Kapp goal, tight defense key boys’ semifinal victory
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
TOMS RIVER — For the past four weeks the Princeton High boys soccer team has gotten better every time it has stepped on the field.
And now the Little Tigers will get one more chance together when they play for a state championship on Sunday.
Nick Kapp’s goal in the 67th minute lifted Princeton to a 1-0 win over Ocean City in the state semifinals on Wednesday night in Toms River, sending the Little Tigers to the Group III state final for the third time in the last five years.
”It is a very young team and we’re back to the final for the third time in five years which is not by accident,” said Princeton coach Wayne Sutcliffe, whose team will face South Plainfield in the final on Sunday at 10 a.m. at Kean University. “There is a tremendous amount of hard work that goes into it. This team has a dynamic about them.
”They are very good with the demands of the game and the technique. But there is something really special with this team. Since we beat Allentown in the second-to-last game of the season in overtime they have just found a new dynamic and resilience and a lot of confidence.”
Princeton has not lost a game in more than a month and came out on Wednesday looking determined from the start. The Little Tigers dominated play for nearly all of the 80 minutes and finally broke through when Kapp sent home the rebound of a shot by Jurriaan Dijkgraff with just over 12 minutes to play.
”Every day and every practice we are working hard together,” Kapp said. “We’re a family so we’re not just working for ourselves, we’re working for each other. (Ocean City goalkeeper Russell Lindsay) was a good goalie, no doubt. But after a while I feel like the goalie is going to get tired. He made a great save on the cross before the goal but he didn’t have the energy to get back up quick enough and make the second save.”
Princeton’s effort on defense was outstanding all night, limiting Ocean City to one shot in a game where the Little Tigers needed to call on their backup goalie, Owen Lindenfelder, to be the starter with Laurenz Reimitz unavailable to play.
”We’re 100 percent with both of our goalies,” Kapp said. “We’re supporting Laurenz who couldn’t be here tonight with us. And we’re all behind Owen. He’s probably one of the best goalies in the state behind Laurenz. He’s been training with Laurenz all year. He had one shot to save today but he made it and that is what counts. Our No. 2 goalie looks like the No. 1 goalie for a lot of other teams so we were confident coming into this game that he could do it and hold it down.”
Princeton finished the night with an 11-1 advantage in shots and was able to convert the one it needed to get the win that sends it back to the state final.
”I think Owen had one save when he came out and stopped a ball that was rolling towards him,” junior back Jake Caddeau said. “Dwight (Donis) was really good with pressure in front of me and with Chris (Harla) behind, he is so fast and so strong. Once we got a goal we were trying to clear it up and get it over the defense.
”Peter (Luther) is now playing right back and he has been great there. And Axel (Galeano) on the left has been great. We’ve been talking a lot. Chris and I have been best friends with Owen since elementary school so we have the communication down. Owen is our backup but with his club team he won a national championship so not a lot of teams have a national champion as a backup. We had total confidence.”
Sutcliffe was thrilled with the way his team played all night in a game where the temperatures dipped into the 20s.
”We found our form early and just knocked it and I don’t think that really ended except for a brief moment in the second half where we kind of had to drop in a little bit,” Sutcliffe said. “But I thought we were superb. We’ve had timely goals from Nick of late. This is the third one in the late season to put us in a position to either draw, level or win it and put us in the right place. And all credit to Jurriaan for hitting the final pass, which is something we work on a lot in training. It was just phenomenal.
”Chris and Jake and the back four with Axel and Pete Luther and Dwight helping out with Owen doing what he needed to do, we were phenomenal.”
Now the Little Tigers get to play for a state title again. The current seniors and juniors were a part of that experience earlier in their careers and look forward to the challenge that awaits.
”This has been a dream since the first day of preseason,” Kapp said. “The fact we have the opportunity to win it all this year is just more motivation for us to go out and play our game and win the game. I 100 percent believe we can win the game and the state title.”
Added Caddeau: “It is awesome. I remember when I was a freshman the team got to the finals. We all just looked up to those guys so much and it is awesome to be there now. We’re all excited for Sunday.”