(Photo by Stephen Goldsmith) caption: CRITICAL STRIKE: Princeton High boys’ soccer junior midfielder John Marsh chases down a ball last Friday in PHS’s 2-1 win over Millburn in the Group III state championship game. Three days earlier, Marsh scored the lone goal as the Little Tigers edged Moorestown 1-0 in the state semis to earn their title shot.

Marsh’s Strike Against Moorestown in Semis Punched Ticket to State Championship Game

Bill Alden

As the Princeton High boys’ soccer team warmed up for its Group III state semifinal clash against Moorestown last week, PHS head coach Wayne Sutcliffe had a propitious chat with junior midfielder John Marsh.

“It’s kind of funny; he and I were talking before the game and I had a good feeling that he would get a goal,” recalled Sutcliffe, who faced his brother, Mike, the longtime Moorestown coach, across the sidelines.

With the teams knotted at 0-0 some 15 minutes into the second half, Sutcliffe’s premonition came true as Marsh battled for a loose ball and banged it home to give PHS a 1-0 lead.

That goal held up as PHS triumphed 1-0 and advanced to the Group III championship game where they topped Millburn 2-1 last Friday to win the program’s first state crown since 1995.

For the lanky Marsh, the tally against Moorestown was a matter of plugging away in the box. “It was a ball in and the goalie had saved it,” remembered Marsh.

“Originally, the ball was bouncing around on the six and I managed to poke it off one of their defender’s feet and poke it into the goal.”

The score set off a wild celebration which saw Marsh get mobbed by his teammates and then get a ride back to his position on the shoulders of senior defender Allen Bryant.

“It’s a great feeling,” said Marsh with a wide grin. “The only way I can describe it is a huge adrenaline rush. After that, I sprinted to the side of the field. I couldn’t stop running and then Allen carried me all the way back to my position.”

Marsh has a special role model to inspire him in older brother, Corey, a former PHS midfield star who just completed his freshman season for the Cornell University men’s soccer team.

“He was a great mentor to me all throughout high school and middle school,” said Marsh, referring to his older brother. “I always strived to follow in his footsteps; he is a great player.”

Sutcliffe liked the way Marsh emulated his scrappy older brother. “It was unbelievable; he just battled so hard,” said Sutcliffe. “He goes out and scraps for one and then bangs it in on the far post. It was just tenacity. It was just a great scramble in the box and he just won that ball.”

For Marsh, moving to defensive midfield has helped him emerge as a threat for the Little Tigers.

“Last year, I played outside midfield; I haven’t really played outside mid on my club team so I wasn’t really acclimated to that position,” said Marsh, noting that he has three goals this season, two more than his brother tallied last season.

“Defensive midfield is really where I feel at home; being in that position this year has really elevated my play.”

And in the process, Marsh helped elevate PHS to a shot at the state title.

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