Notre Dame boys soccer looks to continue Cinderella story in SJ Non-Public A final at Pingry
November 14, 2024 at 3:16 p.m.
The Notre Dame High, Lawrenceville boys soccer team is on a state tournament run that would make Jack proud, as it has toppled one giant after another.
The biggest foe atop the beanstalk now awaits, as the 6th-seeded Irish (19-6 record) travel to top-seeded Pingry, Basking Ridge (17-3) for the NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public A championship game Nov. 15. It’s a rematch of last year’s SJ quarterfinal, won by the Big Blue, 4-0.
Pingry, ranked No. 6 in the state, is making its second straight appearance in the final after dropping a 1-0 decision to CBA last year. Notre Dame, ranked No. 15, is making its first trip to the title game since losing a wild, 5-4 decision to CBA in 2021. The Irish last won a South Jersey crown in 2014, and the Big Blue’s most recent sectional title came in 2013.
No one expected this kind of Cinderella run by ND. But it defeated Union Catholic, 3-0, in a first-round game before taking one-goal decisions over 3rd-seeded CBA and 2nd-seeded St. Augustine, which was 20-1. Pingry has steamrolled into the final, winning its two games by a combined 15-2 score after a first-round bye.
But being the underdog doesn’t faze ND.
“Their confidence is extremely high,” coach Bryan Fisher said. “We know the task is a tall one. It’s one game. We’re gonna give the best effort we can and hopefully that’s good enough, like it’s been the last three games. I think we believe we can win these games now. That belief wasn’t there until we knocked off Robbinsville (coached by Fisher’s brother Jeff) in the CVC Tournament semifinal. We’ve played really well from that moment on.”
Fisher added that all four CVCT semifinalists are playing for sectional championships, along with league member Princeton Day School.
“At the top of the conference, we all battled each other and learned a lot from each other,” the coach said. “We have used that in the state tournament.”
Five of Notre Dame’s six losses were by one goal and the other was by two. Rather than sulk over those setbacks, the Irish took notes on what they did wrong and made corrections.
“I think the guys built a little resilience and that’s what matters in the high school season,” Fisher said. “You gotta learn through the journey and when it’s November you gotta put your best foot forward. These guys really believe. I’m just really proud of them. It’s been an up and down year and we’re still 19-6, if that makes any sense.”
Very little has made sense according to how the teams were seeded, but Notre Dame wasn’t worried about that. Fisher noted, “We’ve stared adversity in the face a lot this year and we’ve found a way to overcome it, especially in the last two games.”
The Irish are led by senior forward Will Lynch, who has 33 goals this year. He scored both Irish goals at St. Augustine in a game that ND won on penalty kicks after it was tied 2-2 through two overtimes. He also had two goals against Union Catholic.
“Our seniors have really played well in the big moments, especially in the last three weeks,” Fisher said. “They have really seized the moment.”
They include Luigi Barricelli, who has “been fantastic” as the center-defensive midfielder, defender Isaac Bustamante and forward Antonio Mandreucci, who had the lone goal against CBA.
Underclassmen have also contributed, such as defenders Cayden O’Rourke, Jayce Palumbo and Felipe Samuel, and midfielders Luca Ercolano, Tyler Javick and Landon Hoenisch (who has missed the states due to injury) and goalie Anthony Merluse, who had 15 saves and stopped a penalty kick against CBA, and had 16 against against St. Augustine, while also stopping a PK in the shootout.
“He’s been a monster, just fantastic,” Fisher said. “He’s a sophomore playing with a ton of confidence.”
He will need that confidence against Pingry, as Neil Riener has 21 goals, Vinnie Ferraro has 10. The Big Blue, led by the winningest coach in New Jersey history in Miller Bugliari, has scored 76 as a team.
“They’re a complete team,” Fisher said. “They can play possession, they can play long balls. They have a dynamic scorer and we’re gonna have to know where he is at all times. The plan is to really disrupt his play.
“It’s gonna take one of these Herculean efforts again. We’re probably gonna have to get an early goal and we’ll have to be able to withstand a lot of pressure. Belief matters and I think these guys have a lot of belief now.”
The winner plays for the Non-Public A state title at Franklin High School against the survivor of the North Jersey final between St. Benedict’s and Delbarton.
Notre Dame boys soccer players pause for a victory photo after a Nov. 8 win against Christian Brothers Academy. Facebook photo
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The Notre Dame High, Lawrenceville boys soccer team is on a state tournament run that would make Jack proud, as it has toppled one giant after another.
The biggest foe atop the beanstalk now awaits, as the 6th-seeded Irish (19-6 record) travel to top-seeded Pingry, Basking Ridge (17-3) for the NJSIAA South Jersey Non-Public A championship game Nov. 15. It’s a rematch of last year’s SJ quarterfinal, won by the Big Blue, 4-0.
Pingry, ranked No. 6 in the state, is making its second straight appearance in the final after dropping a 1-0 decision to CBA last year. Notre Dame, ranked No. 15, is making its first trip to the title game since losing a wild, 5-4 decision to CBA in 2021. The Irish last won a South Jersey crown in 2014, and the Big Blue’s most recent sectional title came in 2013.
No one expected this kind of Cinderella run by ND. But it defeated Union Catholic, 3-0, in a first-round game before taking one-goal decisions over 3rd-seeded CBA and 2nd-seeded St. Augustine, which was 20-1. Pingry has steamrolled into the final, winning its two games by a combined 15-2 score after a first-round bye.
But being the underdog doesn’t faze ND.
“Their confidence is extremely high,” coach Bryan Fisher said. “We know the task is a tall one. It’s one game. We’re gonna give the best effort we can and hopefully that’s good enough, like it’s been the last three games. I think we believe we can win these games now. That belief wasn’t there until we knocked off Robbinsville (coached by Fisher’s brother Jeff) in the CVC Tournament semifinal. We’ve played really well from that moment on.”
Fisher added that all four CVCT semifinalists are playing for sectional championships, along with league member Princeton Day School.
“At the top of the conference, we all battled each other and learned a lot from each other,” the coach said. “We have used that in the state tournament.”
Five of Notre Dame’s six losses were by one goal and the other was by two. Rather than sulk over those setbacks, the Irish took notes on what they did wrong and made corrections.
“I think the guys built a little resilience and that’s what matters in the high school season,” Fisher said. “You gotta learn through the journey and when it’s November you gotta put your best foot forward. These guys really believe. I’m just really proud of them. It’s been an up and down year and we’re still 19-6, if that makes any sense.”
Very little has made sense according to how the teams were seeded, but Notre Dame wasn’t worried about that. Fisher noted, “We’ve stared adversity in the face a lot this year and we’ve found a way to overcome it, especially in the last two games.”
The Irish are led by senior forward Will Lynch, who has 33 goals this year. He scored both Irish goals at St. Augustine in a game that ND won on penalty kicks after it was tied 2-2 through two overtimes. He also had two goals against Union Catholic.
“Our seniors have really played well in the big moments, especially in the last three weeks,” Fisher said. “They have really seized the moment.”
They include Luigi Barricelli, who has “been fantastic” as the center-defensive midfielder, defender Isaac Bustamante and forward Antonio Mandreucci, who had the lone goal against CBA.
Underclassmen have also contributed, such as defenders Cayden O’Rourke, Jayce Palumbo and Felipe Samuel, and midfielders Luca Ercolano, Tyler Javick and Landon Hoenisch (who has missed the states due to injury) and goalie Anthony Merluse, who had 15 saves and stopped a penalty kick against CBA, and had 16 against against St. Augustine, while also stopping a PK in the shootout.
“He’s been a monster, just fantastic,” Fisher said. “He’s a sophomore playing with a ton of confidence.”
He will need that confidence against Pingry, as Neil Riener has 21 goals, Vinnie Ferraro has 10. The Big Blue, led by the winningest coach in New Jersey history in Miller Bugliari, has scored 76 as a team.
“They’re a complete team,” Fisher said. “They can play possession, they can play long balls. They have a dynamic scorer and we’re gonna have to know where he is at all times. The plan is to really disrupt his play.
“It’s gonna take one of these Herculean efforts again. We’re probably gonna have to get an early goal and we’ll have to be able to withstand a lot of pressure. Belief matters and I think these guys have a lot of belief now.”
The winner plays for the Non-Public A state title at Franklin High School against the survivor of the North Jersey final between St. Benedict’s and Delbarton.
Notre Dame boys soccer players pause for a victory photo after a Nov. 8 win against Christian Brothers Academy. Facebook photo