ROBBINSVILLE — Nico Mathews and the soccer field in the Steven J. Mayer Athletic Complex will forever be linked.
Like 2024 grad Bora Turker and so many Robbinsville High senior boys’ soccer players before him, Mathews became a big part of the reason head coach Jeff Fisher’s Ravens have not lost a state tournament game on their beloved turf field in the last four years.
All Mathews did Friday was score two goals and get the assist on the other as fourth-seeded R’ville won its fourth consecutive sectional title, this its second in Central Jersey Group II, when it defeated 11th-seeded Wall, 3-1 at the Steven J. Mayer Athletic Complex.
With the win, Mathews and the 16-7-1 Ravens advance to play one more game on their turf at 4 p.m. Tuesday (by virtue of their power points) when Seneca visits for a Group II state semifinal. The 14-5-3 Golden Eagles, which defeated Haddonfield, 2-0, yesterday in the South Jersey Group II Final.
Though he has only officially been on varsity for three years, Mathews has been in the program all four and along for an incredible postseason ride that has seen Robbinsville win every home game in its section (and one road game) for four years running.
“That’s what we do,” Mathews said. “We get to this field, and it’s a fortress.”
Mathews would know as well as any since he has spent time in the backfield, midfield and up top for Fisher’s teams.
“We love it here,” Mathews’ classmate Henry Honeywood said.
With Honeywood patrolling the midfield, the home team was able to connect on one of its first strikes three minutes into Friday’s contest.
Honeywood took a free kick from about 38 yards out and sent the kick on goal, where Crimson Knights starting goalkeeper Harrison Novick had to make a diving save. When the ball popped free momentarily, Mathews was right there to poke the rebound into the net.
“That was a huge weight lifted off our shoulders,” Honeywood said. “Our plan was to jump on them from the get-go. I kept that kick low and hard in hopes of making something happen.”
Showing tremendous speed, Mathews continued to make things happen throughout the first half (and really all game).
Between shots off the crossbar by Honeywood and senior back Justin Schreyer, Mathews created another scoring chance when he was taken down in the box with 21 minutes left in the half. Senior Max Goldberg stepped up to convert the penalty kick and put R’ville up, 2-0.
“We went into the game with coach telling me, ‘They might man-mark you,’ Mathews said. “Instead, I had so much time and space.”
“He was a lot better than I saw on film,” said Wall head coach Garry Linstra, a former standout at The College of New Jersey. “With him up top, and No. 4 (Schreyer) in the back, they were a tough team.”
After sophomore Noah Goldberg struck a shot off the post that Novick had to dive on as it bounded back across the goal mouth with 12:17 left, Mathews struck once more when he lofted a pass from sophomore Ryan Mechael into the net with 7:30 left in the half for his 23rd goal of the season.
“Nico was electric today,” Fisher said. “He’s a phenomenal player who’s fast and good at getting into spaces. He has the ability and muscle to score big goals for us.”
The Ravens came close again two minutes into the second half when another shot struck the post. Then Crimson Knights second half goalkeeper Kellen Clauburg stopped a breakaway by Noah Goldberg with 26 minutes left to keep R’ville from scoring anymore.
Instead, Wall’s Tyler Gordon knocked in a corner kick from Shane Womack with 16:06 to play to keep the visitors in the hunt until Mathews and the Ravens held on for their second straight CJ II title (after winning back-to-back CJ III crowns in 2022 & 2023) … all at the Steven J. Mayer Athletic Complex.
Wall (10-10-2) 0 1 — 1
Robbinsville(16-7-1) 3 0 — 3
Goals: Gordon (W), Mathews 2, MGoldberg (R); Assists: SWomack (W), Honeywood, Mathews, Mechael (R).
Shots: 5 (W), 21 (R); Saves: Novick 8, Clauburg 7 (W), Rusk 4 (R).
