South Jersey Coaches Cup Boys Standouts
Clearview joined Sterling on the girls side as first time champions of the South Jersey Coaches Cup on Saturday night by defeating Washington Township on penalties. The final marked the end of another exciting coaches cup that opened with No.…
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Continue ReadingClearview joined Sterling on the girls side as first time champions of the South Jersey Coaches Cup on Saturday night by defeating Washington Township on penalties. The final marked the end of another exciting coaches cup that opened with No. 1 see St. Augustine Prep being upset and ended with No. 2 seed Washington Township going down.
Here’s a look back at some of the boys who stood out in this year’s competition.
Drew Heil
Drew Heil
Heil wasn’t able to lead his team to a South Jersey Coaches Cup title but he was sensational throughout the tournament. His ability to push the attack forward with his combination of speed, power and technical ability on the ball put the Minutemen on the cusp of winning the program’s first coaches cup since 2017.
Matt Gahan
Matt Gahan
Gahan was a problem for both Lenape and Washington Township in the semifinal and final of the coaches cup. He had a rocketed goal in the semi and created a number of scoring chances in the final before sealing the victory with a successful penalty kick.
Ajani Dwyer
Ajani Dwyer
Ajani is a handful to defend because of his strength and speed but even as much as defenses have to focus on him as a big target in the Minutemen attack, he was still able to find the back of the net in the coaches cup run to the final. He blitzed Ocean City for four goals in the semifinal after scoring a goal and dishing out an assist in an overtime win over Cherry Hill West in the quarterfinals.
Connor Bowers
Connor Bowers
Bowers didn’t have a ton to do in the semifinal after Clearview made it a blowout in a 6-1 win over Lenape but his performance in the shootout proved to be the difference in leading the Pioneers to their first coaches cup title. After conceding twice in two 1-0 losses to Washington Township in the regular season, the senior keeper stepped up to make a pair of saves in the shootout.
Wade Hudak
Wade Hudak
Ocean City didn’t have a great night against Washington Township in the semifinal, but one bright spot for the team was the play of senior Wade Hudak in the midfield. He was able to release some of the pressure on the back line with his play forward but it was too big of a mountain to climb once they went down 4-0 at halftime.
Tyler Vagner
Tyler Vagner
It can’t be understated the importance of having a stout back line in winning a knockout competition like the South Jersey Coaches Cup. Tyler Vagner as the anchor for the Pioneers was big throughout the competition. A commanding and calming presence in the back with a lot of experience was critical against the high-octane Minutemen in the final. He also had a brace in their first match of the tournament, a 2-1 win over Palmyra.
Tyler Puckett
Tyler Puckett
Puckett was influential throughout the tournament with his presence in the midfield, both pulling strings and as a danger to score. He had a goal and an assist in both the semifinal and final and also scored the lone goal in the quarterfinals. Senior leadership and experience was a big reason why the Pioneers were able to pull off the title and Pucket provided both.