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Hermits' first defeat of season a double dose of disappointment
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VOORHEES - The St. Augustine Prep soccer team experienced a first on Sunday. It just wasn't the first that the top-seeded Hermits wanted.
The Prep went into the South Jersey Coaches Tournament final trying to win the prestigious 16-team tournament for the first time in school history.
Instead, the Hermits lost for the first time this season as a first-half goal from Rancocas Valley's Alec Golini was the difference in a 1-0 Red Devils win, the first Coaches Tournament title in the Burlington County school's history.
"We wanted to win this so bad because we've never won it before," St. Augustine Prep striker Ryan McFadden said.
At Eastern High School, McFadden and the Hermits (18-1) outshot Rancocas Valley 14-7 but were unable to really challenge goalkeeper Jacob Kapulskey.
Rancocas Valley (15-2-3), seeded third, played a flat three-man defense and dropped two outside halfbacks back into the defensive third to give them five fullbacks for most of the game.
Once Golini scored in the 27th minute on a deflected shot from 20 yards out, even the Rancocas Valley central midfielders and forwards dropped back.
"What we tried to do was concede a little and keep everyone in front of us so they couldn't run at our defenders," Rancocas Valley coach Damon Petras said. "We wanted to make it as congested as possible so they couldn't get clean shots off."
It worked.
The Prep tried to force the ball through the middle for much of the game, but to no avail.
The few scoring chances they did create were on crosses from the wing.
Rancocas Valley is the most athletic team the Prep has faced this year. The Red Devils have size and speed all over the field and play a ball-control offense similar to the Hermits.
"To me, (Rancocas Valley) is quickness all over the field with skill," Prep coach Les Heggan said. "They have a good sense of where to put the ball."
Rancocas Valley has split two games with teams ranked nationally (in the adidas/National Soccer Coaches of America rankings).
The Red Devils lost 3-2 to No. 15 Salesianum of Wilmington, Del., on Sept. 19 before beating then-No. 2 St. Benedict's Prep (now unranked) 2-1 on Oct. 14.
"I thought we actually did play our game," McFadden said. "They got that goal in the first half and we just never came back from that. Our movement in the final third wasn't as good as previous games. They did a good job defending us. They deserved that win."
The Red Devils scored on the counterattack.
The Lafayette-bound Golini picked up a loose ball on the left side, cut back across the defense and hit a low-lying shot that deflected off a Prep defender and into the goal.
The Hermits settled for outside shots for most of the second half. Each team's tackles got just a bit harder as the game wore on.
"They're a really good side," McFadden said. "I thought it was a well-played game on both sides."
The minutes turned to seconds and then … nothing.
Rancocas Valley stormed the field as a handful of Prep players lay on the ground dejected.
The Hermits hope not to experience that feeling again this season.
"This is the kind of match that if you make the South Jersey final or a state title game, this is the kind of match that you're going to be involved in," Heggan said. "That's why we like this tournament. When we are lucky enough to get to the semifinals or final, it's a good opportunity to get into good soccer."
Notes: The Prep is the top seed in the South Jersey Non-Public A tournament. The Hermits have a first-round bye and will play the Bishop Ahr/St. John Vianney winner on Friday. ... Rancocas Valley jumps from No. 5 to No. 1 in The Press' latest Elite 11 rankings. The Hermits fell from No. 1 to 2.
Contact John O'Kane:
609-272-7210
Rancocas Valley 1 0-1
St. Augustine Prep 0 0-0
Goal-Golini RV.
Goalies-Kapulskey (9) RV; Richards (4) SA.
Records-Rancocas Valley 15-2-3; St. Augustine Prep 18-1.
Posted in Sports, Highschool, Breaking_news on Monday, November 2, 2009 2:10 am Updated: 2:23 am.
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