Ramapo captures Group 3 title with 3-0 win by Sean Farrell of The Record
UNION — The perfect season got its perfect ending.
One last sparkling performance by Sebastian Varela on offense. One more shutout for the Ramapo defense. And two halves of dominance on all ends of the field.
The Green Raiders came to Kean University on a mission. They left with a state championship trophy to take back to Franklin Lakes.
Ramapo earned the Group 3 title on Sunday with a 3-0 victory over Toms River South to complete the season with an undefeated record at 22-0.
“It’s amazing,” Varela said. “It’s been an unreal season. Not a lot of people can [go undefeated]. What’s amazing about it is that we were all family and we just worked together.”
Varela once again made the case that he’s among the best players across the state.
The junior scored a goal in each half, assisted on another and kept the Green Raiders in the offensive end for large chunks of the game.
“He’s the best player I’ve ever played with,” Ramapo’s Andrew Furman said. “Hands down.”
Varela gave Ramapo a lead about 12 minutes into the game.
Noah Kilday slid a pass to Varela around the 18, and he had enough time and space to place the ball in the right corner.
His second goal came on free kick with 16:29 left in the game. The right-footed blast caromed off the hands of Toms River South’s goalie and into the back of the net.
“[Varela] is just so cool on the ball,” senior defender Billy Collins said. “I’ve never met someone as composed as him. The high-pressure situations are the same as the start of the game. The kid literally doesn’t feel any pressure on him no matter what.”
Ramapo’s other second-half goal was set up by a spectacular play by Keanan Malke. He evaded four defenders down the right sideline and passed to Varela, who found Furman alone on the left wing for the goal.
That provided ample support for a Ramapo defense that allowed only seven goals all season.
Senior stopper Eddie Kraebel played an active role in clearing and heading the ball out of danger. But throughout the second half, he and the Ramapo defense watched most of the action from afar.
“Being around these kids has been an honor for me,” coach Evan Baumgarten said. “They play harder in training than they do in the game. They’ve always been giving in for the full season, so we’re really proud of them.”
The Green Raiders kept the pressure on, even with a solid lead.
A determined group of seniors made sure to atone for past losses and secure their first group title.
“It’s just pure bliss [right now],” Collins said. “The past couple of years have been unfortunate. This year, that couldn’t happen again. Our team has been working so hard, and we just feel the relief now.”
The win gave Baumgarten his seventh group championship at Ramapo and first since 2012. But he said it was his first Green Raiders team to go undefeated without any ties.
“It’s so special,” Furman said. “For all the work we put in the entire season, it’s a perfect ending. Going 22-0 means so much to all of us.”