Shore Conference Boys Soccer NJSIAA Group Semifinal Scoreboard
Shore Conference Boys Soccer Scoreboard
Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024
NJSIAA Tournament
Group Semifinals
Group IV
Southern 1, Princeton 0 | Watch
Senior Aidan Donnelly buried a free kick in the fifth minute of the match and senior goalkeeper Ryan Schweigart turned in a hard-earned clean sheet with the help of his defense and senior Brody Reynolds, pushing the Rams past the defending Group IV champion Little Tigers and into Group IV final for the first time in program history.
A hand ball just inches outside the top of the 18-yard box set up Southern for a direct kick in the fifth minute and Donnelly crushed a curling shot inside the right post, with Princeton goalkeeper Nick Holmelund watching helplessly as the shot bent into the goal. The goals is the team-best 28th of the season for Donnelly.
A handball just outside the box gives Souther a direct kick and that is just about automatic for Aidan Donnelly right now. 1-0 Southern in the 6th minute. pic.twitter.com/FLrQFi1kRS
— Matt Manley (@Matt_Manley) November 19, 2024
From there, Princeton generated a scattered collection of chances that it either failed to convert or ran into resistance from Schweigart and his support. The senior goalkeeper saved a shot by Princeton senior Archie Smith off a quick restart, which came after Southern was cited for an illegal pass-back to the goalkeeper inside the box. Minutes earlier, senior Jonathan Mandell prevented a dangerous chance when he cleared the ball away with a sliding tackle as two open Princeton players lined up a potential shot against Schweigart.
Huge sequence here with just under 10 left in the half. Southern is called for an illegal pass-back to the keeper, Princeton plays the quick restart and gets a shot, but Ryan Schweigart saves it. Still 1-0 Southern. pic.twitter.com/VZAc5ZRzYj
— Matt Manley (@Matt_Manley) November 19, 2024
Princeton nearly tied the game in the first four minutes of the second half, when Smith slipped a pass through to leading scorer Azariah Breitman, who shot an open chance over the crossbar.
In the 71st, Schweigart grabbed a cross into the box out of the air and escaped a crowd of bodies, but carried the ball too far and was called for holding the ball just outside the 18-yard box. To add to the predicament, Schweigart was also issued a yellow card for delaying the game and had to pass the goalkeeper gloves to senior Cristian Alvarado as Princeton set up a potential game-tying free kick. Junior Chase Hamerschlag tried the far post, but his shot sailed wide to the right.
Southern’s biggest defensive play came in the 77th minute. Princeton launched a long throw-in into the box and Smith ripped a shot the middle of the 18-yard box that Schweigart saved with a diving stab. The ball bounced right to Breitman, who bid for his 22nd goal and slipped it over the shoulder of Schweigart, but Reynolds cleared it away with a diving header. Breitman’s follow-up shot hit the outside netting to end the last Princeton threat.
Southern will travel to Franklin High School Sunday for the Group IV championship game, which will kick off at 12:30 p.m. The Rams will play the winner of the other Group IV semifinal between Ridgewood and Scotch Plains-Fanwood.
Incredible effort — borderline miraculous — by Ryan Schweigart and Brody Reynolds to keep Princeton out of the goal with 3 minutes left. pic.twitter.com/in2M4bqwwn
— Matt Manley (@Matt_Manley) November 19, 2024
Princeton
Head Coach: Ryan Walsh
Last Group Final Appearance: 2023
Central Jersey Group IV Seed: No. 3
Road to the Central Jersey Title: Defeated No. 14 Hightstown, 1-0; No. 11 New Brunswick, 3-0; No. 2 Manalapan, 2-0; No. 5 Monroe, 1-0
Top Scorers
Azariah Breitman, Sr., Forward (21 goals, 6 assists)
Archie Smith, Sr., Forward (16 goals, 12 assists)
Chase Hamerschlag, Jr., Defense (7 goals, 2 assists)
Aaron Thyrum, Jr., Midfield (3 goals, 7 assists)
Connor Hewitt, Sr., Defense (3 goals, 5 assists)
Southern senior Aidan Donnelly reacts to scoring a goal at Freehold Township. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspimages.com)
Southern
Head Coach: Guy Lockwood
Last Group Final Appearance: None
South Jersey Group IV Seed: No. 4
Road to the South Jersey Title: Defeated No. 13 Pennsauken, 5-1; No. 12 Gloucester Tech, 3-1; No. 8 Central, 4-1; No. 7 Toms River North, 6-3
Top Scorers
Aidan Donnelly, Sr., Forward (27 goals, 4 assists)
Nick Prosperi, Sr., Midfield (10 goals, 5 assists)
Kaan Zenger, Sr., Midfield (9 goals, 5 assists)
Jefferson Rubi Cruz, Sr., Forward (8 goals, 1 assist)
Brody Nacarlo, Jr., Forward (5 goals, 7 assists)
Brody Reynolds, Sr., Midfield (3 goals, 10 assists)
Group III
Shawnee 1, Long Branch 0 | Watch
Senior Jacob Santamaria scored the deciding goal on a controversial play in the 66th minute and the Renegades paid off a long stretch of possession to end the memorable state-tournament run of the Green Wave.
Santamaria was one of two Shawnee players that appeared to be offsides on the ball played toward the Long Branch goal, according to the live broadcast of the game by Lenape District Television. Jeff Provost — the color analyst on the broadcast — upon looking at the replay of the goal, called the offsides “blatant.”
Long Branch junior goalkeeper Carlos Gerardo Rodas drilled the crossbar on a 50-yard free kick in the 76th minute to give Long Branch’s its closest call on an equalizer.
The loss snaps Long Branch’s 10-game winning streak and denies the Green Wave their first ever trip to the state finals.
Shawnee advances to play in the state final round for the first time since 2006 and will play the winner of Randolph and Rahway in Sunday’s Group III final, which kicks off at 10 a.m. at Franklin High School.
Long Branch
Head Coach: Bill Rohr
Last Group Final: None
Central Jersey Group III Seed: No. 9
Road to the Central Jersey Title: Defeated No. 8 Hopewell Valley, 2-0; No. 1 Colts Neck, 3-2; No. 4 Middletown South, 3-0; No. 3 Steinert, 1-0
Top Scorers
Thomas Silva, Jr., Forward (13 goals, 4 assists)
Johan Gomez, Sr., Forward (8 goals, 5 assists)
Chris de Oliveira Santos, Jr., Midfield (7 goals, 6 assists)
Alejandro Flores-Lopez, Sr., Midfield (2 goals, 8 assists)
Evan Santiago, Sr., Defense (5 goals, 2 assists)
Long Branch junior Thomas Silva holds off Middletown South’s Ryan Kapler. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspimages.com)
Shawnee
Head Coach: Ryan Franks
Last Group Final: 2006
South Jersey Group III Seed: No. 1
Road to the South Jersey Title: Defeated No. 16 Winslow, 5-0; No. 8 Timber Creek, 6-1; No. 4 Hammonton, 4-0; No. 3 Moorestown, 4-1
Top Scorers
Sean McFadden, Sr., Forward (12 goals, 8 assists)
Connor Winters, Sr., Midfield (10 goals, 8 assists)
Danny Williams, Sr., Midfield (7 goals, 6 assists)
Aiden Santamaria, Sr., Midfield (5 goals, 9 assists)
Cooper Adinolfi, Jr., Forward (7 goals, 2 assists)
