Ridge Crushed By Summit, Exits TOC in Semis

It was evident from the outset that the Summit Hilltoppers (22-0) were every bit deserving of their number one state ranking Wednesday night at Kean University.

In their Tournament Of Champions semifinals game against Ridge (18-5), the Hilltoppers took it to the Red Devils, early and often, defeating Ridge, which had won the Group III state sectional tournament two weeks earlier, 11-4.

Despite four magnificent saves from Ridge goalie Jonathan Wilkins in the first minute and a half of play, it seemed inevitable that Summit would not stay off the scoreboard for more than five minutes of action.

Sure enough, the Hilltoppers struck.

John Scioscia scored two goals within two minutes of each other, both curling behind the net to surprise Wilkins, and Mike Ford scored from the slot to give Summit the early 3-0 lead. That would only be the beginning.

As good as the Hilltoppers' attack was, their defense was even better. Possession after possession, the Red Devils' snipers, who were terrific all season, struggled to even find a lane to pass against the stingy, well-disciplined Summit defense.

In the second quarter, Scioscia added his third goal from down low, and Sonny Round tallied his first goal as the Hilltoppers enojyed a 5-0 lead heading into halftime.

The third quarter seemed to be the worst for Ridge, allowing four goals from Dave Kalin and Tim Yager, along with Ford and Round who each added their second goal of the contest. The Red Devils did get some offense on goals from Jamie Scott down low and Jason Mertz, who added a goal on a beautiful shot from the slot. Ridge team captain Alex Otero also scored.

"It means a lot to score in my last game," the all-American, who will be playing at Yale next year, commented. "We wanted to make a good mark in this tournament, and it's unfortunate that we couldn't, but to still get here is awesome."

Alex Byrnes scored in the final stanza, and Otero added a second goal.

"It's nice to score and it was good to leave on a note like that," said Byrnes, who made the all-state team. "We would have liked to give them a good run, but they're nationally ranked, and we see now why."

Despite falling short in the Tournament of Champions, it was a successful year for Ridge, reaching 18 wins and a state championship.

"To say that we were the first seniors to win a state championship means a lot," Otero added. "Ridge teams coming in used to just want to make counties and win a state game, but we really set the bar high, and now the program expects a state championship."

It seemed to be especially tough for Otero to move on to his post-Ridge lacrosse life, giving head coach Ken Marsh one final hug before he was the final player to exit the turf.

"We are a brotherhood," he said. "I think the different grade levels were always an issue, but not this year. Everyone worked together and we all had each other's backs. We knew what we had to do together. We were a great group of friends."