GLASSBORO — It’s never easy to win a Tri-County Diamond Division soccer championship as competitive the teams are every year. No matter how many times you’ve done it before or how wide a margin it comes by, it’s always a challenge to complete.
Schalick clinched its fourth straight Diamond Division boys title Wednesday with a 7-1 rout of Glassboro, and between the uncertainty of a restocked roster and the big bull’s-eye on its back it may be the most rewarding of the bunch.
As it is, the Cougars (9-3) remain undefeated in the division and hold a three-game lead over Woodstown with two to play and hold the top spot in the South Jersey Group 1 power points standings by more than two full points. If things go well, they could win the division by as many as four games.
“We didn’t kind of know what we were going to have coming into the year,” Cougars coach Joe Mannella said. “There were a lot of spots to fill and even though we’ve got talented players it doesn’t always come together and then everybody’s shooting for you, they know you lost a lot of people so teams are looking for their opportunity to steal a division, which usually happens.
“Last year we kind of backed into it because Woodstown kept tying; you had that little feeling you didn’t quite earn it last year. This year we took care of business. There was that one tight game against Overbrook and we did not play very well against Bordentown, so today was a nice opportunity to come out and reestablish some mojo.”
Four in a row, that means four-year seniors Nolan O’Toole and Luke Price have never known a year when they haven’t hung a jacket in their closet for winning the division.
The Cougars haven’t won four division titles in a row since 2005. They won three in a row from 2019 to 2021, making this one the seventh in the last eight years.
“It’s going to feel rewarding (hanging the newest jacket with the others),” O’Toole said. “Four years of hard work, especially to do it with these guys, my best friends, it’s … a good feeling.”
And it’s something to inspire the juniors to keep it going.
“It’s not the biggest the world, but I feel like every single year we’re going to want to win the division,” forward Marco Spinnato said. “My third jacket? Add it to the rack and get another one next year.”
All they needed this time was a little nudge. Before the game, seeing their warmup wasn’t as focused as it needed to be for such an important game, Mannella brought the players together and sternly reminded them what they were playing for. Once the game started, they controlled the action, peppered the goal with three good shots early in the match and then pulled away with six straight goals after the Bulldogs tied it..
It was a 1-1 game midway through the first half when the Cougars really went to work.
Tim Koering scored for the fourth game in a row to open the scoring seven minutes into the match. After Glassboro tied it, Spinnato and Tyler Vanlier each scored twice, Nate Couch scored on a free kick with 5:39 left and Landon Anderson brought it to a merciful end with 1:31 still on the clock.
“Sometimes it works, sometimes it backfires,” Mannella said. “Today, they responded and played a nice, solid game.”
“We definitely did need it,” Koering said. “Sometimes coming out with certain teams where you expect a certain result sometimes you just need a little wakeup call. It was definitely good to hear. Because our warmup was a little slow and I think he definitely woke us up with that.”
Koering has scored five goals in his current four-game spree. It has been a particularly rewarding stretch for the junior forward since these first three years of his varsity career have been beset with injuries. He missed his freshman season with a knee injury, last year with a broken leg and he broke his nose in the preseason that delayed his start to this season by two weeks.
“I’m super blessed to just be able to be on the field and be able to get these opportunities,” he said. “I’m just really enjoying the game right now because Ive been pretty much hurt the last two years.
“A lot of what’s real important to me is my faith. I think God used me breaking my leg to show me something and I just need to rely on Him. I think that before (the injuries) I was so like I’m a soccer player and now I’m just a guy who loves soccer.”
WOODSTOWN 2, PITMAN 0: Tyler Robertson and Don Milhomme provided Woodstown’s goals for the second day in a row and the Wolverines used them to win the annual Orange Cup. It was their fourth win in a row and sixth shutout of the season.
PENNS GROVE 3, OVERBROOK 0: The Red Devils (8-3-1) erupted for three goals after halftime. Juan Ortiz scored the first two and Prince Ledbetter notched the third. Ruben Torres Saenz made 15 saves in posting his second shutout of the season.
PENNSVILLE 7, SALEM 1: John Sassi scored a pair of goals and freshmen Thierry Wata and Alex Ledezma-Segero scored their first varsity goals for Pennsville (4-7). Nathan Morrison, Anthony Michaca and Jesse Thomas scored the Eagles’ other goals. each scored once.
Girls soccer
WEDNESDAY’S SCORES
Schalick 7, Glassboro 0
Overbrook 6, Penns Grove 0
Pennsville at Salem
SCHALICK 7, GLASSBORO 0: Freshman Nicolette Bloomer and sophomore Claire Wolfe scored two goals apiece as the Cougars (10-2-1) extended their unbeaten streak to four games. Olivia Vanacker, Cecilee Bell and Emma Bair scored the other goals. Bloomer now has 17 goals this season.
OVERBROOK 6, PENNS GROVE 0: Victoria Bupp scored five goals for the Rams.
Field hockey
WEDNESDAY’S SCORES
Pennsville 2, Deptford 0
Salem Tech 3, Glassboro 0
Overbrook 7, Salem 0
SALEM 3, GLASSBORO 0: Hazel Eachus scored her second hat trick in three games leading the Chargers (11-2) to their 10th straight win.
OVERBROOK 7, SALEM 0: Lucylaine Bannan scored four goals.