ad
ad ad
ad ad
VIDEO: Pingry shocks Bridgewater-Raritan to reach TOC finals
Written by - Wednesday, June 8 2016  

Overcoming a key injury and an opponent that hadn't lost in two years, Pingry booked itself a spot in the boys' lacrosse Tournament of Champions final. The Big Blue upset top seed Bridgewater-Raritan, pulling out a thrilling 8-7 victory.

The loss ends a 42-game winning streak for Bridgewater-Raritan that dated back to the end of the 2014 season. The Panthers had beaten Pingry three times during that streak, including last year's TOC semifinals and this year's Somerset County Tournament final.

A big first quarter, led by three goals from Jake Moss, gave Pingry a 4-1 lead. The Big Blue stayed in front until Bridgewater tied the game 6-6 in the opening moments of the fourth period.

But Pingry's Austin Chang gave his team the lead again just seconds later, and then scored again to boost the lead to 8-6. The Panthers got one goal back, but could not find the tying score against Big Blue goalie David Metzger.

Metzger, who played the second half as part of the Big Blue's usual goalie rotation, made nine saves. His final stop came with a minute to play, and Pingry managed to run out the clock, setting off a jubilant celebration on the field at Kean University.

First-half goalie Frankie Dillon stopped six shots. The Pingry defense held up well despite missing starter Ollie Martin, who was injured in the previous game.

Max Cummings had two goals for Pingry, including one just before the horn to end the first quarter. Josh Gully added a goal and an assist and Ben Shepard assisted on two goals for the fourth-seeded Big Blue.

Brian Kolen pumped in four goals for Bridgewater-Raritan. Ryan Kaden had a goal and three assists for the Panthers.

Ethan Christensen and Ethan Locker also scored for Bridgewater, which won the Group IV state title. The Panthers finish 19-1 on the season and miss out on a chance for their fourth Tournament of Champions title in six years.

For Pingry, it's the first-ever trip to the TOC final. The Big Blue are the first Non-Public B champions to reach the final game, and the first #4 seed to knock off the top seed in the TOC semifinals.

Now 17-3, Pingry will take on second seed, and four-time TOC winner, Delbarton in Saturday evening's final.

For sports video highlights of this New Jersey high school boys' lacrosse state Tournament of Champions semifinal game, click play in the box at left.




Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 

Recent Sports News

VIDEO: Westfield takes wild overtime win over Pingry

News image

In a game both teams thought they had won in regulation, Westfield and Pingry needed overtime to decide the real winner. With a goal in the first extra session, Westfield pulled out a wild 7-6 home boys' lacrosse victory. Fittingly, it was Devon McLane who scored the game-winner for the Blue ...

Read more

VIDEO: Leaving no doubt--Delbarton drops Pingry in TOC final

News image

It may have been a letdown to many of those in attendance. But for Delbarton, the final of the boys' lacrosse Tournament of Champions was a thing of beauty. A stifling defensive performance, combined with a big night for two senior attackers, led Delbarton to a 13-4 triumph over Pingry in ...

Read more

VIDEO: Pingry shocks Bridgewater-Raritan to reach TOC finals

News image

Overcoming a key injury and an opponent that hadn't lost in two years, Pingry booked itself a spot in the boys' lacrosse Tournament of Champions final. The Big Blue upset top seed Bridgewater-Raritan, pulling out a thrilling 8-7 victory. The loss ends a 42-game winning streak for Bridgewater-Raritan that dated back ...

Read more

VIDEO: Pingry surges by Chatham in Tournament of Champions

News image

Down in the third quarter of the boys' lacrosse Tournament of Champions quarterfinals, Pingry pulled together and came back. The Big Blue posted a 6-1 run in a six-minute stretch of the third and fourth quarters en route to a 10-8 win over Chatham. Jamie Zusi won six straight face-offs for ...

Read more

VIDEO: Pingry defeats MKA to win second straight state title

News image

All season, the Pingry boys' lacrosse team had its eyes on another Non-Public B state championship. The Big Blue wasn't going to slip up at the last step. Behind a couple of key surges in the first half, Pingry defeated Montclair Kimberley 9-4 to capture the trophy for the second straight ...

Read more

VIDEO: Pingry charges past Morristown-Beard to reach state final

News image

An eight-goal outburst in the third quarter helped the Pingry boys' lacrosse team earn a return trip to the state finals. The Big Blue pulled away after a close first half to defeat Morristown-Beard 17-9 in the Non-Public B semifinal round. Austin Chang scored five times to lead Pingry's offensive onslaught. ...

Read more

Access our story archives:

Select a month:

Select a year:

Select a sport: