John A. Lewis
Cherry Hill Courier-Post
There's that temptation, every once in a while, to just rip the whole thing up and start over. It comes around the middle of the season, when the teams in the Mean 15 combine to lose 13 games in a week. This isn't a big deal, when they're playing each other – but Middle Township? Williamstown?
Some teams that have been outside, looking in, are just starting to hit their stride, late in the season, and making their own strong cases for inclusion.
The best example of this is Haddonfield, of course.
The Bulldogs started the season with three straight losses – to Haddon Township, West Deptford and Sterling – and people pretty much moved on after that, even though all three of those teams are outstanding.
So what happens?
Well, it's been written here a time or two that the easiest way into the Mean 15 is to beat a couple of teams in the Mean 15, and Haddonfield did exactly that, with wins over third-ranked West Deptford, 13th-ranked Schalick and sixth-ranked Sterling, all in the space of six days. Haddonfield was the first team to score on the Silver Knights since opening day.
(This was a perfect week for a meteoric rise, of course, since No. 1 lost to No. 7 and No. 2 dropped a pair of games. Sometimes you really do just fill out the obvious slots and then say 'who's next?')
For the moment, the most obvious slot – well, it's also been said here that the best way to climb is to beat the teams above you. Cinnaminson took care of business last week and there's just no way around putting the Pirates in the No. 1 spot now.
Middle Township, which beat Ocean City, was also under consideration. The Panthers will face Shawnee in the first round of the South Jersey Coaches Tournament, which is a huge opportunity for them.
It's great to have that Tournament. It will be a crucible for sorting all this stuff out.
Here is a look at the teams in the South Jersey Mean 15:
1. Cinnaminson (14-0-1. No. 3 last week) – beat Pemberton, 6-0 and 7-1, to clinch the BCSL Patriot Division title.
NEXT: at Delsea Wednesday; hosts Rancocas Valley Saturday in the first round of the Coaches Tournament.
2. Delran (12-2-1, No. 4 last week) – beat Burlington Township, 4-0, Moorestown, 3-2 and Monroe, 2-1. Drew Roskos had four goals in those three games and has 18 for the season.
NEXT: hosts Clearview Wednesday and Northern Burlington Friday; at Lenape Monday.
3. Washington Township (11-2-1, No. 7 last week) – beat Shawnee, 3-2 – the Renegades' first division loss in 742 days; beat Eastern, 1-0 on Bugra Kumas' OT winner.
NEXT: hosts Egg Harbor Wednesday; hosts Paul VI Friday in a first-round match in the Coaches Tournament.
4. Shawnee (11-1-1, No. 1 last week) – lost to Washington Township, 3-2; beat Cherry Hill West, 2-1, and Cherokee, 2-1. Matt McFadden of Shawnee scored two goals against Cherokee, including the overtime winner, to raise his season total to 10.
NEXT: hosts Camden Catholic Wednesday; hosts Middle Township Friday in the first round of the Coaches Tournament.
5. Egg Harbor Township (11-3, No. 8 last week) – won at St. Augustine, 2-1, and at Hammonton, 3-2, to win the Cape-Atlantic League Tournament.
NEXT: at Washington Township Wednesday; at Mainland Friday, at Clearview Saturday in a first-round match in the Coaches Tournament; at Ocean City Monday.
6. St. Augustine (12-2-1, No. 5 last week) – beat Mainland, 2-0; lost to Egg Harbor, 2-1, in a Cape-Atlantic League semifinal.
NEXT: hosts Schalick Wednesday in a first-round match in the Coaches Tournament.
7. Haddonfield (8-5-1, not ranked last week) – beat West Deptford, 2-1, Schalick, 2-1 and Sterling, 2-1. Christian Ball and Andrew Guveiyian had two goals each. It was Guveiyan who ended Sterling's shutout streak.
NEXT: at Haddon Heights Thursday, at Rancocas Valley Saturday; at Audubon 10/25.
8. West Deptford (12-2-2, No. 2 last week) – lost to Haddonfield, 2-1; beat Haddon Heights, 1-0 and Woodbury, 7-0; lost to Haddon Township, 4-2.
NEXT: at Sterling Thursday; hosts Moorestown Saturday in the first round of the Coaches Tournament.; hosts Timber Creek 10/25.
9. Sterling (13-1-1, No. 6 last week) – beat Audubon, 4-1, to extend its shutout streak to 13, a club record. Lost to Haddonfield, 2-1.
NEXT: hosts West Deptford Thursday; hosts Hammonton Saturday in a first-round match in the Coaches Tournament.
10. Moorestown (10-5, No. 9 last week) – beat Northern Burlington, 4-0; lost to Delran, 3-2, and Notre Dame, 4-1.
NEXT: at Lenape Thursday; at West Deptford Saturday in a first-round match in the Coaches Tournament; hosts Kingsway Tuesday.
11. Clearview (12-2-2, No. 10 last week) – lost to Williamstown, 1-0; beat Eastern, 2-1 and Highland, 6-0. Seven different players scored those eight Clearview goals. Nigel Muringani had two.
NEXT: at Delran Wednesday; hosts Egg Harbor Saturday in a first-round match in the Coaches Tournament.
12. Kingsway (10-1-1, No. 11 last week) – beat Timber Creek, 2-0 and Deptford, 8-0. Sean Daly scored his second hat trick of the season in the latter game and has nine goals for the year.
NEXT: hosts Salesianum Wednesday; hosts Cherokee Friday in a first-round match in the Coaches Tournament; at Moorestown Tuesday.
13. Schalick (12-1-2, No. 13 last week) – lost to Haddonfield, 2-1; drew Pitman, 0-0.
NEXT: at St. Augustine Wednesday for a first-round match in the Coaches Tournament; hosts Overbrook Friday; hosts Clayton 10/25.
14. Paul VI (10-5-1, No. 14 last week) – beat Seneca, 4-0; lost to Pennington, 4-1; beat Camden Catholic, 4-0. Jonathan Leary was in net for both shutouts.
NEXT: at Washington Township Friday for a first-round match in the Coaches Tournament; at Life Center 10/25.
15. Cherokee (8-4, No. 15 last week) – beat Cherry Hill East, 9-0 and Lenape, 3-2; lost to Shawnee, 2-1.
NEXT: hosts Seneca Wednesday; at Kingsway Friday for a first-round match in the Coaches Tournament; at Mainland 10/26.
FELL OUT: Ocean City
John A. Lewis is a sports writer for the Burlington County Times, Courier Post and The Daily Journal. E-mail him at jlewis@thebct.com or follow on Twitter @JohnLewis19. Please consider supporting local journalism with a subscription.