VIDEO, PHOTOS: Middle states its case for CAL playoff inclusion after shutout of Pleasantville

Posted: October 15th 2024

By BRIAN CUNNIFF

CapeAtlanticLive.com

CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE – The Middle Township High School boys soccer team seems to have made a strong case for inclusion into this year’s Cape-Atlantic League playoff tournament.

The Panthers closed out their Cape-Atlantic National Conference schedule in second place after Tuesday’s dominating 3-0 victory over Pleasantville, a team that had beaten the Panthers earlier this season.

The win moved Middle to 10-5-1 overall, 8-3-1 in conference play.

The league’s three conference winners, plus three wild cards from any conference, are selected for the CAL playoff tournament. The wild-card teams and the official seedings will be determined by a committee made up of a handful of the league’s athletic directors later this week.

“I really do,” Middle coach Scott Kurkowski said when asked if he thinks his team has done enough to qualify. “Our schedule is pretty difficult. We like to push our kids to the limit. (CAL National Conference champion) Mainland is a very tough team. That’s two of our losses and the two games we had against them really could have gone either way.”

Eddie Hirsch accomplished the rare feat of scoring two penalty kicks in one half for Middle in the win over Pleasantville. He converted both spot kicks after teammate Angelo Panzini was fouled in the penalty area on separate incidents.

Panzini later added Middle’s third goal early in the second half when his shot from 15 yards deflected off a Pleasantville back and inside the right post.

“I was happy the way we came out. We came out with a lot of energy and that’s something we’ve been working on,” Kurkowski said. “I’ve been telling these guys all year, when they play together and they’re turned on the right way they’re a really, really dangerous team and I think we showed that today.”

With a three-goal cushion, Eddie Hirsch and Colin Jastremski made smart, simple plays in the middle of the park to control the midfield over the rest of the contest.

The shutout was the eighth of the season for Middle goalkeeper Miles Stafford, who was busy collecting loose balls with his feet and his hands but needed to make just one save – on a harmless shot from distance – to record the clean sheet. 

The Panthers have conceded just 16 goals in their 16 games, the lowest total in their conference and second in the entire CAL to St. Augustine Prep, which has allowed just nine in 14 games.

Take away a 4-2 loss to Paul VI from last weekend and Middle has given up only 12 goals in its 15 other games.

Stafford, center backs Joe Berrodin and Sam Casterline and outside backs Phil Woodrow and David DelConte, along with Jastremski, the team’s center defensive midfielder, have been instrumental in making Middle a difficult team to break down.

“I really feel like our back line and our goalkeeper are some of the best in our conference and our goals against number shows that,” Kurkowski said. “With the schedule we play, it’s very impressive. Those guys deserve a lot of credit.”

Two Pleasantville players were shown red cards in the second half. The Greyhounds (6-7, 5-7) played the final 5 ½ minutes with nine players.