Monday,
November 24, 2014
By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer
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Harrison celebrated its first state title since 2008 and the record 25th in program history with a 4-0 win over Haddon Township in the Group 1 final. |
UNION – For as long as soccer has been played in New Jersey, that is how long Harrison has been a powerhouse. Although this year’s crop of seniors has experienced success over the past four seasons there was one thing missing from its resume and it was a hole that could be filled on Sunday afternoon. With a one-goal halftime lead in the Group 1 state final against Haddon Township, the seniors looked at one another with a quiet confidence.
There were just 40 more minutes left to wear the Harrison uniform and there was there was no way that Haddon Township was going to keep them from their ultimate goal.
Cristian Marquez scored 20 seconds into the second half to double the lead. Ten minutes later, Ali Lahkrif and Ali Lachgar scored just 48 seconds apart as Harrison put together a dominating performance in winning its first Group 1 state title since 2008 and its state-record 25th state championship with a 4-0 romp over Haddon Township at Kean University in Union.
“It’s the best feeling in the world to win a state title as a senior,” said Harrison’s Christian Restrepo. “We’ve been working for this ever since we came into high school. The past few years we came up a little short, but that prepared us for making a run this year.”
Haddon Township had come in on a high note after a 1-0 victory over Shore Regional in the Group 1 semifinals, but it was evident right from the opening whistle that Harrison was a huge step up in class as the Blue Tide pounded the Hawks’ net for the entire 80 minutes. Lahkrif nearly scored five minutes in but his blast from the top of the box was turned aside on a diving save by Haddon Township keeper Kieran Burns.
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Haddon Twp. goalkeeper Kieran Burns had his hands full against Harrison's relentless attack. |
Burns single-handedly kept the Hawks in the game early and it looked like they might escape the first half without allowing a goal. The Blue Tide refused to let up and finally got their goal with just over four minutes remaining in the half. Lahkrif was the catalyst again, getting loose along the left flank and sending a cross to the middle of the box. Restrepo settled the ball, brought it to his right foot and put one past Burns to give Harrison all the momentum going into halftime with a 1-0 lead.
Even though the Blue Tide were in complete control, head coach Mike Rusek knew that one miscue could change everything both on the scoreboard and among his team’s psyche.
“We’ve been in enough games over the years that a break here or there could be the difference,” said Rusek. “Getting a goal so early into the second half gave us that cushion we needed.”
Before the Haddon Township players had a chance to get loose, the Blue Tide crushed their hopes for a comeback in mere seconds. Marcelo Esquivel slid a pass into space that Marquez collected near the top of the box. He cut back towards the middle and took two dribbles before firing a laser into the lower right-hand corner for a 2-0 lead.
“I only had the one defender on me and I wanted to get a shot off,” said Marquez, through an interpreter. “When I got some space I aimed towards the corner and that’s where it went.”
Harrison did not let up with Lahkrif leading the way. Just shy of 10 minutes into the second half, Lahkrif scored a gorgeous goal. Chipping a ball over a defender’s foot then chipping the ball with the outside of his foot, this time over Burns’ outstretched hands and just underneath the crossbar, he gave Harrison a 3-0 lead. Lachgar capped the scoring 48 seconds later when he was taken down in the box and converted the ensuing penalty kick for the final 4-0 margin.
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Ali Lahkrif scored one of the four goals for Harrison, which won its 6 playoff games by a combined score of 31-1. |
To show how one-sided this game was, Harrison (24-3) scored four goals but also hit the post four times in holding a whopping 33-2 edge in shots. Led by outside marking backs Jose Carrera and Rodrigo Esquivel, the Blue Tide did not allow a shot over the final 62 minutes of regulation.
Burns did all he could in making a career-high 14 saves for Haddon Township (21-3).
Harrison made a long-awaited return to dominance by ripping through the state tournament, possibly the most dominant single-season state tourney run ever. They outscored their six opponents by a 31-1 margin. An even more eye-popping stat is outshooting their final three opponents (Secaucus in the North 2, Group 1 section final, Waldwick in the Group 1 state semifinals, and Haddon Township by a combined 104-9). Finally, Harrison is back on top and Rusek could not be any more proud of his 16 seniors who finally got a their taste of glory.
“Our kids came to play today and we wanted to send our seniors out with a state championship,” added Rusek. “After losing in the state final in 2012 and then losing a heartbreaking game in the state semis last year, getting to a state final and winning it was our goal from Day 1. You hope that all of your hard work pays off in the end and you play your best in the last game of the season. In my 15 years here as a coach, this senior group earned this title more than any other group I’ve had.”
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