ROBBINSVILLE — Never count out Brody Kaplan and the Robbinsville High boys’ soccer team’s defense. With senior scoring threat Nick Grippa out with an eye injury, there was a little more pressure on the Ravens’ back line as it took on sixth-seeded Manasquan Tuesday in a New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group II Central Tournament semifinal at the Steven. J. Mayer Athletic Complex. Senior Leo Daniels and juniors Nico Mathews, Will Berdan and Justin Schreyer spearheaded the defense in front of senior goalkeeper Kaplan as head coach Jeff Fisher’s team posted its 12th shutout by playing the Big Blue Warriors to a 0-0 tie for 100 minutes. From there, it was up to Kaplan and Manasquan senior goalkeeper Dylan Morris as the game went to a shootout. For four rounds, both sides were even. Then, after a connection by Daniels, which gave the home side a 5-4 advantage, Kaplan stepped to the line against Warriors 6-foot-5 senior Griffin Linstra and made a diving stop on the blast to allow R’ville host Friday’s 4 p.m. sectional final. Second-seeded Robbinsville (18-1-3) will get to host that game because fourth-seeded Delran (12-7-2) upset top-seeded Cinnaminson, 1-0. “We were friendly the entire game,” Kaplan said of his matchup with Linstra, whose father, Garry, played at The College of New Jersey and currently is head boys’ soccer coach at Wall. “I said to him, ‘I know you’re a Division I basketball player, but how are you at penalties?’ Both teams made their first four shots. I got unlucky on a couple. Then he came up, and ripped it. I guessed right and saved one when I needed to.” Even after having made 10 saves over the first 100 minutes, that stop was Kaplan’s biggest of the day. “Brody is a great ’keeper,” Schreyer said. “He saves us almost every game. I feel like he’s extra protection behind me.” On this day, Schreyer and his mates on the back line were just as helpful to Kaplan. With Manasquan continually making runs along the sideline, Schreyer was needed to help neutralize the attack. “They were attacking us again and again; applying a lot of pressure on the wing,” the right outside back said. “Our defense held strong, and our coaches were proud. They told us they want us to keep shutouts for every game from now on.” The Ravens are hoping that does not really have to be the case, but if need be, Kaplan, for one, knows the players in front of him are more than capable. “This win was special, especially being without one of our top scorers,” Kaplan said. “The guys in front of me throw their bodies on the line every game. The bond between me and my back line is unbreakable.” That trust has helped R’ville limit its state tournament opponents to one goal in three games thus far this season. Manasquan (13-6-2)         0   0   0   0    —    0 Robbinsville (18-1-3)        0   0   0   0    —    0 (Robbinsville advances on pks, 5-4) Shots: 11 (M), 6 (R); Saves: Morris 4 (M), Kaplan 10 (R). CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP IV PRINCETON 2, MANALAPAN 0 MANALAPAN — Connor Hewitt may be a right outside fullback with Princeton’s boys’ soccer team, but he is just as dangerous on the attack. Hewitt produced an assist in the last minute of each half Tuesday at the Manalapan Rec Center to help the third-seeded Tigers upset the second-seeded Braves. “When you are coming out on the flank, they are all up here, so you have to get the ball out and quickly,” Hewitt said of a defensive effort that saw Princeton post its third shutout of the state tournament. Yet, not every team has a wing back who is just as dangerous sliding into the offense. Hewitt showed that with a minute left in the first half when he sent a free kick from midfield to the far post, where his backfield mate Chase Hamerschlag was waiting. Usually, the ball would go to Hamerschlag’s head, but with the wind in Hewitt’s face, his kick dropped at Hamerschlag’s feet. The junior back eluded Manalapan sophomore goalkeeper Chase Lee and knocked the go-ahead goal into the net. “That was a first for me,” Hewitt said. “Chase is a big dude. I’ve only ever seen him head the ball into the net.” With time winding down in the second half, and the visitors clinging to their lead, there was a mid-air collision between Tigers senior goalkeeper Nicolas Holmelund and one of the Braves as the ball caromed into the net. The goal was disallowed, and, on the ensuing kick, Hewitt sent it ahead to his classmate Archie Smith, who beat Lee to the ball and kicked in an insurance goal. “That was a super close one where our ’keeper got fouled at the end,” Hewitt said. “When I went to kick the ball, I heard coach say, ‘Archie’s up there.’ So I let it fly, and he put it in.” It was Hewitt’s fifth assist this season, helping secure a home game for the 16-2-5 third seed in Friday’s 1 p.m. CJ VI Final after fifth-seeded Monroe (16-5-1) upset top-seeded Hunterdon Central, 3-2. Princeton (16-2-5)             1   1    —    2 Manalapan (17-4-1)          0   0    —    0 Goals: Hamerschlag, ASmith (P); Assists: Hewitt 2 (P). Shots: 8 (P), 12 (M); Saves: Holmelund 12, Rosenblum 0 (P), Lee 6 (M). NON-PUBLIC A SOUTH NOTRE DAME ADVANCES ON SHOOTOUT RICHLAND — The sixth-seeded Irish built a 2-0 lead on Will Lynch’s pair of goals, then saw the second-seeded Hermits rally to tie before surviving by taking a 4-3, penalty-kick shootout. ND sophomore goalkeeper Anthony Merluse made 16 saves in the game to help head coach Bryan Fisher’s team advance to play at the top-seeded Pingry School at 2 p.m. Friday in the Non-Public A South Final. The Big Blue (17-3) advanced by defeating fourth-seeded St. Joseph’s of Metuchen, 7-2 Notre Dame (18-6-1)        2   0   0   0    —    2 St. Augustine (20-0-2)      0   2   0   0    —    2 (Notre Dames advances on pks, 4-3) Goals: Lynch 2 (ND), Mosely, Coluzzi (SA); Assists: Angiolino, Mandreucci (ND). Shots: 12 (ND), 18 (SA); Saves: Merluse 16 (ND), Carr 10 (SA). NON-PUBLIC B SOUTH PDS 1, WILDWOOD CATHOLIC 0 STONE HARBOR — Marc Nahas converted a second-half punt from senior goalkeeper Oren Yakoby into the game’s only goal to get the sixth-seeded Panthers past the second-seeded Crusaders. Yakoby did not need to make a save as he posted his seventh shutout in net as Princeton Day School advanced to play at top-seeded Moorestown Friends at 2 p.m. Friday in the Non-Public B South Final. The Foxes (11-7-1) earned the home game by defeating the fifth-seeded Ranney School, 5-2. PDS (8-13)                       0   1    —    1 WildwoodCath(15-5-1)     0   0    —    0 Goal: Nahas (PDS); Assist: Yakoby (PDS). Shots: 15 (PDS), 0 (WC); Saves: Yakoby 0 (PDS), Alston 11, Margarites 3 (WC).