Manasquan pushes No. 1 Seton Hall Prep to the brink in Kirst Cup semifinals loss

UNION — Few, if any, outside the Manasquan boys lacrosse inner circle gave the Warriors much of a chance against top-ranked Seton Hall Prep. It was supposed to be a runaway for the No. 1 team in the state in the Kirst Cup semifinals.

Instead, Manasquan emptied the tank and pushed the presumptive favorite to the brink in a gutsy effort that concluded the best season in program history.

Senior midfielder Charlie Killen scored the go-ahead goal with 1:51 left in regulation, and sophomore attackman Jack Merklinger added an insurance goal with 37 seconds to go as No. 1 Seton Hall Prep escaped with an 8-6 win over fourth-seeded and 15th-ranked Manasquan on Tuesday night at Kean University’s Alumni Stadium.

Trailing 4-1 early in the second quarter, Manasquan dug deep to pull within a goal in the second quarter and again in the third quarter. The Warriors then rallied to tie the score 6-6 in the fourth quarter on goals by junior midfielder Jack O’Reilly and senior attackman Brandon Kunz, but were prevented from taking the lead by Seton Hall senior goalie Conor Keenan.

Manasquan finishes the season with a 20-4 record and as NJSIAA Group 2 state champions, the first in program history.

“We had nothing to lose this game,” Kunz said. “They were the big favorites but we knew we could win this game, and it showed. We come out no matter who we’re playing and we play the same way. It just didn’t fall our way.”

“I couldn’t be prouder of this team,” Manasquan head coach John Naslonski said. “I talked to a lot of people in the last 24 hours, read and watched a lot, and no one expected this. Our guys are the true definition of Warriors. It’s a unique group, and I don’t know if we’ll ever get another one like it.”

The first six minutes of the game were played at a breakneck pace that set the tone for a thrilling game. Both Keenan and Manasquan senior goalie Pat Loxley were sharp early to keep it scoreless until the Warriors struck first on a goal by sophomore attackman Kieran Schneider off a setup from senior attackman Ryan Aldi at 6:05.

Seton Hall Prep answered less than a minute later on a goal by junior attackman Bryce Pfeffer and added goals by senior attackman Nolan Sabel and junior midfielder Lucas Angel for three goals in 50 seconds. The Non-Public A state champion Pirates (20-3) extended their lead to 4-1 early in the second quarter when Killen scored with an assist from Sabel.

Manasquan began to mount a rally when O’Reilly took a shot that Keenan got a piece off but bounced over the line to make it 4-2 with 5:09 left in the first half. The Warriors closed the gap to 4-3 when Kunz dodged to his right and scored while absorbing a big hit to his shoulder. He was slow to get up but stayed in the game as Manasquan went into halftime trailing by one.

Owen Dunleavy gave Seton Hall a two-goal lead with 7:16 on the clock in the third quarter. Loxley and Keenan took turns making stellar saves to keep it a 5-3 Pirates lead until senior midfielder Matt Schneider scored with 1:53 left in the third to cut Manasquan’s deficit to 5-4. The Pirates answered again on a goal by junior attackman Quinlan Oakes with 47 seconds to go for a 6-4 lead heading to the fourth quarter.

At 9:27 of the fourth quarter, O’Reilly dodged hard from X and tucked a shot into the top corner as he moved above goal-line extended to bring Manasquan to within 6-5. Four minutes later, the Warriors converted after relentless pressure to tie the score. A flurry in front of Keenan resulted in O’Reilly attempting an overhead shot with his back to the goal. Keenan made the save, but Kunz was able to find the rebound and slip it between the pipes to knot the score 6-6 with 5:18 to go.

Manasquan had a few great chances down the stretch but Keenan (14 saves) shut the door and gave his team a chance to take the lead. Killen then put the Pirates ahead for good with under two minutes left.

Kunz and O’Reilly each scored twice for Manasquan while Matt Schneider and Kieran Schneider had one goal apiece. Loxley played arguably the best game of his career and finished with 17 saves. Junior FOGO Will Conway did a solid job against Seton Hall standout FOGO Teddy Coyle, including some clutch wins in the fourth quarter.

In the minutes that followed after the final horn sounded, Manasquan’s players took it all in, the good and the bad. The Warriors’ season was now over, and the careers of a great senior class had come to a close. There was disappointment, of course. They were tied with the No. 1 team in the state with under three minutes left in a game most thought they had no business competing in. But they hugged each other and shared a few smiles on their way off the field. If Manasquan didn’t have the respect of Seton Hall Prep before the game, it certainly did after a 48-minute slugfest.

Kunz, Aldi, Matt Schneider, Loxley, defensemen Parker Harms and Chris Carhart, LSM James Cadott, defensive midfielders Kai Donahue and Pat Frost, FOGO Luke Herbert, and midfielder Kelly Mulligan comprise the core of a senior class that will go down as one of the best in program history. They led the way to deliver Manasquan its first state title and made sure the Warriors left it all on the field in the Kirst Cup semifinals against a juggernaut opponent.

“At the beginning of the year we challenged them,” Naslonski said. “Are you all in, or are you half in? If you’re not all in, you’re not getting this far. They dedicated themselves right from the beginning.”

“The Manasquan program will always be in my heart,” Kunz said. “I’m always going to come back next year and the year after. I’m going to love watching these guys. Hopefully, they can bring it home next year. It’s been the best four years of my life at Manasquan with my best friends and a great group of coaches. I’m going to miss it, but it’s not the end.”