Category: SOCCER

Stone-cold keeper

Wednesday sports report: Stengel’s stop of penalty kick sparks Woodstown soccer to second-half uprising, and more

BOYS SOCCER
Penns Grove 6, Gloucester Catholic 3
Pitman 5, Salem Tech 0
Schalick 3, Wildwood 2 (OT)
Woodstown 6, Pennsville 0
Glassboro at Salem

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Scoring a goal always gets a team excited, but sometimes stopping a goal can be a spark.

Woodstown goalie Ben Stengel stopped a penalty kick in the second minute of the second half to keep their game with Pennsville scoreless Wednesday and it lit a fire under his team.

STENGEL

The Wolverines scored three goals over the next 12 minutes to take complete control and six in the entire half to pull away from Pennsville 6-0.

“It definitely lit a spark,” Woodstown coach Darren Huck said. “Ben’s save definitely was the spark plug. It energized the guys, like, wow.

“And what it did was reiterated what I told them at halftime that any little thing can happen. A ball squibs this way, spins that way, hits a patch of dirt one way, all of a sudden we could be down one-zero after we pretty much controlled the first half.”

Although the game was completed in regulation, both defenses worked overtime to keep it scoreless in the first half. Pennsville keeper Coen Rinnier turned back 10 challenging shots as most of the half was played in his defensive end. And whenever Pennsville pushed into Woodstown territory, the Wolverines’ back line was right there to turn back any threat.

But it all changed early in the second half. The Wolverines were called for contact in the box 90 seconds in – a call both coaches found questionable – and it sent Pennsville senior John Thomas to the spot for a penalty kick.

Stengel stood his ground. Thomas hit the shot straight on into the keeper, who leaned towards his left and raised his arms to keep it from catching the underside of the crossbar and batted it away. He collected the rebound, cleared it through the box and the game continued scoreless.

It was the second PK in three attempts Stengel had turned away this season.

“It helped a little bit that (Coach) Huck wanted to come out and ask about the play, so that was good; it built up the anticipation up there,” Stengel said. “He was scared to death just sitting there, his teammates were telling him where to kick, they were like pointing fingers this way so when he goes to kick I know exactly where he’s going. It was just all the nerves building up from waiting.

“I was ready to dive. I don’t know if you guys could see from where you were but there’s a little bit of a hole on the PK (spot) and he just took like a bad step and hit it weird. That’s what I was kind of waiting for. You’ve got like guess. I was ready to dive, he hits it weird, you’ve just got to react real quick and stand back up.”

Stengel said stopping the penalty kick “killed everything” in the Eagles. The Wolverines, meanwhile, kept up the pressure they exhibited in the first half only this time they were able to finish.

Ayden Ellis, Erich Lipovsky and Bryce Ayars scored over the next 12 minutes to make it 3-0. Before the half ended, Adrian Ibarra was credited with a pair of goals – his third straight two-goal game – and Sid Leevy scored his second goal of the year.

In defense of Rinnier, who faced 32 shots total, there wasn’t a lot he could do on several of the goals. Although it won’t be reflected on the stat line, Pennsville coach Derek Foglein called it “the best game I’ve ever seen Coen play.

“He was all over the place. He commanded his box. He slowed the game down. He did everything right. Even in the second half, you take a look at a lot of those goals, there aren’t many that are his fault. It was really one of those things where Woodstown, they didn’t execute in the first half, they executed in the second half.”

SCHALICK 3, WILDWOOD 2 (OT): Brad Foster headed home a corner kick from Jaxon Weber seven minutes into the first overtime to give the Cougars their seventh win in eight games and hand coach Joe Mannella his 300th career victory. Luke Price scored Schalick’s first two goals, both in the first half. Mannella is 300-123-28 — all at Schalick, his alma mater. (See related story).

PENNS GROVE 6, GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 0: Anthony Braxton opened the scoring three minutes into the first half and the Red Devils proceeded to score six goals in the first half. Frankie Juarez Reynoso had two, while Sebastian Hernandez, Edward Swank and Angel Perez Herrera each had one.

PITMAN 5, SALEM TECH 0: Elijah Crispin, who recently returned to the Panthers’ soccer team, scored his first two goals of the season. Crispin had nine goals and 11 assists last year.

Glassboro at Salem

GIRLS SOCCER
WOODSTOWN 3, PITMAN 0: Talia Battavio scored two goals, raising her career total to 55, and Sophie Wells scored once for Woodstown. The Wolverines are unbeaten in their last four games and all three wins in the stretch have been shutouts. Ellie Wygand made five saves in the latest shutout.

Gloucester Catholic 5, Penns Grove 0
Salem at Glassboro
Salem Tech at Pennsville

GIRLS TENNIS
Pennsville matched its best start in four seasons when it swept Overbrook in straight sets, 5-0. The Eagles’ 11-0 start matches the start of the 2021 team.

PENNSVILLE 5, OVERBROOK 0
Megan Morris (P) def. Keira Riess, 6-2, 6-1
Regan Witt (P) def. Nesrine Fosso, 6-1, 6-3
Lily Edwards (P) def. Sophia Burgos, 6-0, 6-0
Emma Cornette-Morgan Holt (P) def. Jennifer Giovanni-Hillary Cao, 6-0, 6-2
Naomi Hess-Isabell Schrenker (P) def. Madison Rikard-Gianna Hardy, 6-0, 6-0
Records: Pennsville 11-0, Overbrook 1-10.

Pennsville keeper Coen Rinnier punches a shot clear in the first half to keep the Eagles’ game with Woodstown scoreless. On the cover, Woodstown keeper Ben Stengel stops a penalty kick early in the second half.



Golden goal for milestone

Foster’s overtime header lifts Schalick over Wildwood to give Mannella his 300th career coaching victory – a Salem County soccer first

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WILDWOOD – Joe Mannella had been anticipating the event for weeks now, not that he was counting down the days or anything, and when the moment finally arrived Wednesday with all its celebration he almost couldn’t find the words.

Brad Foster headed home a corner kick from Jaxon Weber seven minutes into the first overtime Wednesday to give Schalick to a 3-2 victory over Wildwood and hand its head coach his 300th career coaching victory.

Mannella, in his 22nd season, is the first soccer coach in Salem County history and 59th in the state to record 300 boys-only varsity victories.

“It’s an overtime goal, it’s golden goal, so the kids are all celebrating,” Mannella said. “A couple ran over to me right away, but most of them just celebrated with each other. I just kind of sat there almost like I was watching the ending of a good movie. It was almost like an out-of-body experience. Not everybody gets to live this.

“From being able to coach where you were born and grew up and went to school and played yourself, I can’t imagine doing it any other way. There are so many things in this world that don’t go your way, I couldn’t have written a better script. I feel very fortunate to live this fairy tale.”

Mannella came into the season needing seven wins for the milestone. The Cougars (7-1) put him on the verge with a 5-0 win over Penns Grove Monday.

When Foster banged home the game-winner, the players raced to the corner flag and celebrated. They had something for their coach. They gave him a traditional ice bucket bath – he anticipated it and brought an extra change of clothes – sprayed him with silly string and presented him with balloons and a commemorative “300 Wins” soccer ball.

“It was a nice feeling seeing Coach get his big 300, especially since not a lot of coaches have that big number,” Foster said. “It’ll be a great memory.”

The Schalick soccer team gives coach Joe Mannella the traditional ice bucket celebration after presenting him with his 300th career victory Wednesday in Wildwood. (Submitted photo).

Tributes poured in after Mannella reached the milestone. His phone was full of text messages from former players, current teachers and family members. Among the well-wishers was good friend Darren Huck, the Woodstown coach. Huck is in line to become the next Salem County coach to reach 300, needing seven to hit the milestone after his team’s win at Pennsville Wednesday.

“He is Schalick soccer,” Huck said after learning of the Cougars’ result after his team’s game. “When you think of Schalick soccer you think of him. As a player and now a coach he’s had tremendous success. 

“Good coaches know the game, good coaches know how to handle multiple personalties on a team and that type of thing, but he has it all. He knows his players, he has a system in place. Kudos to him.”

Luke Price scored the Cougars’ first two goals. He got the first on a header three minutes into the match and the game-tying goal on a run from midfield with four minutes left in the first half. NuNu Bedderi gave the Warriors the lead with two goals in between. 

“It’s an amazing feeling, just that I contributed to the game also,” Price said. “We just kept fighting. We just had one goal and that was to win for Coach. Just knowing that my coach got 300 wins in his high school coaching career is a great feeling. As a player you have trust in him and you know he’s going to lead you on the right path.”

The teams played an even second half although Schalick, the South Jersey Group I power points leader, had the best of the play. Cougars goalie Evan Sepers made a spectacular save in overtime to keep the dream alive.

“A lot of guys contributed to this,” Mannella said. “They had a lot of fun. The bus ride was fun. I think they enjoyed being part of it as much as I was experiencing this. I’m looking forward to more wins with these guys.”

Fiesty Eagles find a way

Pennsville girls tennis gets early leg up in division race after beating Woodstown, extends winning streak to 16

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – The Pennsville girls tennis team remained undefeated and took the early upper hand in the TCC Diamond Division race Tuesday with a 4-1 win at Woodstown, but, befitting the rivalry, it was a lot closer than the score indicated. 

A lot closer.

The Eagles fought back to win super tiebreakers at second singles and first doubles after both lost the second set and fell way behind in the 10-pointer and won at first singles after holding off a threat to create another super tiebreaker.

They now have division wins over Woodstown and Schalick but have to play them each again. Their second match with Schalick was suspended by weather with the Eagles trailing 2-1 but up a set in both doubles matches. The match is scheduled to resume in late October.

While it won’t count towards in the division race, Pennsville and Schalick are scheduled to play Oct. 8 in the second round of the South Jersey Group I tournament. The winner could potentially get Woodstown in the group semifinals.

“(Getting a leg up in the division) is all it is, the way we look at it, because we’re so close to them; all three of us (Pennsville, Woodstown, Schalick) there’s not much difference,” Pennsville coach Dan LaMont said. “I don’t even think we played great tennis, we just played scrappy. We know that’s what we’ve got to do. We just put a lot of balls back, we hustled. It was as tight as two teams can be.”

The difference on this day was the Eagles’ two super tiebreaker wins.

Regan Witt defeated Camille Osborn 6-2, 2-6, 10-8 at No. 2 singles and the No. 1 doubles team of Emma Cornette and Gabi Forino outlasted Alyssa Berry and Julianna Lindenmuth 6-0, 3-6, 10-8.

Witt (8-2) was down 8-4 in her tiebreaker, then won every point on the other side of the net to score her second super tiebreaker win of the season. The first doubles team was down 5-1 in their third and then won all six points on the other side of the net to take control and remain undefeated as partners (8-0).

Forino has won her last 12 doubles matches going back to last season, when she played second doubles. Cornette has won her last 15.

“It hasn’t been easy for Regan,” LaMont said. “She’s getting some good players and she just persevered. That was pretty big. The first doubles we just said let’s get to Emma’s serve. If we can get to Emma’s serve then we feel pretty good and that’s what they did.

“We just found a little gear when we had to. We kind of clamped down, locked in a little more. We’ve just got to keep on getting better and better. We can’t stop.”

With the win, the Eagles improved to 10-0 this season and extended their regular-season winning streak to 16 in a row. It’s their third best start in the last 15 years and their best since 2021 when they opened the season 11-0. The 2010 team started the year 12-0. The 2011 team had a 15-match in-season winning streak.

Lamont said his current team compared favorably to the 2021 squad.

“It’s very similar,” he said. “Just typical Pennsville girls who are going to go out there, they’re going to limit their unforced errors, they’re going to hustle. We’re not going to wow anybody with our tennis skills as you’ve seen. We’re not going to wow anybody with our overall play. Same type of team.”

PENNSVILLE 4, WOODSTOWN 1
Megan Morris (P) def. Gabby Kurds, 6-4, 7-5
Regan Witt (P) def. Camille Osborn, 6-2, 2-6, 10-8
Lily Edwards (P) def. Aubrie Rennie, 6-1, 6-0
Emma Cornette-Gabi Forino (P) def. Alyssa Berry-Julianna Lindenmuth, 6-0, 3-6, 10-8
Nathalie Neron-Noelle Neron (Wo) def. Isabell Schrenker-Naomi Hess, 6-0, 6-2
Records: Pennsville 10-0, Woodstown 8-3.

FIELD HOCKEY
Schalick 2, Gloucester City 1: Caylen Taylor and Phoebe Alward scored goals and Lydia Gilligan made 12 saves as the Cougars followed up their big win over Hammonton with an equally big win on the road at Gloucester City to remain undefeated. Ava Scurry assisted on both Schalick goals.
Woodstown 3, Glassboro 0: The Wolverines broke a scoreless halftime tie with three goals in the third quarter. Zoe Lipovsky scored twice and Hanna Hitchner scored once. Shelby Foote recorded the shutout.
Pennsville 5, Clayton 1


Closing on history

Schalick bounces back from season’s first loss, moves Mannella to 299, Ibarra leads Woodstown past Pitman

BOYS SOCCER
Pennsville 4, Gloucester Catholic 1
Salem Tech 6, Salem 0
Schalick 5, Penns Grove 0
Woodstown 3, Pitman 1
GIRLS SOCCER
Schalick 5, Penns Grove 0
Woodstown 2, Pennsville 0
Salem Tech at Salem

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE — Joe Mannella moved another step closer to making some Salem County soccer history Monday, but truth be told he was much happier with the way his Schalick soccer team responded to its first loss of the season.

The Cougars handed their coach career win No. 299 Monday with a dominating 5-0 win over Penns Grove. Mannella came become the first soccer coach in Salem County to reach 300 career wins Wednesday at Wildwood.

The milestone and celebration would have happened Monday had the Cougars (6-1) taken care of business Saturday in Cinnaminson. Instead, they fell 2-1 in their most physical match of the season and Mannella was keenly interested in seeing how they would respond their next time out.

They responded by playing most of the game in the offensive end, turning back every Penns Grove advance and getting goals from five separate players .

“I couldn’t have been happier (with their response),” Mannella said as he watched his Cougars of the future in the JV game. “I thought about it the whole weekend. Not that we lost and not that we played bad, it’s just when the pressure gets on and when things aren’t going your way you see little cracks in the armor.

“I told them after the game I should know by now because all last year when things weren’t going our way they rose to the occasion. They did today. Everybody did what we talked about, everybody executed the game plan. I couldn’t be happier with the way we played today.”

Each of the last eight games in the series have been decided by shutout, with Schalick winning six, including the last three. Five of the Cougars’ wins this season have been by shutout.

The Cougars got goals from Anthony Sepers (19:36), Luke Price (36:52), Seth Fisher (54:13), freshman Connor Jackson (68:26) and Nolan O’Toole (71:42).

Sepers opened the scoring when he collected a ball in the upper left corner of the penalty area, pushed it forward a couple yards, then fired a volley over Penns Grove keeper Dwayne Guzman’s outstretched arm and into the upper right corner of the goal.

Price took a through ball from Oscar Hernandez in the box and beat the keeper with 3:08 left in the first half to give the Cougars a 2-0 halftime lead. It was his first goal since sustaining a broken wrist and growth plate when he was knocked down in the box five minutes into the Pitman match last Thursday. He played with a black cast that probably will stay on the rest of the season.

“It’s just all heart,” Price said. “I wanted to get right back at the game. It’s a disadvantage, but at the same time you’ve got to use it and bring your best.

“We got away from our game (Saturday), we just got away from it, but this is a great bounce back. We needed to respond. We played our game and had so many chances.”

The Cougars really turned up the pressure in the second half.

Jackson’s goal was the first of his career and added to a family legacy. He split two defenders and moved in on the net. He almost lost the ball in the box, but gathered it back in and had a wide open net to accept his shot. It gave the Cougars a 4-0 lead.

Jackson’s father is a former Schalick player and Mannella’s younger first cousin. His uncle, Kevin, is the Cougars’ all-time leading goal scorer (100).

They all are among the many who have contributed to Mannella’s 22-year run towards 300 wins.

“I’d trade it all for a state title, even a sectional title,” he said. “When you’re here over 20 years and you coach all these good players you’re going to accumulate numbers, so you don’t want it to be a hollow – it hasn’t been – but moreso if we don’t come out of this season doing what we’re capable of, I’ll probably be disappointed.”

WOODSTOWN 3, PITMAN 1: Adrian Ibarra broke a 1-1 tie with a goal in the first half, then added an insurance goal in the second to help the Wolverines (6-2) to their fourth straight win. It was Ibarra’s second two-goal game in a row. Ben Stengel made four saves in the Woodstown goal and also assisted on Ibarra’s first goal.

The Wolverines have won their last 10 in a row when Ibarra scores a goal. They are 18-4-1 over the last four seasons when he scores.

The game had major playoff seeding implications. The teams were Nos. 7 and 8 in the South Jersey Group I power points standings entering the game.

The win leaves Woodstown coach Darren Huck eight shy of 300 for his coaching career.

PENNSVILLE 4, GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 1: Shane Puckett scored twice in the first 14 minutes of the match and got the assist on the Eagles’ next goal. John Thomas and Sam Hassler scored later in the half to give the Eagles a 4-0 halftime lead. Maddox Efelis had a pair of assists

SALEM TECH 6, SALEM 0: Aiden Bobo and Alexander Robi scored two goals apiece and Graham Fields recorded a goal and two first-half assists as the Chargers (2-6) won back-to-back games for the first time in program history. The six goals are also a program record, topping the five they put on Gloucester Catholic in their last win.

Penns Grove keeper Dwayne Guzman stops Schalick’s Brad Foster from close range in the first half Monday. On the cover, Luke Price breaks in to score the second goal of the match.

Girls games

WOODSTOWN 2, PENNSVILLE 0: Ryann Foote and Emma Perry scored goals for the Wolverines (5-3-1) and Ellie Wygand recorded the shutout.

SCHALICK 5, PENNS GROVE 0: Freshman Olivia Vanacker had the first two-goal game of her career to lead the Cougars (6-2). Abby Willoughby, Cali Fisler and Joel Winnberg netted the other Schalick goals. Freshman Jessica Fantini recorded her first shutout.

This week’s schedule

Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Sept. 30-Oct. 5; events start at 4 p.m. unless noted

MONDAY
FIELD HOCKEY
Hammonton at Schalick
Woodstown at Cumberland
BOYS SOCCER
Penns Grove at Schalick
Pennsville at Gloucester Catholic
Pitman at Woodstown
Salem at Salem Tech
GIRLS SOCCER
Salem Tech at Salem
Schalick at Penns Grove
Woodstown at Pennsville
GIRLS TENNIS
South Jersey Group I Tournament
Audubon at Glassboro
Salem at Lower Cape May, 3 p.m.
Palmyra at Gateway
Wildwood at Haddon Twp.
West Deptford at Woodstown, 3 p.m.
Buena at Schalick, 3 p.m.
VOLLEYBALL
Timber Creek at Salem Tech

TUESDAY
FIELD HOCKEY
Pennsville at Clayton
Salem at St. Joseph Academy
Schalick at Gloucester City
Woodstown at Glassboro
CROSS COUNTRY
Pennsville, Penns Grove, Salem, Schalick, Woodstown at Salem Tech, 3:30 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Cumberland at Penns Grove
GIRLS TENNIS
Cumberland at Schalick
Pennsville at Woodstown

WEDNESDAY
BOYS SOCCER
Glassboro at Salem
Penns Grove at Gloucester Catholic
Pitman at Salem Tech
Schalick at Wildwood
Woodstown at Pennsville
GIRLS SOCCER
Gloucester Catholic at Penns Grove
Pitman at Woodstown
Salem at Glassboro
Salem Tech at Pennsville
GIRLS TENNIS
Overbrook at Pennsville
VOLLEYBALL
Salem Tech at Clearview

THURSDAY
BOYS SOCCER
Collingswood at Pennsville
GIRLS SOCCER
Glassboro at Schalick, 6 p.m.
FIELD HOCKEY
Schalick at Pennsville
Woodstown at Salem
GIRLS TENNIS
Pennsville at Glassboro
Wildwood at Salem

FRIDAY
FOOTBALL
Haddon Heights at Camden Catholic
Deptford at Glassboro
Penns Grove at Pennsville
Pleasantville at Woodstown
Sterling at Collingswood
West Deptford at Haddonfield
Woodbury at Gateway
BOYS SOCCER
Gloucester City at Salem Tech
Penns Grove at Cumberland
Sterling at Schalick
GIRLS SOCCER
Penns Grove at Cumberland

SATURDAY
FOOTBALL
Schalick at Paulsboro, 10:30 a.m.
Clayton at Overbrook, 11 a.m.
Middle Twp. at Salem, noon
BOYS SOCCER
Northern Burlington at Woodstown, 10 a.m.
CROSS COUNTRY
Schalick, Woodstown at Shore Coaches Invitational, Holmdel, 10 a.m.

Cover photo by Heather Papiano

Salem Saturday

BOYS SOCCER
CINNAMINSON 2, SCHALICK 1: Owen Digney broke a 1-1 tie with a goal in the second half, sending the Cougars to their first loss of the season and freezing coach Joe Mannella at 298 career wins. The earliest Mannella can reach the milestone is Oct. 2 at Wildwood.

GIRLS SOCCER 
CINNAMINSON 5, SCHALICK 0: Shiloh Moore had a hat trick for the Pirates. 

CROSS COUNTRY
Schalick’s Jordan Hadfield continued to dominate her field, winning the Girls Varsity D race at the Six Flags Wild Safari Invitational. Hadfield ran 18:21.37 and hit the tap 10 seconds ahead of Dagny Shiffler of Shipley School. It was the 10th fastest time among all varsity girls at the meet.

Pennsville a 2 seed

Despite being lone undefeated team in group section, Pennsville installed as No. 2 seed in girls tennis tournament; Salem Tech’s Seiden wins South Jersey Vo Tech girls race; includes results of Thursday’s high school games involving teams from Salem County

By Riverview Sports News

The Pennsville girls tennis team, despite being the only undefeated team in South Jersey Group I, one of three statewide in Group I and one of six in all of South Jersey, was installed as the No. 2 seed in the South Jersey Group I girls tennis tournament Thursday. Pitman bumped the Eagles for the No. 1 spot.

The Eagles are 9-0 for the first time since 2021 when they started 11-0. They were No. 1 in the South Jersey Group I power points standings before the seeding meeting.

Woodstown, defending state semifinalist Schalick and Salem also made the field. They were seeded 6, 7 and 12, respectively, and play their first matches Sept. 30.

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I TOURNAMENT
Sept. 30 Matches
No. 1 Pitman bye
No. 9 Audubon at No. 8 Glassboro
No. 12 Salem at No. 5 Lower Cape May
No. 13 Palmyra at No. 4 Gateway
No. 3 Haddon Twp. bye
No. 11 West Deptford at No. 6 Woodstown
No. 10 Buena at No. 7 Schalick
No. 2 Pennsville bye

Second-round matches Oct. 8

Cross country

Salem Tech’s Sarah Seiden ran 22:24.14 and won the girls race in the South Jersey Vo Tech Cross Country Championships. She was nearly 45 seconds ahead of runner-up Natalie Pandolfo of GCIT.

GCIT swept the boys and girls team titles. The girls placed five runners in their top 10, while the boys’ five counters all finished in the top 12.

THURSDAY’S RESULTS
BOYS SOCCER
Pennsville 5, Clayton 0
Penns Grove 2, Overbrook 1
Schalick 2, Pitman 0
Wildwood 9, Salem 0
Salem Tech at Gloucester Catholic

GIRLS SOCCER
Schalick 4, Pennsville 0
Woodstown 2, Glassboro 2
Gloucester Catholic at Salem Tech
Salem at Wildwood

GIRLS TENNIS
Pennsville 5, Penns Grove 0
Schalick 5, Overbrook 0
Woodstown at Cedar Creek

GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Kingsway at Salem Tech

CROSS COUNTRY
South Jersey Vo Tech Championship
BOYS
GCIT 32, Medford Tech 53, Camden 63, Salem 105, Cape May 129, Westhampton 130
GIRLS
GCIT 31, Atlantic 54, Camden 72, Cape May 100, Salem 113

Devil of a wake-up call

Player-driven meeting last week shakes life into Penns Grove soccer team, Red Devils respond with big win over Pitman

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

The Penns Grove boys soccer team just scored one of its biggest wins in Mano Massari’s short tenure as head coach in a 3-1 thriller over Pitman. It may have come on a Homecomiing Tuesday night, but the seeds were actually planted five days earlier.

Roll the tape.

The Red Devils had just dropped a 4-2 loss to Wildwood for a third loss in a row that flew in the face of their high expectations. It was such an uninspired effort, the coach had the players run more than a dozen suicides in front of their waiting parents after the game.

At the end of the session, as the players were catching their breath and collecting their things, Massari reminded them there would be a mandatory meeting the next day in Room 66.

At the appointed hour, the players slowly started to gather and when they all got settled the coaches came in and locked the door. But instead of spending the next however long it was going to take reading the riot act hoping that would get their attention, Massari turned it all over to the players. 

Say whatever you want, he told them, no matter your class or station. Everybody has a say. Clear the air.

The coaches stayed in the room, but remained silent observers. The meeting was all player-driven. Everybody talked – seniors, freshmen, captains, junior varsity. The Red Devils left that room a different team than when they went into it.

“It was a reality check for the team,” Massari said after the win over Pitman. “We sat down in the classroom. I shut the door. I locked the door. And I told them we’re not coming out until we figure this out together.

“I let them talk. I let them handle it. Say what was going wrong, what people need to do better, what’s working, what’s not working. I wanted them to take the reins and hold each other accountable. Watching them handle it like men and figuring it out, it was beautiful to watch.

“We went out to practice after the meeting and we were flabbergasted at how well it went. Usually it’s hard to get these kids to have face-to-face communication, it’s all text and stuff these days, but that’s what you need to do as a team and they did it. Since then we’ve had great practices, intense practices and it translated on the field today.”

Tuesday was the Red Devils’ first game since the meeting and the first real test of whether all they talked about registered. They fell behind in the first 10 minutes on a penalty kick by Jake Bowen-Ashwin, but they weren’t discouraged. In fact, it made them even more determined.

Senior Jayden Murga Santos, who missed the first three games in concussion protocol, tied the match with his second goal in as many games. It remained tied until freshman Juan Ortiz scored the goal of the game with less than 10 minutes left in the half, taking a sliding shot on a charging goalie and burying it in the side panel .

Senior captain Frankie Juarez Reynoso usually sets up the Red Devils goals, but he found the back of the net in the second half for a big insurance goal. And keeper Dwayne Guzman kept the Panthers out of the goal to make it all stand.

“I told them we’re playing for ourselves; everyone’s playing for themselves,” Massari said. “I said an open hand is weaker than a fist and we’ve got to start playing like a fist. Really, just telling them the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back.

“Let me tell you, they took that to heart, they really did. They’ve been working together as a team. Man, it translated on the field today. It was awesome to see them play for each other, play hard for each other, celebrate together. It’s hard watching these guys lose, lose together, they take it to heart. Man, it is euphoric watching them win together. It’s awesome, absolutely awesome.

“Something’s clicking after that meeting we had. I can’t express enough how important that meeting was for this team. That’s the turning point.”

The Red Devils are back at it Thursday at Overbrook, starting a stretch of five straight (and seven of the next eight) road matches.

Big scorer Bedderi

Algerian import scores 4 more goals in Wildwood’s soccer win over Pennsville; includes results, details of Tuesday games involving Salem County high school teams

BOYS SOCCER
Clayton 3, Salem Tech 0
Penns Grove 3, Pitman 1
Salem 1, Gloucester Catholic 0
Schalick 8, Glassboro 0
Woodstown 1, Overbrook 0
Wildwood 6, Pennsville 1

GIRLS SOCCER
Clayton 7, Salem Tech 0
Gloucester Catholic 7, Salem 0
Pennsville 2, Penns Grove 0
Schalick 2, Glassboro 0
Woodstown 3, Overbrook 0

GIRLS TENNIS
Woodstown 5, Salem 0
Glassboro at Pennsville
Penns Grove at Gloucester Catholic
Pitman 5, Schalick 0

FIELD HOCKEY
Pennsville 4, Bridgeton 0

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – You know you’ve got to be living right when a generational talent lands on your doorstep to add to an already generational team.

That’s just how Wildwood soccer coach Sal Zamperri must have felt this summer when Noureddine Bedderi decided to stay in the States, enroll in school and sign on to the Warriors’ soccer team.

“Nunu” has scored at least one goal in six of Wildwood’s first seven games. He scored a career-high four Tuesday – two in each half – as the Warriors overwhelmed Pennsville 6-1 and had several good chances for more.

“Nunu’s a great player, but I would say as a whole we kind of had a generational thing,” Zamperri said. “Nunu’s a new face for us and he just happened upon us and we got lucky with that, but as a class, this senior group that we have I would call generational as a group.

“But Nunu is a fantastic player and we are very fortunate to have come upon him via one of our boys.”

Bedderi had been working in a bike shop right off the boardwalk during the summer and went back to his native Algeria when the Jersey Shore tourist season ended. This year he stayed in town and the Warriors have reaped the benefit.

His impact was felt almost immediately, scoring his first goal in the third minute of the Warriors’ season opener and he hasn’t stopped scoring since. His four goals against the Eagles gave him 12 this season. Their leading scorer last year only had 13 goals.

“I’m really happy about today and there’s more to come this season,” Bedderi said with Warriors center back Ahmed Djellal, his cousin, serving as interpreter. “Over here, I have a lot more motivation to play at the game and I want to go far here. I just want to play.”

The match was arguably the Eagles’ biggest of the season. A win would have kept them in the hunt to win the Tri-County Classic Division crown. Instead, they didn’t answer the bell, giving up two quick goals and falling behind 4-0 in the first 11 minutes.

“The reality is we knew coming in that they jumped on us in the first one and we had to be ready to go; we were down 4-0 in the first 12 minutes of the game,” Pennsville coach Derek Foglein said. “We knew No. 9 (Bedderi) was a player. We had multiple conversations about it. He had four goals and an assist today.

“Those were the things we talked. We didn’t execute on the things we talked about, so we have to get better. We’ve still got a long season ahead of us. We have to keep getting better.”

Maddox Efelis scored the Eagles’ lone goal on a free kick with 4:07 left in the first half. It was his first goal of the season. He has scored one each of the last three seasons.

Wildwood 6, Pennsville 1

Wildwood (5-2)42-6
Pennsville (3-4)10-1

GOALS: WI-Gavin Burns (Nunu Bedderi), 2:28; WI-R.J. Blanda (unassisted), 4:05; WI-Nunu Bedderi (Gavin Burns), 7:48; WI-Nunu Bedderi (Gavin Burns), 10:56; P-Maddox Efelis (unassisted), 35:43; WI-Nunu Bedderi (Kelan Miller), 47:57; WI-Nunu Bedderi (unassisted), 60:32.

SCHALICK 8, GLASSBORO 0: Steve Chomo had a hat trick and Anthony Sepers scored twice as the Cougars rolled to their fourth straight win and moved coach Joe Mannella within three of 300 career victories. Nolan O’Toole, Luke Price and Louis Sepers had the other three goals.

PENNS GROVE 3, PITMAN 1: Freshman Juan Ortiz broke a 1-1 tie with a sliding goal of the game with just under 10 minutes left in the first half and Frankie Juarez Reynoso buried an insurance goal in the second half to lift the Red Devils out of a three-game losing streak. Pitman opened the scoring on a penalty kick, but Jayden Murga Santos tied it five minutes later. (See related story)

SALEM 1, GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 0: Josthen Jimenez scored in overtime off a Jon Bower corner kick for the Rams’ first win of the season. It was the Rams’ first goal of the season after three straight shutouts and Eric Fizur’s first win as head coach.

WOODSTOWN 1, OVERBROOK 0: Blake Bialecki broke a scoreless tie when he converted a pass from Adrian Ibarra in the second half to lift the Wolverines to their second 1-0 win in a row. Ben Stengel made five saves to record his second straight shutout.

Before the game, the parents of the Woodstown program recognized coach Darren Huck for 25 years as head coach. They erected a banner behind the bench that Huck saw for the first time when he arrived at the field and presented him a plaque after the game. Now in his 26th season, Huck has 290 career wins – all at Woodstown.

Woodstown soccer coach Darren Huck was greeted by this banner commemorating his 25 years in coaching when he got to the bench for Tuesday’s match with Overbrook. The Wolverines won it 1-0.

Girls soccer

SCHALICK 2, GLASSBORO 0: Olivia Devoe and Abby Willoughby scored second-half goals and Eve Berger posted the shutout as the Cougars (4-1) won their fourth in a row. 

WOODSTOWN 3, OVERBROOK 0: Talia Battavio scored two goals and Gina Murry scored once for the Wolverines (4-3). Ellie Wygand posted her second shutout of the season. Battavio now has 53 career goals. 

PENNSVILLE 2, PENNS GROVE 0: The Eagles (2-5) won their second game in a row.

Field hockey

PENNSVILLE 4, BRIDGETON 0: Sophia Marandola scored two goals and Laura Tamberella and Kylie Harris each scored once as the Eagles (2-5) snapped a four-game losing streak. The Eagles scored a goal in each quarter. Kelsey Cook made seven saves for the shutout.

Girls tennis

WOODSTOWN 5, SALEM 0
Gabby Kurpis (Wo) def. Cassidy Werkheiser, 6-2, 6-1
Camille Osborn (Wo) def. Tytiana Miller, 6-0, 6-0
Aubrie Rennie (Wo) def. Angelina Fothergill, 6-0, 6-2
Julianna Lindenmuth-Leah Waterman (Wo) def. Heaven Jones McCullough-Destiny Carr, 6-0, 6-1
Melissa Hassler-EvaLouise Thomsen (Wo) def. Tahirah Davenport White-Biance Gibson, 6-2, 6-2.
Records: Woodstown 6-2, Salem 0-5.

Cover photo: Noureddine (Nunu) Bedderi (9) scored four goals in Wildwood’s 6-1 win over Pennsville Tuesday.

Fourth in the fifth

Pennsville wins fourth straight in Foglein Bowl V between coaching brothers, Pennsville girls give Casey Slusher her first coaching win, and more; this story will be updated

MONDAY’S SCHEDULE
BOYS SOCCER
Pennsville 3, Paulsboro 1

GIRLS SOCCER
Pennsville 3, Paulsboro 1

FIELD HOCKEY
Salem 2, Clayton 0
Woodstown 5, Pennsville 0
Schalick 8, Overbrook 1

GIRLS TENNIS
Pitman 5, Woodstown 0
Schalick at Pennsville, susp.
Cumberland at Penns Grove

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE — Derek Foglein won another one in the annual Foglein Bowl between soccer coaching brothers Monday, and this time he won’t have to wait until the Thanksgiving family gathering to enjoy the benefits of his latest success.

Derek’s Pennsville team knocked off brother Doug’s Paulsboro squad 3-1 in Foglein Bowl V. In addition to getting another year of sibling bragging rights, when the family retired to their favorite West Deptford pizza place to revisit the match, it didn’t look like Derek was going to have to go into his pocket.

“We’ll be sitting right next to each,” Doug said. “We’ve got some other friends who were at the game today; I think they’re going to join us. I  just know that it’s a good thing I have a black card, even though it has Darth Vader on it, because I think I’ve got the  tab tonight.”

“Hey, if that’s the deal, that’s news to me, so I’ll take it,” Derek said. “I like it. I like dinner.”

That’s the fun of what this rivalry has become. It started in 2019 when Doug was at Clayton and both brothers had head coaching job and they’ve made it kind of a red-carpet event. Instead of coming out in coaching attire, they dress for success. Doug was decked out in a dark sport coat, red tie and khakis Monday, while Derek wore a dark suit with a gold patterned tie.

Doug won the inaugural game at Clayton, but Derek has had the best of it since it resumed in 2021 after Doug moved to Paulsboro. The games always made for some good banter at the holiday family gatherings.

“It’s always good fun coaching against him,” Derek said. “Soccer is the thing we’ve grown up with since we were both 5, so any time we get to interact with the game, we love it, but any time we get to interact with the game and interact with each other is even cooler.

“It’s moments like this where we’ll look back on it when we’re sitting down in our old people chairs and telling our grandkids, the next generation of Fogleins, about some of the moments we had and playing in the rain on a random Monday afternoon.”

“Soccer has given so much to my family,” Doug agreed. “A lot of good times, a lot of good memories. We really are a soccer family.”

John Thomas (15) scored two goals in his return to the Pennsville lineup.

Monday’s match was the most competitive game of the series played in misty conditions similar to the inaugural game in 2019. Pennsville scored twice in the first 10 minutes to control the scoreboard, but Paulsboro didn’t fade. The Red Raiders kept the pressure on Pennsville keeper Coen Rinnier and made it a 2-1 game early in the second half before the Eagles got an insurance goal with seven minutes to play.

John Thomas scored two goals for Pennsville in his first game back from a four-game suspension over a red card in the season opener. The senior wasted no time making an impact, scoring the first goal 3:53 into the match on a big bender from 30 yards out. He banged home the insurance goal on a rebound with 7:06 to play.

“I was telling my guys in the locker room it’s great to be back,” Thomas said. “I know I wanted to come out here and I wanted to get a couple goals, and that’s what I really did. I just wanted to accomplish something for my team because I really feel like they missed me a lot in the four games I was suspended.”

“Super happy for him,” Derek said. “Everything with that Wildwood game was pretty messy, but for a senior to learn from his mistakes, to get back on the field the way he should and then not only to do that but to come and take care of business with goals and really hold down the midfield … was really cool.”

As important as the game is to the coaching brothers, the Pennsville side has little time to celebrate the win. The Eagles play an even more important game at home Tuesday, hosting Wildwood in a game they have to win for a chance to win a division title.

“I love Foglein Bowl and I love the fact we can do this together as a family, but the reality is I have to turn my boys around for probably our biggest game of the season tomorrow,” Derek said. “We’ve got to be on tomorrow.”

But tonight was a night to relish another win in the rivalry.

Cover photo: Paulsboro coach Doug Foglein (L) settles up with Pennsville coach and brother Derek after Pennsville won the latest installment of the Foglein Bowl 3-1 Monday.

Pennsville 3, Paulsboro 1

Paulsboro (1-6)01-1
Pennsville (3-3)21-3

SCORING
PV-John Thomas (Shane Puckett), 3:53
PV-Sam Hassler (Shane Puckett), 10:00
PB-Matt Hill (Brandon Hampton-Beverly), 48:47
PV-John Thomas (unassisted), 72:54

Foglein Bowl
(Derek Foglein leads, 4-1)

YEARPLACEWINNERSCORE
2019ClaytonClayton5-2
2021PaulsboroPennsville3-1
2022PennsvillePennsville7-1
2023PaulsboroPennsville6-1
2024PennsvillePennsville3-1

Girls soccer

PENNSVILLE 3, PAULSBORO 1: Kallie Morrison and Annabella Manning scored goals in the first half and McKenzie Scott scored in the second half as the Eagles scored their first win of the season, giving coach Casey Slusher the first victory of her coaching career. The Eagles (1-5) were aggressive, pumping 22 shots on goal.

Field hockey

SCHALICK 8, OVERBROOK 1: Luci Virga and Ava Scurry both scored a hat trick as the Cougars (5-0) remained undefeated. Alexis Ship and Lena Virga scored their other goals and Phoebe Alward recorded four assists.

SALEM 2, CLAYTON 0: Juliana Love scored a goal in the last 90 seconds of the first half and the final minute of the game. The Rams are 4-0 for the second year in a row.

WOODSTOWN 5, PENNSVILLE 0: Zoe Lipovsky and Megan Donelson scored two goals apiece. Sienna Land netted the other goal for the Wolverines.

Girls tennis

PITMAN 5, WOODSTOWN 0
Anna Fisicaro (P) def. Gabby Kurds, 6-0, 6-1
Colette Rollins (P) def. Camille Osborn, 6-3, 6-2
Ava Mollehhauer (P) def. Aubrie Rennie, 6-1, 6-2
Kendall Bennett-Amanda Bradley (P) def. Julianna Lindenmuth-Alyssa Berry, 6-3, 7-5
Jessica Bretz-Abigail Heil (P) def. Nathalie Neron-Noelle Neron, 7-6 (10-8), 6-4
Records: Pitman 8-1, Woodstown 5-2.