Boys Soccer Non-Public State Tournament Preview
With Christian Brothers Academy losing its entire team from 2011, the Shore Conference did not have much of a presence in Non-Public soccer in N.J. The Colts have bounced back, Monsignor Donovan has remained relevant, and Red Bank Catholic has turned things around under new coach Justin Meehan. Although none of the Shore teams is the favorite, there is no giant in the field this year against which Monsignor Donovan or CBA can’t win.
South Jersey Non-Public A
Shore Teams in the Field: No. 4 Monsignor Donovan, No. 5 Monsignor Donovan, No. 7 Red Bank Catholic, No. 12 St. John Vianney
Defending Champion: Pingry
The Top Seed: Pingry
The Favorite: Pingry. Although many of players on last year’s Non-Public A finalist are gone, Pingry still has a lot of talent and has the top seed in a bracket that does not have a clear juggernaut like it has in recent years.
The Darkhorse: No. 14 Bishop Eustace. St. Augustine is more vulnerable than it has been in years past and the potential second-round opponent (either Holy Cross or Immaculata) won’t be daunting, so Bishop Eustace looks like a team that could make a run. Although its record is sub-par (5-11-1), Eustace plays a far better schedule than St. Augustine and can compete with every team in bottom half of the bracket.
Best First-Round Game: (14) Bishop Eustace at (3) St. Augustine. For reasons listed above, This game has the makings of a tight match. Bishop Eustace beat Winslow on Friday to end a seven-game losing streak, but much like Burlington Township in South Jersey II, it’s a seven-game losing streak against very good opponents.
Shore Player to Watch: Mike Dalton, Monsignor Donovan. Monsignor Donovan’s strength is defense and goalkeeping, but Dalton (nine goals and nine assists) is often overlooked as a source of the Griffins’ success.
Non-Shore Player to Watch: Matt Mangini, Pingry and Brian Hawkins, Notre Dame. Pingry and Notre Dame appear to be on course to collide in the sectional final and each has a standout in the lineup. Mangini is a Princeton University recruit who has scored 14 goals to go with quality midfield defense, while Hawkins (26 goals) has been a dynamic finisher for the Irish as a junior.
Championship Pick: Notre Dame over Pingry. The Irish has been the best team in a tough Colonial Valley Conference and it seems like it’s finally their year in South Non-Public A. Pingry may have something to say about that, though.
Round-by-Round Quick Picks
First Round
(1) Pingry bye
(9) St. Joseph-Metuchen over (8) Bishop Ahr
(5) CBA over (12) St. John Vianney
(4) Monsignor Donovan over (13) Paul VI
(14) Bishop Eustace over (3) St. Augustine
(6) Immaculata over (11) Holy Cross
(7) Red Bank Catholic over (10) Gloucester Catholic
(2) Notre Dame over (15) Camden Catholic
Quarterfinals
(1) Pingry over (9) St. Joseph-Metuchen
(5) CBA over (4) Monsignor Donovan
(14) Bishop Eustace over (6) Immaculata
(2) Notre Dame over (7) Red Bank Catholic
Semifinals
(1) Pingry over (5) CBA
(2) Notre Dame over (14) Bishop Eustace
Final
(2) Notre Dame over (1) CBA
South Jersey Non-Public B
Shore Teams in the Field: No. 10 St. Rose, No. 12 Mater Dei Prep
Defending Champion: Gill St. Bernard’s
The Top Seed: Gill St. Bernard’s
The Favorite: Gill St. Bernard’s. Not many teams in this field play top schedules, but Gill St. Bernard’s is an exception. The Knights have won championships and have won this year, and while there are some teams in the field that could challenge them, none has their pedigree.
The Darkhorse: No. 6 Rutgers Prep. Wardlaw-Hartridge is probably the better team, but Rutgers Prep is on the bottom half of the bracket, which does not have Gill St. Bernard’s in it.
Best First-Round Game: (9) Wildwood Catholic at (8) Roselle Catholic. Some numbers to consider: Wildwood Catholic will travel 137 miles to play Roselle Catholic in round one and would travel 158 miles to play a potential second-round game at Gill St. Bernard’s. If you’re going to travel that far, might as well make a game of it.
Shore Player to Watch: Joe Forlenza, St. Rose. The Purple Roses are strongest in the back with Matt Skea, but Forlenza is a quality offensive player for the Purple Roses, who should get by Doane Academy and are good enough to beat No. 2 Timothy Christian.
Non-Shore Player to Watch: Antonio Altamirano, Roselle Catholic. The junior is among the state’s top scorers with 31 goals and he’ll be a marked man if Roselle advances to play Gill St. Bernard’s.
Championship Pick: Gill St. Bernard’s over Rutgers Prep. Gill is the best team in the bracket, but could get a nice test from Wardlaw-Hartridge or Trenton Catholic in the semifinals. St. Rose could get hot and reach the final, but problems scoring will probably be its downfall.
Round-by-Round Quick Picks
First Round
(1) Gill St. Bernard’s bye
(2) Timothy Christian bye
(3) Moorestown Friends bye
(8) Roselle Catholic over (9) Wildwood Catholic
(5) Wardlaw-Hartridge over (12) Mater Dei Prep
(4) Trenton Catholic over (13) Christ the King
(6) Rutgers Prep over (11) St. Joseph-Hammonton
(10) St. Rose over (7) Doane Academy
Quarterfinals
(1) Gill St. Bernard’s over (8) Roselle Catholic
(5) Wardlaw-Hartridge over (4) Trenton Catholic
(6) Rutgers Prep over (3) Moorestown and Friends
(2) Timothy Christian over (10) St. Rose
Semifinals
(1) Gill St. Bernard’s over (5) Wardlaw-Hartridge
(6) Rutgers Prep over (2) Timothy Christian
Final
(1) Gill St. Bernard’s over (6) Rutgers Prep
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