Northern Highlands, No. 12 in the NJ.com Top 20, defeated Manalapan 4-3 in the NJSIAA Public Championship Game at Newark's Prudential Center to win its third state title in six years. .
Northern Highlands previously won the title in 2018 and 2022, both times in Public B. This season, the Public A and B brackets were combined into one, making it the first public overall champion. Vincenzo Capano scored the winning goal with 6 minutes and 19 seconds left in regulation, clinching the victory.
The three stars of the game are:
Number one star: Brent Beswick, Northern Highlands
The junior made 3-point shots throughout the game and was the catalyst for the Highlanders' offense. He scored three points, one goal and two assists. He set up Vincenzo Capano's game-winning goal with 6:19 left in the game and also assisted on Jake Baratta's go-ahead goal. He finished the season with an astonishing 85 points.
Second star: Vincenzo Capano, Northern Highlands
In his final high school game, Capano scored the game-winning goal with 6 minutes, 19 seconds left, helping his school win the state title. He grabbed the rebound of Beswick's shot, but the rebound narrowly crossed the goal line. He also had the second assist on the first goal of the game, earning him two points.
Third star: Michael Schmelzer, Manalapan
Schmelzer didn't need many opportunities to show how dangerous he is in this game. Whenever he had a little time and space, he made things happen, scoring two goals, including the game-tying goal with 11 minutes, 14 seconds left. His senior season ended with a team-high 34 goals.
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