win and send the Wolverines into the semifinals for the first time since 2019.
It was the Gators’ first loss since the season opener and snapped their 16-game winning streak.
“It was one of the most exciting games I’ve been a part of as a player or a coach,” Keyser said. “It was about as back-and-forth as you could have it.
“It was stressful, I will say. I talked to a couple of the parents at the game and they said I did not need that stress. I said I did not either. I am 31 years old and that was the most stressful thing … It put some gray hairs on my head, for sure.”
Gateway scored first midway through the first half – its only lead – but Morgan tied it with her first goal on a “textbook play” with Emma Perry and freshman Hailey Kucharczuk put Woodstown up 2-1 at halftime. The Gators tied it early in the second half, Perry gave the Wolverines a 3-2 lead, but Gateway retied it less than two minutes later.
“They just kept coming back on every goal we got,” Morgan said. “It was like every goal we got near the end we were like this is the one (that ends it), like we’re going to park the bus now, we’re going to settle down and just play defensive and then they’d get another one and then we’d have to fight again. It was almost like we really thought we were going to have to go into overtime because they’d answer every goal.”
She saw to it they didn’t. Delia Hahn sent a free kick into the box, Kucharczuk headed it off the crossbar and Morgan beat the defender to the rebound to finish it into an open goal. It was her ninth goal of the season and first multi-goal game of her career.
“I was happy how our girls responded,” Keyser said. “We rose to the competition. We didn’t play super good against Pennsville, but we got the job done. I mean, that’s what the playoffs are all about. We rose to how good (Gateway) were and we pulled out the win. I was so proud of how our girls stepped up. We left everything out on the field today.”
The seventh-seeded Wolverines (15-3-1) now travel to sixth-seeded Haddon Twp. (10-9-1) Wednesday for the semifinals. They are the highest seeded team remaining in the bracket.
SCHALICK 2, GLASSBORO 0: The corner kick combination of Quinn Berger and Emily Miller struck again, this time connecting on a pair of first-half goals to send the top-seeded Cougars to the sectional semifinals.
It’s the fifth time in the last two games the two have teamed up to light the lamp. Berger now has 18 assists this season, 38 in her career and is now two shy of 100 points for her career.
“It’s just a connection, especially on corner kicks,” Schalick coach Will Kemp said. “Emily Miller is very good in the air, so she’s constantly finding the ball, and Quinn’s service is second to none.”
The Cougars (13-5-1) now host fifth-seeded Audubon (11-8-1) in the semifinals Wednesday.
The score wasn’t a true indicator of how much the Cougars dominated their tournament opener. They outshot the Bulldogs 21-0.
“The results are the results, it’s the way the game goes sometimes,” Kemp said. “One of the things Glassboro did well was their goalkeeper performed extremely well again. She made some really good saves.”
Schalick to semis
Cougars take an emotional win over Penns Grove in SJ Group I boys soccer tournament; Pennsville blanked by top seed Haddon Twp.
| SJ GROUP 1 BOYS SOCCER |
| FRIDAY’S QUARTERFINALS | TUESDAY’S SEMIFINALS |
| Haddon Twp. 6, Pennsville 0 | Palmyra at Haddon Twp. |
| Palmyra 1, Pitman 0 | Audubon at Schalick |
| Audubon 5, Riverside 2 | |
| Schalick 4, Penns Grove 0 |
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE — Schalick scored three goals in the second half after a dust-up right before intermission and handled Penns Grove 4-0 in the South Jersey Group I boys soccer quarterfinals.
In a game between two county and division rivals, tempers flared along the far sideline just as the first half ended. There was some discussion of ending the game right there with Schalick leading 1-0, but it was agreed the game would continue if the principal protagonists, Schalick’s Anthony Sepers and Penns Grove’s Michael Schultz, did not play in the second half and no further incidents would be tolerated. There were no red card ejections.
Schalick coach Joe Mannella declined to comment on the incident and Penns Grove’s Mano Massari said he was preoccupied with getting a sub into the game at the time and didn’t have a good enough vantage point of the scuffle to comment.
Officials, coaches and administrators huddled at midfield during the entire halftime before making their decision to continue.
The second-seeded Cougars were on their Ps and Qs after that so not to jeopardize their playoff hopes. Playing for their ousted teammate, they scored three times in the second half.
“It definitely fired us up,” Mike Nelson said.
“We wanted to do it for our teammate,” Jaxon Weber said.
Marco Spinnato told Sepers after the incident he was going to score a goal in the second half and he scored the first of his two five minutes into the period to give the Cougars some breathing room. He had a third goal waved off for offsides. Nelson got the other goal in the half, deflecting a long free kick from Weber inside the left post.
“I think that motivated us and pushed us to win this game,” Spinnato said. “It helped us because we knew if we made one mistake we were out of there.
“Our coaches, Jaxon, our captains, all told us we have to stay through the game plan and we have to keep motivated, we can’t let one thing get to us because if we let it get to us we’re jeopardizing our playoff run.”
“Momentum is a real thing,” Massari said. “They did nice job of putting the ball in the back of the net and staying in control. Good team over there.”
Nolan O’Toole banged home a rebound for the first goal of the match midway through the first half.
In terms of what took place between the lines, the Cougars (15-3-2) controlled the action on both sides of the ball. They created numerous chances on offense and when the Red Devils (9-6-3) appeared to mount an attack their defense was there to collect the ball and move it out of harm’s way. Goalie Evan Sepers had three saves.
“Defensively we continue to play really strong; we know that’s the key to winning in the playoffs, keeping the ball out of your net,” Mannella said. “They continue to do that and they were excellent today.”
The Cougars now host third-seeded Audubon in Tuesday’s semifinals.
HADDON TWP. 6, PENNSVILLE 0: The top-seeded Hawks scored three goals in the first eight mights of the second half to open a comfortable margin and finished it off before the 20-minute mark to end Pennsville’s historic season and reach the sectional semifinals.
Sophomore Brody Beals scored his first career hat trick and Bobby McIlvaine scored twice to lead the victory. Danny McIlvaine scored the other goal.
Beals and Bobby McIlvaine scored in the first half to give the Hawks (14-5-1) a 2-0 lead. Beals opened the scoring in the second half and the McIlvaines scored a minute apart to make it 5-0.
“We ran into one of the best Group 1 teams in the state and they were on form,” Foglein said. “We battled with them for the first half, but then in the second half every shot they had was perfect.
“I know it’s crazy to praise my keeper in that scoreline, but Coen (Rinnier) was fantastic. He made some unbelievable stops in the first half. When it got to the second half, it wouldn’t have mattered who the goalie was.”
The Eagles (11-7-2) checked off a lot of boxes during the season. They enjoyed their winningest season since 2017, won their first division title in 32 years and won their first playoff game since 2014 in the opening round.
“It leaves a sour taste tonight, but tomorrow we’ll wake up and remember that we had a historic season,” Foglein said. “That’s what I reminded the guys on the bus.”
Change comes quick
Woodstown strikes in final minute of first half, beats Pennsville in opening round of South Jersey Group I girls soccer tournament; top-seeded Schalick draws first-round bye
| SJ GROUP 1 GIRLS SOCCER TOURNAMENT |
| FIRST ROUND GAMES | SATURDAY QUARTERFINALS |
| Schalick bye | Glassboro at Schalick, 10 a.m. |
| Glassboro 2, Pitman 0 | Audubon at Palmyra |
| Audubon 6, Buena 0 | Haddon Twp. at Clayton, 2:30 p.m. |
| Palmyra 7, Wildwood 0 | Woodstown at Gateway |
| Clayton 9, Woodbury 1 | |
| Haddon Twp. 8, Maple Shade 0 | |
| Woodstown 2, Pennsville 0 | |
| Gateway 7, Cape May Tech 0 |
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
WOODSTOWN — The two teams on the pitch were locked in a scoreless tug-of-war. Woodstown was getting the best of it but after repeated attacks had nothing to show for it. As the clock hit the final minute Wolverines coach Kieran Keyser was starting to make mental plans for the second half.
Then in the blink of an eye the whole complexion of the match changed.
Sophie Wells sent a bouncing ball towards the goal that the Pennsville keeper couldn’t corral and just that quickly the Wolverines had the lead 30 seconds before halftime.
It was the kind of jolt that energized the Wolverines and sent the Eagles, who had thought they were holding their own, into the break looking to regroup.
With a renewed sense of fire, Woodstown kept the pressure up in the second half, added a more conventional goal from freshman Hailey Kucharczuk in the eighth minute of the half and went on to win 2-0 in the opening round of the South Jersey Group 1 girls soccer tournament.
“Our first half we started off really strong, really fast,” Keyser said. “We came out firing right away and I think our girls maybe got a little frustrated when we didn’t score when we had a couple chances early and I thought we deflated a little bit about halfway through the first half. We didn’t have that intensity.
“Having that goal right before the half gave us the momentum we needed. It was a lucky goal. Sometimes you gotta get shots, sometimes you get lucky. That carried us into the second half and I thought we played way better in the second half. We played our game the second half.”
Wells admitted it was weird goal and a shot she didn’t expect to go in. “I thought it was just going to be an ordinary shot,” she said. She agreed it did bring the Wolverines energy after a “stressful” first half.
As shocking as the goal was in its arrival, it didn’t devastate the Eagles as much as one might think. They created more chances in the second half although the Wolverines were successful keeping the ball down in Pennsville’s end.
The Eagles got their first real shot of the game three minutes into the second half when Marley Wood broke in on the keeper and Ellie Wygand saved a soft shot. Wygand turned back a sharper shot from Taylor Bass 10 minutes later and went on to complete her ninth shutout of the season.
“At halftime we just needed to get the girls’ heads back in the game, get them to lock in and refocus,” Pennsville coach Casey Slusher said. “They kept playing the whole game; they played the whole game. They didn’t give up. At all.”
Kucharczuk gave the Wolverines a little more breathing room with her 10th goal of the season. She took a throw-in from Ally Sheppard, deked around several defenders in the box and put one inside the near post from the 6.
“When I have the chance I definitely take them and it’s definitely great when it all works out,” Kucharczuk said.
The seventh-seeded Wolverines (14-3-1) now play at Gateway (16-1) in Saturday’s quarterfinals. The second-seeded Gators routed Cape May Tech Wednesday 7-0.
Riverview Sports News 