Clash of the Titans: Summit v. Saint Joseph

On Saturday afternoon at Rutgers University, the No. 1 Summit boys lacrosse team will defend their 2009 Tournament of Champions title when they face No. 2 Saint Joseph, Metuchen in the 2010 TOC final.

With New Jersey's top-ranked teams meeting in the final game of the season, the TOC championship is expected to live up to, and perhaps exceed, all expectations.

"We're really happy that we have the opportunity to get back to the final," Summit head coach Jim Davidson said. "It's a tough road – it's tough to get there. We understand that, and we've got to make the most of the opportunity."

It's been a long postseason, with both Summit and Saint Joseph winning their respective groups to advance to the Tournament of Champions. To reach the TOC final, Summit defeated Ridge 11-4 and Saint Joseph rallied from behind to beat Montclair 9-7 in the semifinals this past Wednesday at Kean University.

With Summit being a public school and Saint Joseph being private, the two teams have not played each other this season, nor have they faced similar teams; therefore, the best way to compare the two teams is to look at their current record, overall strength of schedule, and common opponents.

Summit boasts the best record in the state at 22-0, but Saint Joseph is close behind with a record of 23-1, their only loss coming at the hands of New Hampshire's current No. 1 ranked team, Bishop Guertin.

In terms of strength of schedule, Summit is ranked 21 in the state according to LaxPower.com, while Saint Joseph's strength of schedule ranks lower at 34.

Summit and Saint Joseph's only common opponent in the 2010 season was Seton Hall Prep. Summit dominated the Pirates on April 22 in a 14-1 victory at Metro Homes Field. Saint Joseph defeated the Pirates on two occasions, 9-8 in overtime on April 19 and 10-7 on May 22.

"Saint Joseph is a very talented team and very well-coached," Davidson said. "(Head coach) Marc Moreau does a great job. They've had a heck of a year. I'm sure they're excited about being in the finals, just like us."

"I know they've got some good shooters," Summit senior goalie Brian Feeney said. "It'll be exciting to play them in the final."

As if a second consecutive TOC title wasn't enough to fight for on Saturday afternoon, the Hilltoppers also have a chance to make state history with a win. Summit has not lost a game since April 1, 2009, when they fell to Delbarton 10-6 in the season opener. Following the loss, the Hilltoppers rallied to win their remaining 22 games of the season, culminating in a 2009 Tournament of Champions title (where they avenged the previous Delbarton loss with an 8-4 victory over the Green Wave).

This season, Summit has once again won 22 consecutive games, which puts their current winning streak at 44 games – currently tied with the state record first set by Ridgewood during the 1990-1992 seasons. With a win in the TOC finals, Summit would set a new state record with 45 consecutive wins, a number they'll hope to add to next season.

"We're not thinking about the winning streak," Feeney said. "We just want to get one more championship for coach and for the town."

The Tournament of Champions final between No. 1 Summit and No. 2 Saint Joseph, Metuchen will be held on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Yurcak Field on the Busch Campus of Rutgers University (New Brunswick) in Piscataway.