The Robbinsville High varsity boys’ soccer team will try to win its second state title in the last four years when it plays Madison in the NJSIAA Group II state final at 10 a.m. Saturday at Franklin High in Somerset.
Head coach Jeff Fisher’s Ravens jumped onto the scene in 2022 when it took a penalty-kick shootout from West Morris Mendham to capture the Group III state title, then returned the next season, but lost to Garfield.
In 2024, R’ville moved down to Group II and once again reached the state semifinals before losing to Sterling.
This season, the 17-7-1 Ravens went one step further by defeating Seneca, 4-0, Tuesday to reach Group II’s top game. It figures to be quite the challenge since head coach Richard Vasquez’ Dodgers are a Top-10 team in the state at 19-1-2. Their only loss came against Randolph, 3-0, in the semifinals of the Morris County Tournament Oct. 20. Madison, which defeated West Milford, 2-1, in Tuesday’s other state semifinal, has taken seven games in a row since then.
Robbinsville feels up to the challenge since it has gone 14-1-1 since starting the season 3-6, outscoring opponents, 51-10, since then. Like the Dodgers, the Ravens only loss in that run came against Hopewell Valley, 1-0, in the Colonial Valley Conference Tournament semifinals.
One of R’ville’s early losses came against a common opponent, Harrison, whom Madison defeated, 3-1, in the North Jersey Section 2 Group II Final last week. The Ravens lost to the Blue Tide, 3-0, Sept. 6.
One difference between the teams is that the Dodgers have never lost a state championship game – sharing the Group II title in 1982, then winning Group I crowns in 1994 and 1996, the last time they got this far.
Madison came from behind to defeat West Milford, 2-1, with second-half goals by Jack Agi and Guilherme Dos Santos in its state semifinal game Tuesday. It was one of the rare times the Dodgers, who have only allowed 14 goals all year with 12 shutouts behind 6-foot-3 senior goalkeeper Callum Regan, have trailed this season.
So Robbinsville figures to have its work cut out for it. The locals will count on leadership from senior Nico Mathews who has led the Ravens with 24 goals and 12 assists for an area-best 60 points. He and Brazilian Dos Santos of Madison figure to be two of the fastest players on Franklin’s pitch.
R’ville junior forward Chris Lewis has added 15 goals and six assists, while seniors Max Goldberg (seven goals, six assists) and Josh Sanchez (six goals, 11 assists) also figure to be key contributors.
Midfielders Ryan Mechael, a sophomore with three goals and nine assists, and Henry Honeywood, a senior with two goals and five assists, are equally vital to the Ravens’ attack, while senior fullbacks Justin Schreyer (five assists) and Will Berdan spearhead a defensive back line which has helped senior goalkeeper Alex Rusk post nine shutouts.
