Seton Hall Prep soccer team completes outstanding season

Seton Hall Prep senior Peter Batanjany heads the ball during a game this season.

WEST ORANGE, NJ — The Seton Hall Prep soccer team completed an outstanding season with a 19-3 record. On Saturday, Nov. 12, the Pirates lost a tight defensive battle to Christian Brothers Academy, 1-0, on a goal with 3:36 left in the second half at Franklin High School in Somerset in the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Non-Public A state final.

Following the game, head coach Marty Berman, a 1970 Columbia High School graduate, said, “We knew they had a lot of players back and they would be on a mission to try to get revenge after we defeated them 2-0 last year. CBA is a great program and they play the game well. Today, I thought we were a great program. Both teams kind of took each other out of their game. It was tough to get things going against them, and they had trouble getting going against us. I loved the way our guys played today, showing a lot of grit and heart.”

On Wednesday, Nov. 16, before more than 1,000 fans at Brendan P. Tevlin Memorial Field, Seton Hall defeated Bergen Catholic, 5-3, in the NJSIAA’s Non-Public A North sectional championship game. Senior Luca Chirichiello opened the scoring for the Pirates with 30:43 left in the first half, intercepting a bad clearance and striking the ball past the Bergen Catholic goalie. Less than two minutes later, junior Eddie Krupski would receive the ball in the attacking third and weave his way through Crusader defenders to put Seton Hall Prep up 2-0. After Bergen Catholic made it 2-1 with 23:47 left, a free kick from senior Joaquin Niehenke to Krupski was short of the goal, but junior Wil Bauer headed in a Krupski header that went off the crossbar for a 3-1 Pirate lead with 12:56 left.

In the second half, Krupski added his 21st goal of the year with 33:35 left to extend the lead to 4-1. After Bergen Catholic scored to make it 4-2, Niehenke added a goal to make it 5-2, ripping a shot from the left side of the box. Bergen Catholic added a goal with 1:22 left to make the final 5-3.

Following the game, Krupski said, “It feels great to help contribute to the team. We have a lot of great guys behind me that are willing to put in the work and all the stuff that you need to have a successful team.”

Niehenke added, “One thing we really focused on in practice is making sure we convert our scoring opportunities. Today, it really worked out as we finished our chances.”

Here are the postseason honors for SHP.

All-Super Essex Conference–American Division