Boys Soccer – Asbury Park Bows Out to End Historic Season for Program

Asbury Park's best season in 35 years ended at the hands of a more championship-testes team Tuesday in Haddonfield, where Haddon Township rolled to a 5-0 win over the Blue Bishops to advance to Sunday's NJSIAA Group I championship game.

The Blue Bishops were coming off their first NJSIAA sectional championship since 1981, which they secured by beating Palmyra on Thursday, 1-0, in Asbury Park.

While Asbury Park celebrated its first title in more than three decades, it did so after standout senior goalkeeper Joey Johnson was knocke out of the sectional final in the first three minutes when he collided with teammate Shown Narcisse. Johnson sustained a broken jaw, according to head coach Jean Dortissant and was unable to play on Tuesday.

The injury forced Dortissant to move a field player - midfielder and junior captain Widmaier Beaubrun - to the goal and while the move worked on Thursday thanks to a sixth-minute goal by Fenelson Etienne that allowed the Bishops to play defensive for the final 74 minutes, it wasn't enough to slow Haddon Township on Tuesday.

Senior Jeb Howley scored both of his goals in the first half to stake Haddon to a 2-0 lead at the break and assisted the team's third goal by Collin Madden in the second half. Sean Murphy and Spencer Gaylert capped the scoring with a goal apiece.

On the heels of its best season since the early 1980's, Asbury Park will look to build on this year's success when it returns leading scorer Davensky JoinVilmar (16 goals, 15 assists) to a team with a solid base of returning talent. Asbury Park will still have to replace the likes of scoring threats Fenelson Etienne and Rondal JeanVilma, as well as Johnson in goal, but JoinVilmar's return and the experience the team gained this year will give the Bishops a chance to repeat as sectional champions.