Glen Rock dethrones No. 11 Ramsey, wins first boys soccer N1G2 title since 2018

Before third-seeded Glen Rock traveled to Ramsey on Friday evening to face the three-time defending champion Ramsey, the top-seed in the North 1 Group 2 playoffs, Glen Rock head coach Matt Beverin was looking forward to reunite with a good friend.

Ramsey head coach Cesar Blacido and Beverin were teammates on the soccer team at Monmouth University in 2011, and were also roommates.

Ramsey (13-3-3), No. 11 in the NJ.com Top 20, came into this matchup looking for its fourth consecutive North 1, Group 2 title, but Glen Rock (16-3-2) dethroned the defending champions, and claimed its first sectional championship since 2018 with a 2-1 victory, giving Beverin the title, and some bragging rights.

After a scoreless first half, filled with exceptional defense and physicality, Harrison Wortley knocked in the first goal of the game, as the senior was responsible for the first goal Ramsey had allowed this postseason.

Wortley said, “In the beginning of the season we had a couple of goals, one of them was to win the section, we knew we had the group to do it, it feels really special that we were able to come together and get it done.”

Nine minutes later, freshman Victor Kubasek found the back of the net, assisted by Drew Carlin to give Glen Rock some much needed insurance. It is very rare that a freshman comes in and makes an impact right away, especially on a stage as big as the sectional championship.

Kubasek explained, “The goal is to create a legacy with these guys, I wanted to make sure I played well for my seniors. We all put in a lot of effort and for us to be rewarded like this feels really good.”

While defense was at a premium all night long, coach Beverin emphazised how important creating opportunities on offense was for Glen Rock.

Beverin explained, “A big emphasis for us was challenging 50/50s and elevating our compete level. We wanted to make sure we were being consistent and we demonstrated a lot of that tonight, we are so happy and grateful.”

While Ramsey seemed like it was struggling to get any sort of offense going in the first 70 minutes of the game, senior captain Kiran Dewan put an end to the scoring drought with a boot through the top left pocket of the goal to get Ramsey on the board.

Dewan sprinted down the sideline towards the student section, pleading with students and parents to help bring the energy and help will its way back into the game - the message was received with an ovation of cheers and applause.

Glen Rock goalie Andrew Eisenberg made 11 saves, and was key in crunch time as Ramsey controlled the ball in its territory for the final five minutes of the game.

It is no secret that when it comes to the North 1, Group 2 playoffs, Ramsey has been the gold standard, winning three consecutive titles and appearing in its sixth straight final.

Ramsey head coach Cesar Blacido said, “Coming into this season we had lost some big pieces, and I wanted to see how this team would come together and perform, and I think they accomplished a lot of great things. This team always fought, and it started and ended with our senior class who always led this program in the best way they could.”

Blacido and his friendship with Beverin created a fun atmosphere between both sidelines, however at the end of the day, the goal was the same - win and move on.

Beverin said, “He’s [Blacido] got four, I only have one [championships]. The goal after we finish this run is to come back next year and win it again, they are the group we wanted to emulate and theres a ton of respect for those guys.” Article Link