NON-PUBLIC A FINAL: PINGRY 2, RED BANK CATHOLIC 1: State power Pingry (20-1-1) got the tying goal in the 54th minute from Shayna Blackwood and the eventual game-winner from Corey Delaney in the 66th minute to defeat Red Bank Catholic and claim the state title. This is the Big Blue’s first state title since winning three straight from 2004-06.
Red Bank Catholic (17-3-2) is now 0-3-1 in Non-Public A finals over the last four seasons, including a co-title last fall with Immaculate Heart. The Caseys were seeking their third outright state title and fifth overall in their eighth trip to the final.
Senior back Bri Reed scored in the 20th minute to give Red Bank Catholic a 1-0 lead.
NON-PUBLIC B FINAL: OAK KNOLL 5, MATER DEI PREP 0: Freshman center-midfielder Morgan Ryan had two goals and two assists and sophomore forward Lizzie Armstrong added two goals to lead the Royals over the Seraphs.
It was the first state championship for Oak Knoll (13-4-2), which was making its first appearance in a state final since losing to Red Bank Catholic in the then-Parochial A final in 2002.
Mater Dei Prep (9-13-1) reached its first state final after having just one win in each of the previous two years and going 1-6 to open this season. At 5-12-1 to start the playoffs, the Seraphs reeled off four straight victories, including a 3-0 win over Wardlaw-Hartridge in the Non-Public South B final for the program’s first sectional championship.
GROUP III SEMIFINAL: MOORESTOWN 1, MATAWAN 0: Junior Nicole Varela sent a penalty kick to the lower left side in the 68th minute and Moorestown held on for a victory over Matawan at Toms River North High School.
Matawan (13-8-1) was appearing in its first state semifinal after winning the school’s first sectional title with a 1-0 win over Freehold in the Central Group III final.
Moorestown (16-3-2) last appeared in a state semifinal in 2007 and last won a state title in 2005 when it shared the Group III title with Montgomery. The Quakers also won the state title in 2004 and will now compete for this year’s state title against Northern Highlands on Saturday.
