WALDWICK — The NJSIAA boys soccer sections are back to the way they were before COVID, and Waldwick is back on top in North 1, Group 1.
The top-seeded Warriors warded off league rival Emerson, 2-0, Thursday night in the sectional final. Kyle Carroll and Danny Perdomo netted the goals for the winners.
Waldwick (20-2-1) advanced to Tuesday’s Group 1 semifinals. It will host Cedar Grove, which knocked off Glen Ridge to win the North 2 sectional.
Glen Ridge defeated the Warriors for the 2020 Northeast Group 1A regional title, winning a tournament created specifically for the pandemic-altered season.
“This was our seniors’ goal all year, our team goal from the very beginning,” said Carroll, a senior defender. “We lost last year, so it’s just great to be back and win it.”
What it means
Waldwick has now won the last three North 1, Group 1 championships contested, running its all-time total to 12. Coach Jon Noschese has guided the team to eight in his 24 seasons after George Farago led a “four-peat” from 1993-96.
“This has been a good bunch of boys,” Noschese said “They’ve worked hard all year, and I’m just so proud of them.”
The Warriors won the NJIC Patriot Division title thanks in part to a regular-season sweep of Emerson. The No. 2 seed Cavos (19-4) also fell to Waldwick in their previous trip to the North 1, Group 1 final in 2015.
Key plays
Both goals were set up by the play of midfielder Jack Johnson. The sophomore took a corner kick in the 13th minute that Carroll redirected into the net.
In the 59th minute, Johnson made a slide-tackle near midfield and passed to Alex Dickman, who made a run up the right side and sent a cross that Perdomo nodded home.
“Huge,” Carroll said of Johnson’s performance. “The kid steps up in the biggest moments.”
Waldwick’s senior goalies stepped up as well, with Connor Dillon making two saves in the first half and Patrick Kilgallen helping the team withstand an early second-half Cavos flurry.
“We knew they’d be coming out strong with us having the lead,” Kilgallen said. “We just had to stay composed, make a few saves, and we came up big.”
By the numbers
4: Saves by Emerson keeper Alex Sanmartin, who helped his team allow just 17 goals in 23 matches this fall.
16: Number of goals Waldwick conceded in its first 23 matches this season.
20-1-3: The Warriors’ home record in their last 24 postseason games. The lone regulation loss was to Glen Ridge last year, while two shootout wins and a PK loss officially go into the books as ties.
