Brody Kaplan feels vindicated.
“It was unbelievable at the beginning of the season how much we were doubted,” the senior goalie for Robbinsville High’s boys soccer team said. “We were doubted by parents, friends, past teammates. Some people told us we were gonna be an 8-8 team and we were gonna lose very early in the state tournament.
“After we lost in the state championship game last year, I had people laugh in my face when I told them that we were gonna be there next year, and we came pretty close. We had the best record in school history. It means a lot.”
As it should. After losing seven starters – who combined for 73 of the team’s 84 goals – from its NJSIAA Group III finalist, Robbinsville heard the whispers. They had won a state title and came within a win of another one, but they were told their time was over.
Wrong!
The “next man up” philosophy was on full display, as RHS finished 20-2-2 to set a school record for victories. The Ravens won their third straight sectional championship, taking the Central Jersey Group II crown after winning two CJ III titles.
They went undefeated in the regular season, and after moving up from the CVC Valley Division up to the ultra-competitive Colonial, they won the division crown. The only bummer was a gut-wrenching, 2-1 loss at Sterling in the Group II semifinals.
So much for 8-8.
“I don’t think losing in the state semifinals is going to take anything away from a great season,” said Jeff Fisher, who has emerged as one of the county’s top coaches after 11 seasons. “You lose such a super class and coming in, people are like ‘You’re losing 80-something percent of your goals,’ and stuff like that. “We knew we had a good core coming back and some good young guys coming up. It makes you feel pretty good about where the program is.”
Over the past three seasons Robbinsville has gone 56-12-4, with wins over some of the state’s top teams. The Ravens went 66-67-13 through Fisher’s first eight seasons, including some strong years at the beginning that included a trip to the sectional semifinal.
All the while he was instilling his philosophy within the RHS soccer.
“I want the kids to enjoy the game,” Fisher said. “I want them to enjoy being part of the program, where it’s something they can look back on and have great memories. That’s a big part of it.”
And who doesn’t want to be a part of some good times?
“That was the main point, to have fun,” Kaplan said. “I looked forward to every practice, you get to joke around with your friends. You also have serious times and before games you gotta lock in. We had a variety of those practices and we had a lot of fun. It was one of the most fun times in my life.”
It’s even more fun when a team is successful, and that was part of the process. Making the Ravens think like winners.
“Early on when there wasn’t much of a winning tradition, you have to learn to start building that confidence,” Fisher said. “It doesn’t come overnight then all of a sudden you think you’re gonna win a championship. It takes time.
“You have to learn how to practice, you have to learn to beat teams you think you should be beating. Then you have to learn to compete against teams that might be a little bit ahead of you, and then you want to become a team that can win championships.”
Once that occurs, teams still need to get good players. But now there is a built-in intangible that aids the cause. Athletes feel a responsibility to uphold the legacy being built.
“I’m a big believer in winning breeds more winning,” Fisher said. “When you have a winning tradition and a winning program, players come in and expect to continue that tradition.
“Programs like Steinert and Princeton continue to win year in and year out, that’s a big part of their culture. The fact they believe they’re gonna go out and win 15 games, that’s a big part of success. When you have success you gotta try to hold on to it because it will continue as the next group of kids come to you.”
So far that has worked. And the Ravens appear to be in good shape for next year as they will return 16 players who gained varsity experience.
The seven seniors that Robbinsville loses will certainly be missed, however. Included were Kaplan, Nick Grippa, Mitch Shapiro, Marco Parisi, Owen Voorhees, Leo Daniels and Ethan Pagani.
Kaplan, who was a goalie in youth soccer but didn’t play keeper in high school until last season, was named by the coaches as CVC Goalie of the Year.
“Rightfully so,” Fisher said. “He was just a monster in the nets making huge saves.”
Shapiro had 14 goals and a team-leading 21 assists and was a first-team All-CVC pick, as was Nick Grippa (22 goals, 10 assists), Ethan Pagani (13 goals, 6 assists) and junior defender Nico Matthews (4 goals, 4 assists). Robbinsville got a bad break when Grippa suffered a season-ending injury in the sectional quarterfinals.
“Mitchell Shapiro was just an unbelievable leader off the field and on the field, creating chances for us,” Fisher said. “Ethan was a guy that did so much for us in the midfield to keep possession.”
As for Grippa, he filled in defensively last year and thrived when returning to his natural position as a scorer this season.
“Not having him down the final stretch in the tournament was obviously hard,” Fisher said. “He brings so much passion to our team and our offense. Just the threat of him on other defenses was big.”
At the opposite end of the field was Daniels, who stepped in at right back.
“He played every minute and was just unbelievable for us back there, just a rock going against some of the county’s best players game in and game out,” Fisher said. “Sometimes those kids get overlooked. We wouldn’t have done what we did without him.”
Matthews was also a standout defender who was moved around when necessary. He teamed with junior Will Berdan, a third-team All-CVC pick, in the middle and Fisher said “they are two of the best defenders in the area right now. Nico is just a special player on the ball.”
Another returning defender will be junior Justin Schreyer. Junior Max Goldberg, a third-team All-CVC player, will return at midfield and Fisher said “he’s as solid and strong as they come. I’m excited to see him in his senior season.”
The list of 2025 returnees also includes sophomore facilitator Chris Lewis, along with freshmen Noah Goldberg, Will Temple, Maciej Ramirez, Jude Cohen and Ryan Mechael, who all supplied valuable minutes this season.
“They will only get better next year,” assured Fisher. “To have a third big season like this and 16 guys coming back with varsity experience, you feel good going into next year. You feel like you’re in a solid place to consistently compete and hopefully win championships.”
Finding a goalie to replace Kaplan will be tough, as he became famous for his acrobatic saves over the past two seasons. He has been in touch with some college coaches but is yet unsure if he will play at the next level.
For now, he enjoys reflecting on his final high school season and what made this team so good.
“It was a group with all my friends, we’ve been playing together since we were six years old and the chemistry was really there,” Kaplan said. “I’d say it was more chemistry than talent. We were just a group of township players. Only a few people in our starting lineup played with club and academies. Everyone else played high school and township ball. I think it’s pretty special that our chemistry carried us.”
Kaplan felt the two big moments that allowed the Ravens to understand how good they were, came in a preseason tournament that they won by allowing just two goals and scoring over 25; and when they beat Notre Dame in the regular season.
“I feel that brought our energy to a new level,” he said.
And while Kaplan noted a lot of players did not play club ball, there were still some who came in with that kind of experience.
“We’re pretty fortunate in this area to have some quality club teams, kids are coming through PDA and Match Fit,” Fisher said. “Then you have Mercer United taking over a lot of the Robbinsville rec leagues and they do a fantastic job getting players ready to play at the high school level.”
Fisher also acknowledged Conor Hayes and his work with the Pond Road team, and lauded his RHS assistants – freshman coach Andrew Bruno, JV coach Brian Dempsey and former Ravens Dan Greg, John Riggs and George Fotiou.
“They have played a major role in getting the program where it is today,” Fisher said. “They were players who set foundations for the program.”
And from that foundation has risen a powerhouse, as Robbinsville looks to stay solid in the coming years.
“We’ve been lucky to have kids buy into the program beginning 10-plus years ago, and really trying to set that championship standard,” Fisher said. “You get to the point where you believe you’re gonna go out and win every game and you believe that you can play with anybody day in and day out.”
That attitude, as Fisher knows, is never a given. The work never ends.
“I’m also very conscious and aware it takes one small little crack to kind of fall apart,” he said. “You gotta keep working to keep the standard and level at this height so that you don’t have those cracks that develop and break things down. You want to stay where you’re at; winning championships or competing for championships.”
And proving the naysayers wrong.
Members of the Robbinsville High School boys’ soccer team and its coaches are pictured after winning the Central Jersey Group II sectional championship on Nov. 15, 2024.,
