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Group 4 soccer: Absegami nips Cherokee in OT

With his outstretched right hand, a leaping Matt McCormick punched the shot over the crossbar on Monday before his head crashed into the goalpost.

With his outstretched right hand, a leaping Matt McCormick punched the shot over the crossbar on Monday before his head crashed into the goalpost.

Absegami coach Bill Rose said he wasn't quite sure how the senior goalie reached the ball, but McCormick did anyway and the top-seeded Braves edged No. 9 Cherokee in overtime, 1-0, in the South Jersey Group 4 boys' soccer quarterfinals.

"It was one of the best saves I've ever seen a high school keeper make," Rose said.

With two minutes left in regulation, the save preserved the scoreless tie and forced overtime.

Before the extra period, the referee told Rose that he'd never seen a save like that and told him he probably should check on McCormick's head.

McCormick was fine and remained in the game to post his 11th shutout of the season.

In overtime, left-footed Sean Milligan used his opposite foot with four minutes left to score the winning goal. The senior forward was sent down the right side on a breakaway with a pass from Carlos Galeano.

The game was a rematch of last season's quarterfinals, when Cherokee eliminated Absegami, 2-0.

With the win, Absegami advanced to host Cherry Hill East in a semifinal Thursday at 2 p.m.

South Jersey Group 2

Steven Hand turned away just one save, but it was enough to set a school record as Middle Township blanked Atlantic County Tech, 5-0, in the quarterfinals.

The shutout was Hand's 20th of his career, pulling him past Mark Scarpa's school mark of 19. Scarpa graduated in 1996.

Senior forward Jacob Cowan scored three goals and assisted on another goal. He leads the Panthers in goals (28) and assists (16).

His header put Middle ahead, 1-0, late in the first half after he connected on a Adam Vaul's cross from the left side. Cowan also buried a free kick from 25 yards out.

Middle Township advanced to host Cinnaminson in the semifinals Thursday at 2 p.m.

Central Jersey Group 2

Bordentown scored once in each half en route to a 2-0 victory over host Point Pleasant Boro in the quarterfinals.

Boris Urgiles, a junior, scored in the seventh minute before Brandon Hudik added a goal in the second half.

Andrew Morris posted the shutout with 11 saves. He is averaging just one goal allowed over his last five games.

Bordentown will meet the winner of Robbinsville and Long Branch in the semifinals.

Central Jersey Group 1

Ozkan Ozturk turned away four shots but Burlington City was blanked by Metuchen, 4-0, in the quarterfinals.

Tom Costello scored for Metuchen and Joe Misdea posted the shutout with four saves.

S. Jersey Non-Public B

Moorestown Friends was shut out as the host Foxes fell to Gill-St. Bernards, 4-0, in the quarterfinals.

Kyle Price and Colin Gregory each made seven saves for Moorestown Friends. Gill-St. Bernards was led by Bijan Eizadkhah's two goals.