ROBBINSVILLE – After a flurry of majestic first-half corner kicks proved futile, the Robbinsville High boys soccer team got down and dirty on the first corner after intermission and it was a thing of beauty for the home team.
It led to Max Goldberg’s goal 5:08 into the second half to give the 4th-seeded Ravens a 1-0 victory over 5th-seeded Holmdel in a NJSIAA Central Jersey Group II boys soccer quarterfinal Friday night.
Robbinsville (14-7-1) will play at Bordentown or host Allentown Tuesday, depending on who won that match-up Friday. After a 3-6 start, the Ravens are making their fourth straight trip to a sectional semifinal.
“It’s a long season,” said coach Jeff Fisher, whose team has won three straight sectional titles. “You try to set yourself up to have success. Every year’s different. This year the beginning of the season really prepared us to play in these type of games. We’ve been able to build a lot of belief; we’ve been able to get healthy with some guys coming back.
“And when you have some success it breeds success. Kids believe we’re supposed to win these games and supposed to get to the semifinals. When you have that belief you have results.”
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Robbinsville’s Max Goldberg, 19, controls the ball against Holmdel during a Central Group II quarterfinal boys soccer game on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 at the Steven J. Mayer Athletic Complex in Robbinsville. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)
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Robbinsville’s Max Goldberg, 19, controls the ball against Holmdel during a Central Group II quarterfinal boys soccer game on Friday, Nov. 7, 2025 at the Steven J. Mayer Athletic Complex in Robbinsville. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)
The Ravens needed that belief in the final 10 minutes as the Hornets began an onslaught that led to several close calls.
In the end, Goldberg’s goal stood up, and it came after Robbinsville changed tactics. In the first half, the Ravens had nine unsuccessful corner kicks as Ryan Mechael lofted them nicely into the box only to have 6-foot-4 Connor Paul head several of them out of harm’s way.
On Robbinsville’s first corner of the second half, Mechael kept it on the ground and chaos ensued.
“It was a short ball, it got flicked up and the goalie bobbled it,” Goldberg said. “(Lucas Messinger) headed it and I just kind of tapped it in.
“(Paul) had some big presence in the back. It was very hard to launch that up, especially in the middle of the six. Getting that ball over the top would have been nice but that play was good just to get it through the box and scramble.”
When it was suggested it was an ugly corner, Fisher laughed and said “It was actually a great corner kick.”
And it came off a play drawn up at halftime.
“We wanted to go short for a little flick on and then just try to kind of muddy it up,” he said. “It was exactly what we drew up. (Paul) was just eating up those balls in the box. We had to try something different. It doesn’t usually work out the way you want but tonight it did. I’m glad we were able to put that together.”
It was a frustrating first half for Robbinsville after wasting nine corners. Despite the Ravens outshooting Holmdel 6-4, the Hornets had the best scoring chance when Paul’s deep shot went off the crossbar.
With under 15 minutes left Holmdel goalie Ryan Frigiola made a diving save on Henry Honeywood’s long shot. From that point, the Hornets possessed and attacked, with Dom Poli’s header going off the post with nine minutes left.
Holmdel then got several long free kicks into the box that were punched out by Ravens goalie Alex Rusk.
“Alex has grown in confidence this season so much,” Fisher said. “Those kind of things are confidence plays for goalies. To have the confidence to come out and not just get a hand on it but solid punches to clear the box and get it out so there’s no second-chance opportunities. Just commanding his box, he’s been massive for us.”
There was one second-chance opportunity that had everyone holding their breath. After Rusk punched it out, a rebound shot came that Holmdel thought was over the line – it was extremely close one way or the other — before the goalie grabbed it out of the air. The Hornet coaches voiced their displeasure but let it drop and handled it with class after the game.
Robbinsville survived the final five minutes without incident as defenders Justin Schreyer. Aarush Singh, Will Temple and Messinger hung tough.
“Our defense held strong the entire game,” Schreyer said. “Our game plan was for me to stay back because they like to play the ball over top. We did that for the entire game. I kept the ball out of our half.”
He did that for the most part, until Holmdel began to attack out of urgency.
“It was pretty nerve wracking,” Goldberg said. “We’ve been in these moments the past few years, with close games. We’re just ready for everything that comes our way. I feel confident with my team and my back line. We get into situations where we just dig in for the last five, ten minutes to keep us together to win games.”
Their coach could not have been happier with how his team responded to Holmdel’s late push.
“They have so many guys that are explosive and so fast that balls over the top are constantly putting you under pressure and we knew that coming in,” Fisher said. “You could really feel it in that second half.
“I’m just really proud that they could dig in and battle and say ‘We’re not losing today, we’re gonna come back next week.’ They did everything they could. That kind of spirit and toughness carries you from round to round in the state tournament.”
Holmdel (11-7-2) 0 0 – 0
Robbinsville (14-7-1) 0 1 – 1
G: M. Goldberg. A: Messinger. Shots: H-13, R-10. Saves: H-Frigiola 7. R-Rusk 8.
