2003

The Trentonian - November 12, 2004

Florence falters in quest for C.J. Group I title

by KEVIN LEITZELL, Staff Writer

FLORENCE--Florence girls soccer coach Mary Bauer told her players at halftime yesterday that they weren’t playing their style of game.

The Flashes were waiting too much for the ball and were not the aggressors. Their "three-minute scoring" offensive philosophy was non-existent.

Truth be told, she was right on all of the above.

Whether it was nervousness or a lack of a sense of urgency, host Florence fell on the short end of a 2-0 loss to New Providence in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I Girls Soccer Championship at Bud Marter Field.

In just their ninth season as a program, Florence had never reached the sectional championship before and the possibility of nervousness and apprehension showed.

"I think it was more mental than it was physical," Bauer said. "Mentally this is a big step for us and we’re an inexperienced team on the whole. When you take an inexperienced team that’s not used to championships, it’s hard to step up and play at that point and continue on."

The first half was marked by New Providence being the aggressors to each 50-50 ball and keeping the ball away from their net and mostly towards midfield.

With 2:30 left in the half, Florence sophomore Brittany Spence collided in the air going for a headball with a New Providence defender.

The Pioneers took possession after the scrum, moved the ball down field and capitalized as Florence was immediately called for a handball 25 yards from the Flashes’ net.

New Providence’s Caitlin Pellas took the free kick, boomed it from 25 yards out, and nailed the ball into the bottom right corner past the outstretched arms of Florence keeper Felicia Bonsanto.

The score gave New Providence a 1-0 lead.

The late first-half goal gave Florence a new-found sense of urgency to start the second period. They attacked the ball more and were more aggressive in man-on-man coverage.

The Flashes managed to pepper New Providence keeper Sarah Richter with four shots on four straight possessions at one point in the second half.

Florence’s Stephanie Bulleck saw one shot nine minutes into the half in front of the net come up short. Teammate Jackie Miller’s indirect kick 12 minutes in sailed right into Richter’s hands. Bulleck had one opportunity with the ball, lifted it over Richter’s head but the ball dribbled just wide left of the net with 15 minutes left in the game.

"Handballs happen and there’s nothing you can do about it," Florence sweeper co-captain Allegra Haldeman said. "We tried to get it back but as many times as we tried, we just couldn’t get it into the net."

Somehow, the New Providence defense managed to keep the revived Flashes at bay.

"Our defense has been doing that all year," New Providence coach Scott Murphy said. "As we get into the game, our defense settles us down and we’re able to build momentum from that, go forward and attack."

The Pioneers sealed the win with 8:31 left on a defensive breakdown by Florence. New Providence’s Liz Masucci sent a cross from the right sideline to Molly Graepel. As Bonsanto came charging out of the net, Graepel waited and shot the ball from 10 yards out. Bonsanto surged towards Graepel, who managed to fire the ball past the keeper into the back of the net.

The 2-0 lead seemed to have taken the final ounce of energy that the Flashes (12-5) had left.

Bauer asked her team after the game if they thought it was a winnable contest, which they agreed the game could have easily have gone the other way.

"You can’t come back and replay it," Bauer said. "It was a learning experience especially for a lot of the girls that are returning and the girls sitting on the bench that will get to play next year. They can see what’s expected."

Gloucester County Times

State Group I Semifinals

Young New Providence squad falls in Group I

By John Zagone

COLLINGSWOOD -- Sara Copare finally got her penalty kick. The Schalick High School girls soccer team finally got its revenge.

All in all, Tuesday's NJSIAA Group I state semifinal match couldn't have gone any better for the Cougars -- or any worse for New Providence.

Six minutes into the second half, Cougars senior Kalyn Nowak was tripped up in the penalty area. Copare took the resulting penalty kick and scored what turned out to be the final goal in a decisive 3-0 victory.

One year ago in a state semifinal game between the two teams, Copare was pulled down in the box from behind in overtime.

Schalick thought a penalty kick should have been awarded. No call was made. Thirty seconds later, the Pioneers scored to end the contest.

"We were up two goals (on Tuesday) so that was just icing on the cake," said Cougars coach Christine Roeschke. "Kalyn definitely got dropped in the box. She worked hard to get to the ball. It was nice that (the refs) called it for us this year. What happened last year, that's said and done."

Some of her players didn't feel that way, though. They've been stewing all year about the no-call, praying for an opportunity to play New Providence again.

"I think (Sara's penalty kick) was redemption from last year," said Cougars forward Jessica Koslick, who scored the game-winning goal in the first half. "(Sara) had her chance this time and she made it count."

"I just wanted to get that goal back," said Copare. "And I did. I just wanted to get some revenge from last year."

Cougars midfielder Jane O'Connor, who dominated the center of the pitch, found the sight of Copare taking a penalty kick against New Providence quite amusing.

"It was kind of funny," said O'Connor. "It was redemption in a way. This time, (Nowak) got tripped up and it was like look how things can turn around on you."

Obviously, the Cougars were inspired by memories from last season's controversial loss. But they also had something more concrete to spur them on -- a poster made by Koslick's mother which read "Not This Time" and had a picture of Koslick crying that ran in the Nov. 19, 2003 issue of the Sunbeam, along with the game story.

The picture had been hanging on the Koslick's family refrigerator since the day it ran.

"My mom made (the poster)," said Koslick. "She's been like our biggest fan this year. It motivated us. We had it on the bus with us. We put it up (next to the scorers' table) and (New Providence) was making fun of us at first. But not after we scored that first goal."

Courier News - November 19, 2004

Young New Providence squad falls in Group I semifinals

By JERRY CARINO - Staff Writer

COLLINGSWOOD -- Every high school soccer game is significant this time of year, but Tuesday's Group I girls semifinal between New Providence and A.P. Schalick took on a little extra meaning.

It was one year ago that New Providence ended Schalick's season 1-0 with an overtime goal just moments after a controversial non-call went against Schalick on the other end.

Schalick, which returned most of its team this year, did not forget. The players had framed the newspaper article from last year's game on a poster board, with the words "Not This Time" written in large marker overhead.

They passed the poster along the bench as Schalick turned in an inspired 3-0 victory. For New Providence, which lost six seniors from last year's team, the loss ended a 12-8-1 campaign and a bid to return to the Group I title game, where the Pioneers tied Glen Rock last November.

"They were very skilled and they put us on our heels right from the start," New Providence coach Scott Murphy said. "Obviously, they really wanted it, and early on it was tough for us to match their speed up front."

New Providence had one golden opportunity to seize the momentum. Senior Megan Burke launched a clean 10-yard shot at the net from the right side of the box 10 minutes into the game. It seemed to be perfectly placed in the left side of the goal, but Schalick keeper Jessica Gabuno made a spectacular diving save.

"I didn't get my whole entire foot on it," said Burke, who scored last year's game-winner against Schalick. "I would have liked to have hit it a little harder."

Schalick (17-2-3) then came the other way and scored on a pretty cross from Lena Cannon to Jessica Koslick, who redirected it into the upper left corner of the net.

"In any game, the first goal is critical," Murphy said. "Sometimes momentum is generated by a great save."

New Providence goalkeeper Sara Richter made a great save of her own in the opening minute, but Schalick just kept coming. With eight minutes left in the half, Cannon took a superb through pass from Sara Capare and punched it into the left side of the net from almost point-blank range to extend the lead to 2-0.

"This was the first time all year we were down by two goals at the half," Murphy said. "They took it to us."

Shortly after halftime, Schalick converted a penalty kick to swell the lead to 3-0 and essentially ice the outcome. Schalick finished with 13 shots on goal. New Providence managed just three, and two of those came after it was 3-0.

"They were definitely better than they were last year," said Burke, who looked at the bigger picture. "We're happy because we did this after losing a lot of seniors last year. We're a young team, but we're not surprised we got this far. We knew we could do it."

A.P. SCHALICK (17-3-2) 2 1--3

NEW PROVIDENCE (12-8-1) 0 0--0

GOALS: Koslick, Cannon, Capare.

ASSISTS: Koslick, Capare.

SAVES: S--Gabuno 2; NP--Richter 8.

PITTSGROVE TWP. -- The Schalick High School girls soccer team won its second straight NJSIAA South Jersey Group I championship by blanking Pennsville, 2-0, on Wednesday.

But the celebration was short and relatively mild. These Cougars have revenge on their mind.

New Providence, watch out. Schalick is waiting.

With the victory, the Cougars advanced to Tuesday's Group I state semifinal against the Central Jersey champion, which will be decided today when New Providence visits Florence.

Schalick fell to New Providence, 1-0, in overtime in the state semifinals last season. The game ended in controversial fashion after Cougars superstar Sara Copare was pulled down in the box from behind. Schalick thought a penalty kick should have been awarded. No call was made. Thirty seconds later, the Pioneers scored to end the contest.

"If New Providence wins, look out," said Cougars midfielder Jane O'Connor. "We have some unfinished business to settle. We're ready. We've been waiting for this. I know how we felt when I was a freshman not even making the tournament and how we felt losing that heart-breaker last year. We were ready last season. It's a shame the way it ended."

Added Cougars midfielder Tara Morey: "We're hoping to play them again. We want to beat them. It was kind of unfair how we lost. We had that game. We definitely want a rematch against New Providence."

Schalick (15-2-3) advanced to states by dominating Tri-County Conference Classic Division rivals Clayton and Pennsville (11-8-2) in the sectional tournament.

The second-seeded Cougars outshot the No. 5 Eagles, 20-3, on Wednesday, controlling the flow of the contest from beginning to end.

Lauren Newton gave Schalick a 1-0 lead just nine minutes in, one-timing a perfect cross from Copare past helpless Pennsville keeper Paige Yeich.

"(Copare) crossed it and I just read the play," said Newton. "It wasn't that great of a shot, but I just wanted to get my foot on it."

Kalyn Nowak gave the Cougars some insurance halfway through the second stanza, tapping in a goal after a Copare corner and a cross from Jessica Mills.

Yeich made 18 saves to keep the Eagles close, but Pennsville had trouble mounting any kind of sustained offense. Schalick keeper Jessica Gaburo made just three stops to earn her 15th shutout of the season.

Pennsville had upset top-seeded Riverside, 3-0, in penalty kicks after a scoreless 100 minutes on Monday.

"We had a few chances early on that got us pumped up, but I think we were just too tired in the second half," said Eagles coach Greg Greenzweig. "Playing two hard games one day apart is really tough. It was kind of hard to expect us to do as good a job as we (did Monday). But we really did.

"Schalick can keep turning it on. They don't have to hold back and reload. They're really good about keeping the intensity up. When you only see that once or twice a year, it's really hard to prepare for. Schalick's defense did a real nice job of moving the ball out of the middle."

Now the Cougars will wait to see if they get what they've been wanting all season -- another shot at New Providence.

"We came in with the mindset (this year) that we were good enough to win states," said Cougars coach Christine Roeschke. "But winning these big games are tough because they're tournament games and anything can happen." .

State Group 1 Central Finals

Burlington County Times

New Providence turns back Florence

By JOHN A. LEWIS

FLORENCE - You can be philosophical and take comfort from it. Or you can look at one tantalizing instant and be frustrated.

Florence High School girls soccer coach Mary Bauer chose to be philosophical, after the team's 2-0 loss to defending champ New Providence in yesterday's Central Jersey Group 1 title game.

"The hard part is, the game is done, and I asked them - here's the question: was this a winnable game? And the nice thing is that they know it was a winnable game, but we just didn't do it today," Bauer said.

They didn't do it, in large part, because of one tormenting moment. It came with the Pioneers ahead by a goal and 17:26 left in the game. A failed attempt to clear the ball ended up at the feet of Florence's Stefanie Bulleck, who lofted a soft shot over New Providence keeper Sarah Richter that looked bound for the lower left corner.

Richter turned around, retreated, and smacked the bouncing ball wide of the net.

"It had some weird spin on it," Richter said. "I went 'Oh my God,' and then Alex (Ameen, a defender) and I were running back and I tapped it away. It was a couple of feet away from the line."

Not only was it Florence's best chance of the game; it was the Flashes last quality look at the net.

"I think what that did for us was it gave us urgency," New Providence coach Scott Murphy said. "We couldn't make another mistake. Because it would be 1-1, and I think if it gets to 1-1, it's a whole new game, where we'd lose the momentum and they'd gain it.

"That was the turning point. Right there."

The Pioneers reacted like a team given a reprieve. Caitlin Pellas - who scored their first-half goal on a 20-yard restart with 1:53 left in the first half - nearly added a second with 14:07 left. She created space on the left wing with her dribble and lofted a 25-yard shot that was caught by Florence keeper Felicia Bonsanto.

The insurance goal came from Molly Graepel, who touched Liz Masucci's cross into the high netting from inside the 6.

"We just did not play a good game today," Bauer said. "Our caliber of play the other day (in a 2-1 win over South River) was 100 percent better than it was here today, but I think that was more mental than it was physical. We're an inexperienced team on the whole. You take an inexperienced team and put them in a championship game - it's hard to step up to the plate at that point and continue on."

Most of this season's Florence squad will be back, however. Bauer saved her highest praise for three who won't - senior captains Allegra Haldeman, Kim Ostrander and Kristina Connors.

"The seniors pulled everything off this year," she said. "They deserve a lot of credit. They've come through the program. We took beatings in the beginning, but they've certainly helped us improve."