SHORE, WALL AND MIDDLETOWN SOUTH CAPTURE STATE SECTIONAL TITLES IN GIRLS SOCCER

By Eric Braun

 

The NJSIAA state playoffs started with 37 teams the last week in October and ended up with three Shore Conference teams hoisting their respective Sectional Group championship trophies.

 

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP I CHAMPION SHORE REGIONAL

On Nov. 7 at Shore Regional High School, the top-seeded Shore Regional Blue Devils extended their title streak to eight straight with a 3-0 win over 11th-seeded New Egypt. The Blue Devils jumped on top of New Egypt early and never looked back, scoring two goals in the opening ten minutes of the contest. 

 

Senior Chloe Wollman scored in the opening minutes on assist from fellow senior Meli Pekmezian. Senior and team leading-scorer Julia Eichenbaum made it 2-0 minutes later on assist from senior Sydney Sears and the Blue Devils were off and running to another team title.  Sears made it 3-0 early in the second half when she knocked in a rebound shot from junior Tara Mendill and Shore Regional rolled to a 3-0 win behind another shutout from senior keeper Moira Hegglin, her sixth of the season and second of the postseason.

 

Shore Regional went on to beat Audubon, 6-0, in the NJSIAA Group I semifinal in a rematch of last season’s semifinal which the Blue Devils lost.  The Blue Devils got scoring from Eichenbaum (3), sophomore Barbara Grimm, sophomore Lauren Saponaro and Pekmezian. 

 

The Blue Devils’ season would end in defeat in the Group I final against Mountain Lakes, 4-2, with Saponaro and Eichenbaum each scoring. Eichenbaum ended her high school career with 107 goals.

 

The Blue Devils finished the 2019 season with an overall record of 16-6, second place finish in A Central with a record of 5-1 and a final ranking of #40 in New Jersey. They will graduate nine seniors from this year’s championship group: Julianne Brinton, Eichenbaum, Eliza Ford, Nicole Generelli, Savannah Notte, Pekmezian, Wollman, Sears and Hegglin.

 

CENTRAL JERSEY GROUP II CHAMPION WALL TOWNSHIP

The Central Jersey Sectional Group II finals paired top-seeded Wall Township against second-seeded Governor Livingston on a chilly November afternoon in Wall.  Wall peppered the Livingston defense from the opening whistle and finally broke through for the first goal of the game midway through the first half on a goal from junior Olivia Ramiz, who also scored the second goal in the second half to give the Knights a 2-0 win. 

 

Wall has been a work in progress all season long and came together when the season really counted – down the stretch in tournament time.  After capturing the B North crown with a win over Ocean Township on Oct. 24, the Knights advanced to the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals with wins over Lacey (2-1) and Manalapan (3-2) before losing to Middletown South (3-2).  Wall regrouped and went on a roll into the playoffs before capturing their fifth title in school history and first since 2017.  During this stretch the Knights went 5-0, scoring 20 goals and giving up just one, a stretch that included four shutouts.  

 

Wall’s season would end in defeat in the NJSIAA Group final against Parsippany Hills, 1-0.

 

Wall Township finished a great season with an overall record of 16-6, B North champions with a record of 6-1 and final state ranking of #43.  The Knights will graduate eight seniors – Izzy Aravich, Mackenzie Tranberg, Marissa Sciorilli, Jordan Cheche, Giulianna Cavazzoni, Alex Hummel, Grace Gisoldi and Caleigh Burke.

 

NORTH JERSEY 2 GROUP 3 CHAMPION MIDDLETOWN SOUTH

For the second time in three years, the North Jersey 2 Group 3 champion resides in Middletown, after the Eagles defeated Cranford, 1-0, on Nov. 7.  With the win, the Eagles added to their program’s best season in school history with their 22nd win.

 

Middletown South dominated their 2019 season, finishing the regular season undefeated with a mark of 17-0 which included seven shutouts and eight games of allowing just one goal.  During the regular season the Eagles outscored their opponents, 54-10.  The Eagles worked their way through the first two rounds of the Shore Conference Tournament with wins over Toms River East (1-0) and Wall Township (3-2) before falling in the semifinal to eventual champion Red Bank Catholic (2-0).  

 

After the loss to the Caseys, the Eagles went on to win their next five games in dominating fashion.  Middletown South ended their regular season with a win over Monroe (3-0) and then went on a tear in the NJSIAA tournament with wins over Irvington (11-0), Red Bank Regional (3-1), Millburn (4-0) and then Cranford in the championship game (1-0).  It was junior Katie Coyle scoring from just outside the box for her 16th goal of the season on assist from senior Filomena Degregorio for the lone goal in the title game. From there the Eagles relied on their defense to secure their second title in three seasons and fourth in program history.  

 

After finishing the season with an incredible record of 22-2, Middletown South finished the season ranked #5 in New Jersey.  The Eagles will say goodbye to a talented group of seniors that finished the last three seasons with a record of 44-17-9 and two state titles. Graduating from this year’s championship squad are Emma Bennett, Degregorio, Emma Laudisi, Madison Laudisi, Jess Monaghan and Haley Nicholas.