ALL INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN GLEANED FROM COACHES SCORE BOOKS, SEVERAL SOUTH JERSEY LIBRARY MICROFILM ARCHIVES OF MOST AREA NEWSPAPER PUBLICATIONS, VARIOUS SOCCER COACHES ASSOCIATIONS, AND INDIVIDUAL COACHES; by Bill Siteman, OCHS & CAL Soccer Historian.
***Legend*** - BEN = Bridgeton Evening News, CCP = Camden Courier Post, CMG = Cape May Gazette,
CGL = Cape May Gazette Leader, NSL = Newark Star Ledger, PAC = Press of Atlantic City, TPI = The Philadelphia Inquirer, MDJ = Millville Daily Journal, OCG = Ocean City Gazette, OSL = Ocean City Sentinel Ledger, VDL = Vineland Daily Journal, VTJ = Vineland Times Journal.
NSCAA = National Soccer Coaches Association America, NJSIAA = New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association, SCANJ = Soccer Coaches Association of New Jersey, SJSCA = South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association, CALSCA = Cape Atlantic League Soccer Coaches Association.
[GW] = Game Winning Goal, {PK} = Penalty Kick, [OT] = Overtime, [GS] = Goals Scored, [GA] = Goals Allowed, W = win, D = draw, L = loss, [SO] = Shutout, (KOR) = Keeper of Record.
The oldest varsity soccer program of any of the past and present Cape Atlantic League Schools is Millville; which had its first varsity year in 1965. At that time, there weren’t very many schools in all of South Jersey that were playing varsity soccer.
Oakcrest installed its Varsity program a year later, in 1966, and it was Oakcrest that first participated in a conference / division; the South Jersey Soccer Association League. In 1969 the league split into North & South Divisions. It is the South Division where the future CAL schools played.
Next came Bridgeton in 1970, Mainland Regional in 1971, Absegami in 1972, Vineland and Middle Township in 1974; although Middle did not join any league until the formation of the Cape Atlantic League for soccer in 1982. The South Jersey Soccer Association League became the South Jersey Conference in 1973.
Holy Spirit came on board in 1976, as did Cumberland Regional in 1977, St. Augustine Preparatory in 1978; they went into the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association, and Atlantic City established soccer as a club sport in 1978 and a varsity sport in 1979, entering the South Jersey Conference, South Division.
In 1980, Lower Cape May Regional, Ocean City, and Wildwood Catholic had their inaugural Varsity Soccer seasons. These three schools remained unaffiliated with any league until the formation of the CAL in 1982; when Sacred Heart initiated their program and CAL soccer was established.
1967 - Initial year for the South Jersey Soccer Association League - Standings:
Printed in the 11 - 04 - 67 - CCP
School W D L Pts.
**Haddon Hts. 4 2 1 10
John F. Kennedy 3 2 2 8
Oakcrest 4 0 3 8
*Moorestown 3 1 2 7
Sterling 1 5 1 7
*Cinnaminson 2 2 2 6
*Glassboro 2 1 2 5
Camden Tech. 1 0 6 2
**League Champion
1968 - Final South Jersey Soccer Association Standings:
Printed in the 11 - 07 - 68 - CCP
School W D L Pts.
**Millville 10 2 2 22
Sterling 10 2 2 22
John F. Kennedy 9 3 2 21
Glassboro 8 3 3 19
Moorestown 9 1 4 19
West Deptford 7 3 4 17
Oakcrest 7 3 4 17
Haddon Hts. 6 4 4 16
Cherry Hill East 6 2 6 14
Cherry Hill West 5 3 6 13
Deptford 4 3 7 11
Cinnaminson 3 4 7 10
Camden Tech. 2 1 11 5
Washington Twp. 2 0 12 4
Edgewood Reg. 0 0 14 0
**Division Champion; Millville defeated Sterling in a separate playoff game to win the Overall League Championship.
*Denotes probable missing games
1969 - South Jersey Soccer Association, South Standings:
Printed in the 11 - 05 - 69 - CCP
School W D L Pts.
**Sterling 8 0 1 16
Glassboro 7 1 1 15
Millville 6 0 3 12
*Edgewood Reg. 5 0 3 10
*Oakcrest 4 2 3 10
*West Deptford 4 0 4 8
*Washington Twp. 3 0 5 6
*Overbrook Reg. 2 0 6 4
*Deptford 1 1 6 3
Williamstown 0 0 9 0
**Division Champion, will play Northern Division Champion Haddon Heights, for the overall league championship.
1970 - South Jersey Soccer Association, South Standings:
Printed in the 10 - 31 - 70 - CCP
School W D L Pts.
**West Deptford 9 0 1 18
Sterling 8 1 1 17
Oakcrest 7 2 1 16
Glassboro 5 3 2 13
Deptford Twp. 3 2 5 8
*Edgewood Reg. 2 4 3 8
Millville 1 5 4 7
Overbrook Reg. 2 2 6 6
*Williamstown 1 3 5 5
*Washington Twp. 1 3 5 5
Bridgeton 0 3 7 3
**Division Champion
It is probable that the league season has not yet been completed.
*Denotes probable missing games
1971 - South Jersey Soccer Association, South Standings:
Printed in the 10 - 15 - 71 - CCP
School W D L Pts.
***Millville 4 0 1 8
Oakcrest 4 0 4 8
Mainland Reg. 3 1 4 7
Bridgeton 3 0 5 6
*Camden Tech. 1 1 4 3
**Division Champion
Yesterday, 10 - 14 - 71 Scores - (M) - 2, (B) - 0; (M) is 8W - 0L - 1T overall.
1972 - South Jersey Soccer Association, South Standings: Printed in the 11 - 02 - 72 - CCP
School W D L Pts.
**Millville 11 1 0 23
Mainland Reg. 5 3 4 13
Woodbury 4 4 4 12
Camden Tech. 4 3 5 11
Bridgeton 2 5 5 9
Absegami 3 2 5 8
Oakcrest 1 1 8 3
**Division Champion
Oakcrest & Absegami shared split sessions in ‘72 at Oakcrest, when Varsity Soccer was installed at Absegami, and again in ‘73, and apparently did not play one another those two years, for that reason?
1973 - South Jersey Conference, South Standings:
Printed in the 11 - 03 - 73 - CCP (Later found league games are figured in and dated below)
School W D L Pts.
**John F. Kennedy 10 1 1 21
Cherry Hill West 8 1 3 17
Millville 9 0 4 18
Lenape 7 1 3 15
Pennsauken 7 1 4 15
Mainland Reg. 5 0 6 10
Cherry Hill East 4 1 7 9
Absegami 3 2 6 8
Bridgeton 2 1 10 5
Oakcrest 1 0 10 2
**Conference Champion
Oakcrest & Absegami shared split sessions in ‘72 at Oakcrest, when Varsity Soccer was installed at Absegami, and again in ‘73, and apparently did not play one another those two years, for that reason?
The 10 - 12 - PAC says that there is no Divisional play in this year’s South Jersey Conference. Apparently there were a total of thirteen league games to be played this year. Each former 1972 Southern Division School played each other twice and the remaining five Conference opponents once, and vice versa.
*Denotes probable missing games
1974 - South Jersey Conference, South Standings:
School W D L Pts.
**Millville 11 1 2 23
Mainland Reg. 8 1 6 17
Absegami 7 2 6 16
Vineland 5 3 7 13
Oakcrest 2 2 11 6
Bridgeton 0 1 14 1
**Division Champion
1975 - South Jersey Conference, South Standings:
School W D L Pts.
**Millville 7 0 3 14
Mainland Reg. 6 1 3 13
Oakcrest 5 2 3 12
Bridgeton 4 2 4 10
Absegami 2 3 5 7
Vineland 1 2 7 4
**Division Champion
1976 - South Jersey Conference, South Standings:
Printed in the 11 - 04 - 76 - CCP (Includes games through 11 - 02 - 76)
School W D L Pts.
**Bridgeton 7 3 2 17
Vineland 7 2 3 16
Mainland Reg. 7 1 4 15
Millville 5 4 3 14
Oakcrest 5 1 6 11
Absegami 3 4 5 10
Holy Spirit 0 0 12 0
**Division Champion; Bridgeton also defeated Cherry Hill West (South Jersey Conference, Northern Division Champions), to win the Overall South Jersey Soccer League Championship.
1977 - South Jersey Conference, South Standings:
School W D L Pts.
**Absegami 13 0 1 26
Mainland Reg. 10 0 4 20
Vineland 8 1 5 17
Millville 7 2 5 16
Holy Spirit 5 0 9 10
Cumberland Reg. 4 1 9 9
Bridgeton 3 1 10 7
Oakcrest 3 1 10 7
**Division Champion; Absegami also defeated Cherry Hill West (South Jersey Conference, Northern Division Champions), to win the Overall South Jersey Soccer League Championship.
1978 - South Jersey Conference, South Standings:
Printed in the 10 - 31 - 78 - CCP
School W D L Pts.
**Millville 12 1 1 25
Mainland Reg. 9 3 2 21
Vineland 8 1 5 17
Absegami 7 3 4 17
Bridgeton 7 2 5 16
Cumberland Reg. 3 2 9 8
Oakcrest 2 2 10 6
Holy Spirit 0 2 12 2
**Division Champion
1979 - South Jersey Conference, South Overall Standings:
Printed in the 11 - 04 - 79 - CCP (includes games played through 11 - 02 - 79)
S.J. Conference, South = W D L Pts. Overall Record = W D L
**Millville 15 1 0 31 16 1 3
Vineland 14 1 1 29 16 1 3
Bridgeton 8 3 5 19 10 3 7
Cumberland Reg. 8 2 6 18 8 2 8
Oakcrest 5 4 7 14 5 4 9
Absegami 6 1 9 13 7 1 10
Holy Spirit 5 2 9 12 6 2 10
Mainland Reg. 4 0 12 8 4 0 14
Atlantic City 0 0 16 0 0 0 17
**Division Champion
1980 - South Jersey Conference, South Overall Standings:
S.J. Conference, South = W D L Pts. Overall Record = W D L
**Vineland 15 0 1 30 17 0 3
Millville 14 0 2 28 18 1 4
Absegami 12 1 3 25 13 1 4
Oakcrest 10 1 5 21 10 1 8
Mainland Reg. 7 0 9 14 8 1 9
Bridgeton 5 1 10 11 5 1 12
Holy Spirit 5 0 11 10 5 0 12
Cumberland Reg. 2 1 13 5 2 1 13
Atlantic City 0 0 0 0 0 0 19
**Division Champion
NJSIAA Tournament South Jersey Group B Championship - St. Augustine Prep. - 1,
Moorestown Friends - 1 {St. Augustine Prep. advanced on PK’s, 6 to 3}
NJSIAA Tournament State Group B Championship - St. Augustine Prep. - 0, Eastern Christian - 6
SJSCA Tournament Championship - Millville - 1, Shawnee - 3
1981 - South Jersey Conference, South Overall Standings:
S.J. Conference, South = W D L Pts. Overall Record = W D L
**Millville 14 1 1 29 21 1 3
Vineland 12 3 1 27 18 3 4
Absegami 12 1 3 25 17 1 5
Oakcrest 7 4 5 18 7 4 6
Mainland Reg. 7 2 7 16 11 2 8
Holy Spirit 6 2 8 14 6 2 9
Atlantic City 3 2 11 8 4 2 13
Cumberland Reg. 2 0 14 4 2 0 16
Bridgeton 1 1 14 3 1 1 16
**Division Champion
NJSIAA Tournament South Jersey Group IV Championship - Millville - 0, Toms River East - 2
NJSIAA Tournament South Jersey Group III Championship - Absegami - 0, Brick Memorial - 1
NJSIAA Tournament South Jersey Group II Championship - Middle Twp. - 1, Moorestown - 1
{Moorestown advanced on PK’s 3 to 1}
NJSIAA Tournament South Jersey Group B Championship - St. Augustine Prep. - 2,
Mater Dei - 3
SJSCA Tournament Championship - Vineland - 1, Riverside - 3
South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association Conference Co-Champions - St. Augustine Prep. /
Woodstown
In 1982, the CAL created two divisions for soccer. Division One simply was the nine schools of the former South Jersey Conference and Division Two was Middle Township, Lower Cape May, Ocean City, St. Augustine, Sacred Heart, & Wildwood Catholic. The two Divisions were changed around a couple of times after that, including a onetime arrangement in 1983, that had all CAL schools playing each other once; but, only the games in your Division counting toward the Title.
1982 - The CAPE ATLANTIC LEAGUE INAUGURATES BOYS SOCCER:
Prior to 1982, there was no Cape Atlantic League for soccer. Two Divisions (Conferences) were made up to form the first league. Division I held the nine schools that had constituted the old South Jersey Conference, South Division. These were Absegami, Atlantic City, Bridgeton, Cumberland Regional, Holy Spirit, Mainland Regional, Millville, Oakcrest, and Vineland. Division II was made up from six smaller, mostly non-league affiliated schools; the exception being St. Augustine Preparatory, which had been in the South Jersey Coaches Association Conference. The other five were Lower Cape May Regional, Middle Township, Ocean City, Sacred Heart (V), and Wildwood Catholic. The schools in each division played one another twice each to arrive at the division champions; Vineland in Division One and Ocean City in Division II.
As more schools entered the league, the two conferences juggled schools back and forth to maintain parity. In 1983, Egg Harbor Township began varsity play and was placed into the bigger Division I and Ocean City was also moved up. Absegami was moved down to take Ocean City’s place in Division II. Bridgeton ended its 1983 season prematurely, due to dwindling numbers of players; forfeiting the last third of the season.
In 1985, Bridgeton failed to field a boy’s varsity soccer team. Hammonton & Wildwood were added to Division II in 1986. In 1987, Buena Regional was added to Division II and Absegami returned to Division I.
It is noted that in the Cape Atlantic League, the word Division meant the same thing as Conference, from 1982 through 1989. In 1989, the CAL replaced the division references with the designation of Conference. In 1991, the word division reappears; this time to divide the two conferences in half. Each Conference had a Division I & a Division II. But; there were only 19 CAL schools competing in boy’s soccer. The National Conference, Division II had only four schools. The divisional breakdown was as follows:
American Conference, Division I = (5) - Absegami, Atlantic City, Egg Harbor Twp., Millville, Vineland.
American Conference, Division II = (5) - Cumberland Reg., Holy Spirit, Mainland Reg., Oakcrest, Ocean City.