Heartbreak to Hardware: Southern Claims Fifth South Jersey Group 4 Championship
STAFFORD TWP. — For 365 days, the heartbreak lingered.
Southern Regional carried the sting of last year’s one-goal sectional championship loss to Kingsway through every workout, every practice, and every challenge the Rams embraced throughout the season. It became the driving force behind a team determined to return to this stage with one goal in mind: finishing the job.
On Tuesday afternoon, that mission was finally fulfilled.
Powered by relentless defense, balanced scoring, and remarkable patience against Washington Township’s zone, Southern defeated the Minutemen, 10-6, to capture the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 4 sectional championship — the program’s fifth sectional title.
For head coach John Pampalone, the moment was equal parts validation and relief.
“We knew they were a really good team,” Pampalone said. “A game in April is not a game in June. They played great today, and their goalkeeper was outstanding. I feel fortunate that we were able to get one today.”
Despite Southern’s convincing 10-1 victory over Washington Township during the regular season in April, Tuesday’s rematch quickly proved to be an entirely different challenge.
Junior midfielder Kyle Sininsky opened the scoring for the Rams before senior midfielder Braedyn Gialanella answered with another, while Parker Reese and Jake Wisor scored for the Minutemen to send the game into the second quarter tied 2-2.
Southern’s Kyle Sininsky (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)
Although Southern found itself at a disadvantage at the faceoff X for much of the afternoon, the Rams compensated with disciplined six-on-six defense and a tactical adjustment that proved pivotal.
Pampalone elected to pull senior faceoff specialist Vinnie Ruta from his customary role, opting instead to keep his defensive personnel set and avoid transition mismatches.
“We wanted our six defensive players ready to go,” Pampalone said. “It gave us our best chance today.”
Southern LSM Lucas Iorio delivers a hit against Washington Township (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)
That patience became the defining characteristic of Southern’s performance.
Rather than forcing shots against Washington Township’s zone, the Rams trusted their offensive system and waited for quality opportunities to develop.
The approach paid off in a decisive second quarter.
Gialanella scored again, sophomore midfielder Niko Iliescu added a goal, and junior attacker Shea O’Donnell found the back of the cage as Southern built a 5-3 halftime lead while continuing to frustrate a Washington Township offense that entered averaging more than 12 goals per game.
Southern’s Shea O’Donnell (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)
“We got quality shots and didn’t panic,” Pampalone said. “I loved how we dominated time of possession and got the goals when we needed them.”
The third quarter embodied everything expected from a sectional championship, as every ground ball became a battle, every possession carried weight, and nearly every scoring run was met with an answer.
O’Donnell completed his hat trick, while Wisor answered with his third goal for Washington Township, and Myles Malone added another as Southern maintained a narrow 7-5 advantage entering the final 12 minutes.
No one embraced that physical style more than Sininsky.
“We love physicality,” he said. “Our coaches push us to go hard every day. We embrace it, and it shows in games. We could run through a wall.”
The Rams delivered the decisive blow in the fourth quarter.
Gialanella, who transferred from Lacey heading into his senior year, completed his hat trick while simultaneously recording the 200th goal of his high school career, helping Southern finally erase the sting of last season’s heartbreaking defeat.
Southern’s Braedyn Gialanella (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)
Sininsky, who finished with two goals and two assists, described the championship as the realization of a childhood dream after watching his older brothers, Ryan Sininsky, now an all-conference midfielder at NJIT, and Tyler Sininsky, currently a goaltender at NJIT, help lead previous Southern teams to sectional championships.
“We always talked about wanting this,” Sininsky said. “Coming up short last year made finally getting it even more special.”
The victory sends Southern, the No. 1 seed and South Jersey Group 4 champion, to the NJSIAA Group 4 state championship game at TCNJ, where the Rams will face North Jersey Group 4 champion Ridgewood on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. with the opportunity to capture the first state championship in program history.
Southern will not be alone in representing the Shore Conference on championship weekend.
On Friday at 4 p.m., No. 1 South Jersey Group 1 champion Rumson-Fair Haven will take on North Jersey Group 1 champion Mountain Lakes at TCNJ, giving the Shore Conference two chances to bring home state titles.
Pampalone believes his team has earned this opportunity by embracing one of New Jersey’s most demanding schedules.
“We’ve challenged ourselves all year,” Pampalone said. “Hopefully this is our time. Hopefully we can finally get that gold trophy.”
Led by hat tricks from Gialanella and O’Donnell, Sininsky’s four-point performance, Iliescu’s two goals, and sophomore attacker Gavin Nascimento’s three assists, Southern enters championship weekend playing its best lacrosse of the season.
For a program that has conquered South Jersey five times but has never captured the ultimate prize, the heartbreak that fueled the Rams for the past 365 days has finally been avenged.
Now, only one chapter remains to be written.
