Courier-Post from Camden, New Jersey • Page 39

Sunday, NovcmlxT 18, 2007 vv i I i a i couriarpostgnjjne WEB EXTRA ill ff.il 1 ft 10 VS 8 i 7 1 i MS I Check out videos, archived coverage including past Varsity all-star and preview sections and photo galleries from the Group 2 and Group 1 state finals in boys' soccer, the Group 4 and Group 2 state finals in girls' soccer and the Woodbury-Paulsboro football game. South Jersey Scholastic Sports Varsity Editor (856) 486-2424 Soccer State Championships 4 -'f Senioirs tut in sQjffle IJlvh -'r- I it j. i Jim MARCIN SZCZEPANSKICouner-Post Harrison's Luiz Bento cuts off Schalick's Chris Hayman to push the ball up the field during his team's win. Sclialick can't match speed of Harrison CHRIS LaCHALLCourier-Post Haddonfield's Lauren Perkins hoists the Group 2 championship trophy as she celebrates with her Bulldawgs' teammates. Lupinski's goal powers Haddonfield to Group 2 state crown HADDONFIELD 1, PASCACK HILLS 0 What Group 2 state championship Turning point Haddonfield senior star sniper Maggie Lupinski scored with 13:33 left in the first half for the only goal that was needed.

Key players: Bulldawgs senior goalie Frances Nicoletti made sure Lupinski's goal was the. game-winner. Did you know? Haddonfield played in its third consecutive Group 2 state final. Quote: "We've been close to a lot of titles, hope we can win one this year. We'll see," Maggie Lupinski said in August, before the season.

Dave Treffingor "They are my best friends," said Lupinski, who scored 23 goals this season and 79 in her magnificent career. "I couldn't ask for a better group of people to share this with." The only loss for 24-1 Haddonfield, No. 3 in the Courier-Post Top 20, was to Washington Township 2-0 in the semifinals of the Coaches Tournament. This state championship was additionally sweet since the previous two years Haddonfield was runner-up in the Coaches Tournament, losing to Bishop Eustace last year and Moorestown two years ago. So it just wasn't the outright state title that barely eluded the seniors.

"We worked so hard since August, this was our goal for three years and to get it, I couldn't ask for a better ending," Perkins said. Lupinski, who committed to Saint Joseph's University back in April, has won individual titles the Group 2 800-meter indoor and outdoor titles as a sophomore but this one was special for many reasons. "You couldn't ask for a better script, for Maggie to score the winning goal and for the seniors to lead us to battle here on the turf," Gess said. "You couldn't ask for a better finish." Reach Kevin Callahan at RAMSEY 3 CINNAMINSON 1 What Group 2 state championship Key players: Ryan Hollender had a goal and an assist in the win for Ramsey. Michael Kostiuk scored the lone goal for Cinnaminson.

Quote: "(This team) set the standards for Cinnaminson for the next few years," Cinnaminson coach Bill Dent said. "I think they set the record for the most wins in school history. This Is the second time they've been to the state final. This is a special group of kids." "(The referees) let them play both ways," Dent said. "Physicali-ty isn't really our strong point.

We can play physical, but that's not our strong point. Our strong point is getting the ball up top, passing the ball and doing what we do best." Although they didn't have By KEVIN CALLAHAN Courier-Post Staff EWING When Maggie Lupinski scored, Glenn Gess jumped to the sky with both arms in the air. It wasn't the beauty of the sensational senior's whirling left-footed goal that sent Gess flying. There was another reason why the Bulldawgs' passionate coach was so pumped and it wasn't because the highlight-film goal was the first score in three years for the Haddonfield High School gills' soccer team at the state finals. No, there was a Digger reason why Gess jumped like in his former basketball playing days at Paul VI.

Gess wanted this special senior class to go out with a win. And to be special. That's what they are. The 11 seniors for Haddonfield are champions and they are special after their emotional 1-0 win Saturday afternoon in the Group 2 state championship over Pas-cack Hills at The College of New Jersey. "They mean the world to me," Gess said about the seniors.

"I just wanted for them to walk off this field champions." Lupinski's brilliant goal in the first half and the outstanding goalkeeping of Frances Nicoletti handed Haddonfield its first out- Ramsey right state title. In 2005, the Bulldawgs finished as co-state champions with Pascack Valley after playing to a scoreless tie. Last year, Haddonfield lost to River Dell 1-0 in the final. In 1997, Haddonfield was co-champion with Morris Catholic in Group 1. "Coach Gess told us before the game that we would be bonded for life," senior back Erin McGet-tigan said.

"We did it for him and for our team. After two years, we finally know what it feels like to win." Lupinski, a two-time All-South Jersey selection, made sure Pascack Hills was going to have to score more than one goal to win when she took the throw-in from Kathleen Jordan, spun on the spot and shot and scored with 13:33 left in the first half. "I think the turf psyched me out or something since I hadn't scored here in two years," Lupinski said. "It was good to get a goal By BEN WATANABE Gannett New Jersey HILLSBOROUGH During the Schalick High School boys' soccer team's late-season surge to the Group 1 state final, confidence was its calling card. The Cougars fended off overconfidence as deftly as they eluded defenders, but as recent winners of the seventh sectional title in school history and all but unbeatable the last month this season, another state title seemed soon in coming.

Schalick finally met an opponent it couldn't topple Saturday, falling to North Jersey champ Harrison 2-1 in the state championship game at Hillsborough High School. Harrison (18-5-2) claimed its second consecutive state crown, while Schalick (14-6-3) fell short in the title match for the fifth time in seven tries. "When I was a freshman, I thought you won or were in the final every year," said Schalick midfielder Tim Co-pare, who won the state championship as a freshman. "I never imagined losing in the finals, because you don't think that when you go to the finals. You expect to win and be a champion." The small yet speedy Blue Tide gave the rugged Cougars fits early and took a 1-0 lead on Luis Bento's goal less than four minutes in.

Schalick's Tyler Norton responded midway through the first half with a chip directly in front of the net. Harrison's Josue Mayanga broke the 1-1 tie two minutes later on a direct kick. At that much trouble penetrating the Rams' defense, the Pirates were again without the services of standout midfielder and leading goal-scorer Dan Korenyi, who missed his second straight game since breaking his foot against Delran in the sectional final on Nov. 9. Dent said it would've been nice to have Korenyi's imposing 6-foot4 frame and scoring ability out on the field on Saturday.

"It's a big difference (not having Korenyi in the lineup)," Dent said. "You're talking 20-some-thing goals, but we didn't have him. We've known that for the last three games now. You don't replace him, but you got to play without him." The Rams had their best chance of the first eight minutes when forward Nick Gendron broke through the Pirates' defense and forced Cinnaminson HARRISON SCHALICK 2 1 What Group 1 state championship Key players Schalick's Tyler Norton scored a goal midway through the first half to tie the game at 1-1. Harrison's Josue Mayanga scored the game-winning goal on a direct kick.

Quote: "We haven't faced a team like this all year," Schalick sweeper Ryne Berks said. "We couldn't get any quality scoring chances. Well, we got some chances, but we couldn't finish." point, it looked like the game may turn into a shootout, but Mayanga's goal turned out to be the last shot to find net. "We haven't faced a team like this all year," Schalick sweeper Ryne Berks said. "It was a completely different style than what we've seen or what we play.

We couldn't get any quality scoring chances. Well, we got some chances, but we couldn't finish." Oddly, both teams came in claiming to be the "defending champs." Harrison won last season, and Schalick won the title in 2004 before moving to Group 2 the last two years. Therefore, the Cougars could boast they had not lost a Group 1 tournament match since 2003. Those bragging rights are gone. "Our freshman year, we were over where those guys are, celebrating," Norton said.

"Now, we know what it's like to be those other teams that aren't as fortunate. The season ends here." Reach Ben Watanabe at 2 title keeper Kevin Lynch to come out of the box. But the Rams' ensuing attempt on goal was kicked away by a Cinnaminson defender and Ramsey was left to ponder a squandered opportunity as both teams left the field scoreless at halftime. The Pirates weren't without their chances and refused to be denied. Early in the second half, Brandon Rooney txk a throw-in from about 28 yards out and after an initial touch, the ball found the foot of Michael Kostiuk, who put the ball in the back of the net to give Cinnaminson a 1-0 lead.

"T.J. (DiLeo) got a good head on the ball and I was right there by myself and I just put it right past the keeper," Kostiuk said. "But we knew we just had to keep playing our style and keep putting them away. We just had to put some more in." and I think it helped us relax." Nicoletti, a second-team All-South Jersey pick last year, recorded her school-record 20th shutout this season. "It was one of the most beautiful goals I've ever seen," said Nicoletti, a three-year starter.

"Coach Gess said the defense needed to play our best and the offense would score a goal." Four years ago, when Gess started coaching at Haddonfield, the senior class Lupinski, Nicoletti, McGettigan, Kalie Cos-nett, Kaitlyn Gosnay, Lauren Perkins, Casey Arnold, Emily Simpers, Erica Pacholski, Grace Dalsey and Gabby Davis were just freshmen. "This is everything to us," Gosnay said. Since, Gess arrived, Haddonfield is a stunning 89-8-2 overall, including 57-0-1 in the Colonial Conference and 47-0 at home. Lupinski is one of five captains along with Cosnett, Perkins, Gosnay and Nicoletti. i :71 races past Cinnaininson for Group -y By ANDRE WATSON Courier-Post Staff HILLSBOROUGH Speed kills.

And unfortunately for the Cinnaminson High School boys' soccer team, it faced a much quicker opponent in Saturday's Group 2 state championship game at Hillsborough High School. Cesar Blacido scored the go-ahead goal with 9:49 left in the second half and Ryan Hollender added another goal seven minutes later as Ramsey defeated Cinnaminson 3-1 to win the title. "They had a lot of speed and we knew that coming in," Cinnaminson coach Bill Dent said. "They had a lot of speed and speed kills and I think that was the difference in the ballgame." With the stakes so high in a game of this magnitude, the play MARCIN SZCZEPANSKICourler-Post Cinnaminson'! Brian Hill (left) and Ramsey's Tyler Van Blarcom vie for control of the ball In the second half of Ramsey's Group 2-clinching win. on the field was physical and in- Dent said he expected the play tense with both teams taking to be physical given the impor-their share of hits and falls.

tance of Saturday's game. nwnwBS Ji wif mm I i I 1 '17 inL'iini. i PP pt '0 ttH I.