NJ High School Soccer

By Simeon Pincus
@SimeonPincus

UNION TOWNSHIP (Union) – it had been a script that has been written back August whilst the Ridge high-school girls soccer team embarked on a season with endless possible as well as the makings of a historical run. Although the Red Devils certainly accomplished every thing they attempt to do, eventually, the simple fact they’ll have to share their particular condition name can do little to dampen what can now be looked at an imperfect period for undefeated Ridge.

Despite outshooting Freehold Township 19-6 and finishing with a 10-1 benefit on part kicks, the Red Devils couldn’t very put that capper on a period that saw all of them enter Saturday’s NJSIAA Group IV final with an amazing 23-0 record, as Ridge finished in a scoreless draw at Kean University’s Alumni Stadium.

Nonetheless, the tears streaming along the Red Devils’ faces while they arranged for the postgame handshakes had been less as to what was a somewhat unsatisfactory outcome and much more towards finality associated with promotion and also the end of some stellar varsity professions for Ridge’s uber-talented senior course.

“I’m clearly upset it wasn’t simply our winnings, but I’m nonetheless happy we won the state championship. That’s awesome, that’s amazing, ” said senior Shannon Keefe, whose team grabbed the program’s very first state top since 2003. “But i do believe we’re crying more considering that the period is over, not too we performedn’t win. This is a fantastic period and a hell of a ride, but the fact that it’s more than, I feel (down).”

“I believed to them, ‘Guys. We’re nevertheless state champions.’ They stated ‘Coach, we’re maybe not crying because we performedn’t win, we’re sobbing as it’s over, ’” stated Ridge coach Katie Donahue, that is more delighted becoming making with a trophy after losing her previous three decisions in state finals since taking over as mind advisor. “Yes, they had it scripted where we would go out and commemorate, therefore at the end for people in the future aside and present uncomfortable hugs, that simply shows we came here to win these days, we didn’t come right here never to drop. That said, it's an ok sensation walking away with this trophy today. Hats to Freehold Township. They performed fantastic.”

By Simeon Pincus
@SimeonPincus

PENNINGTON – Ninety-nine-plus moments of frustration might typically be adequate to send most teams into a cocoon of self-doubt, but the Ridge High School women soccer team understands first hand the required steps to succeed once the stress has reached its highest.

The Red Devils dominated most of Tuesday’s NJSIAA Group IV semifinals match with Montclair, especially during a second half if they outshot the Mounties 11-0, struck a post together with an objective disallowed by an offside telephone call. However it wasn’t until there were 47 seconds remaining inside 2nd overtime that Ridge finally found the rear of web.

Senior Shannon Keefe took a pass from classmate Brielle Farrell close to the 40-yard line, separated a couple of defenders to achieve a breakaway, sealed floor on keeper and buried it to the far right corner, and undefeated Ridge advanced toward Group IV final with a 1-0 victory at Hopewell Valley senior high school.

“I fell directly to the bottom and smashed down in tears, I became therefore excited and happy, ” said Keefe, whoever team previously won double-overtime games with seconds left both in the semifinals and final of Somerset County Tournament. “This staff totally deserved it. We deserved every bit from it. We played amazing and worked our butts off. It absolutely wasn’t simply myself, the complete team put it at the back of the net.”

“The moment Shannon hit this one in, it absolutely was just the biggest relief and weight raised off our arms, ” said senior Chrissy Weyrauch, who supplied the winner with seconds remaining within the SCT final. “We obviously have a history in these big games of letting it come-down towards the final number of moments, and I think all online game Shannon Keefe was slamming from the door. I kept saying to this lady, it’s planning occur, you’re planning to get one. She just kept her composure and I also think that’s a testament to your group, we just don’t stop.

Dan LoGiudice
@danny_logiudice

METUCHEN – On a windy, cold and total terrible day for football, the South River kids soccer team weathered everything for a sectional championship.

With a harsh midseason stretch to their rear, the fifth-seeded Rams defeated second-seeded Metuchen 2-0 into the NJSIAA Central Group I Tournament last on a blustery Friday afternoon.

“I’m real pleased to see in which we’ve come as a team, ” Southern River mentor Eric Clays said. “We had been somewhat stuck in mediocrity earlier in the day into the season, and I’m happy they’ve stored their utmost soccer for final.”

It absolutely was clear from the beginning your 20 MPH winds had been having an impact on both sides. Both offenses seemed a bit sluggish as they attempted to battle the wind.

In the last mins associated with first one half, Metuchen got Rams goalie Erick Lucas off their range as Ayush Sood took a shot on net, but Ian Sawicki got a head-on the baseball and cleared it.

“He’s a higher college superman, ” Clays said. “I start thinking about him as good of an athlete as there's in senior high school.”

Metuchen coach Ed Albanese wasn’t frustrated by the near miss and thought his staff had been slamming in the home of a goal.

“A objective before half is crucial, but that is whenever we noticed a change in energy, ” Albanese said. “I was thinking we had been sooner or later likely to get.”

The energy shifted at the beginning of the next 1 / 2 when Metuchen was needed a foul across the sideline. South River’s Jonathan Franco served the set piece into the package, where Sawicki scored to make the 1-0 lead.

“(Franco) crossed it in, and I also only visited the baseball and flicked it out, ” Sawicki. “i recently hoped for top.”

After, the Rams were fouled again, but this time around inside box. Franco converted regarding the penalty kick for a 2-0 lead.

Although some groups might have collapsed, Metuchen played its best soccer after taking place two goals. The offensive attack was persistent while the Bulldogs nearly got on board later in the last half when a Greg Poandl shot almost nicked the best post.

By Simeon Pincus
@SimeonPincus

BERNARDS TOWNSHIP – the very last adversary the Ridge senior high school girls team desired to see over the area in Thursday’s NJSIAA North 2 Group IV sectional final had been Skyland meeting competing Bridgewater-Raritan, a group the Red Devils had currently beaten three times this season, but all-in tightly contested matches.

Simultaneously, there is no other group Ridge prefer to play.

It’s the greatest love/hate commitment with an opponent the Red Devils understood would fight all of them toward last whistle, one which emerged closer than any other to damaging Ridge’s undefeated campaign — never over in a double-overtime nail biter when you look at the Somerset County Tournament final on Oct. 31. But nothing would-be sweeter rather than perceiver with what turned out to be another war Thursday.