After falling short in three sectional finals the last four years, head coach Mike Papenberg said this year’s team is ready to finish the job in 2017.
Palmyra High School boys soccer is hungry for a sectional championship.
Three of the last four years, Palmyra has reached a sectional final game. Every time, the Panthers fell short, losing to the №1 seed in the tournament.
This year, with a team chock full of juniors and seniors, Palmyra is hoping to finally get over the hump.
“It’s something we talked about during the offseason, how close we came to winning a sectional championship,” head coach Mike Papenberg said. “With those players returning, they’re hungry. They’ve been working really hard during the summer time, in the weight room, summer league and summer practices.”
Last season was the closest sectional final Palmyra had played in recent years, losing 1–0 to Asbury Park High School in the Central Jersey Group I championship. The Panthers’ ability to shut down opposing offenses was the team’s strength last year, with Palmyra allowing more than one goal in only four games last season.
The Panthers return most of their defense, including junior goalkeeper Liam Brett, 2016 All-Burlington County Scholastic League players Tommy Shover and Nate Warnock, as well as experienced players in Scott Smyth and Gio Nahrwold.
“We’ve been for the most part pretty healthy, so we should be pretty solid in the back,” Papenberg said.
Palmyra’s two biggest losses from last year are on offense, where the Panthers lost two of their top three goal scorers from 2016. Palmyra lost Damien Jennings to graduation and also suffered the loss of 2016 breakout freshman Fisher Hudak, who opted to play academy soccer this season.
Palmyra does return its top scorer from last year, senior Brett Maute, who tallied 15 goals and three assists in 2016. Papenberg believes other players will step up to assist Maute on offense this year.
“I don’t see one of our players replacing them,” Papenberg said. “I think one of the strengths of our team is going to be the face that everybody on the field at any time can score.”
“I see multiple groups of guys scoring five to 10 goals,” Papenberg added.
Palmyra plans to try to capitalize on set plays to generate offense this year. Papenberg expects Shover and fellow back Carter Wilburn to use their size on set plays to create chances for the Panthers.
“I have a feeling we’re going to score some goals off of set pieces this year,” Papenberg said.
Papenberg said this year’s team has some of the best team chemistry he’s seen in his 13 years as the program’s head coach. He attributes this to the experience of the upperclassmen, their leadership skills and the players’ work ethic.
“They’ve played together for a long time, they’ve played at a high level,” Papenberg said. “When we’re not on the soccer field, they’re hanging out with each other, watching Premier League games.”
“When you have a junior and senior laden team, you’re usually going to be pretty successful,” Papenberg added.
This year’s team will not have any different expectations than previous years. Papenberg said the team has set lofty goals and is aiming to win a division, sectional and state championship in 2017.
UPDATE: Heading into its Sept. 15 game against Maple Shade High School, Palmyra had a perfect 4–0 record. The Panthers outscored its opposition a combined 15–1 in its first four games.
