Ridgewood 9 Summit 6

The Maroons had to wait over three decades, but they are finally back on top of the New Jersey high school lacrosse world.

Ridgewood (21-3) secured their spot as the No. 1 team in the state on Saturday by defeating Summit (16-5) in the inaugural 2023 Kirst Cup final. The Kirst Cup is a bonafide replacement for the Tournament of Champions, which the NJSIAA cancelled following the end of the 2021-2022 season.

For Ridgewood, it’s their first overall state championship since they last won it all back in 1991.

The Maroons trailed 4-3 at the half, but like they’ve done all season, they rallied in the second half to pull away for the win. Ridgewood rang off five unanswered goals to build an 8-4 lead late into the fourth quarter. They would never look back from there.

Will Brandt scored a team-high three goals, Jack Schultz pumped in two goals and Carson Kopf won over 60 percent of faceoffs to power the winning effort.

For Summit, it’s the end of an impressive season. Sean McCeney logged a hat trick in the Hilltoppers’ final game of the season.

JSZ’s Jay Cook has all the highlights + reaction from John Basilone Memorial Field in Bridgewater:

Jersey Sports Zone’s coverage of Summit is brought to you by Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston.