Alex Schlobohm put away a pair of goals in the first seven minutes to ignite the defending champion, New Providence (14-1-1), which established a 4-0 cushion by halftime in the quarterfinals for North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 in New Providence. Emma Culleton had a goal and an assist while Olivia Arent and Ally Hartenstein each supplied a score. Amira Djokovic made 11 saves for Roselle Park (9-9-1).
Player GoalsAssists
Olivia Arent 1
Emma Culleton 1 1
Ally Hartenstein 1
Erin Fay 1
Stephanni Perini 1
Alex Schlobohm2 1
GoalkeeperSaves
Jill Ashinsky 1
Amira Djokovic i11
Pictures Credit JR Parachini
Game 16 - November 4, 2011
New Providence 5, Roselle Park 0
NewProvidence Patch - November 5, 2011
New Providence Girls' Soccer Boots Roselle Park in Quarterfinals
Pioneers advance to section semifinals this Monday.
by JR Parachini
The New Providence girls’ varsity soccer team — in an attempt to do something the girls’ varsity basketball team accomplished by capturing back-to-back Group 1 state championships — began this year’s state tournament the same way it did last year.
That was with a convincing win over a visiting Roselle Park squad. Behind four goals in the game’s first 15 and a half minutes, top-seeded New Providence was more than dominant in a 5-0 triumph over eighth-seeded Roselle Park Friday afternoon in a North 2, Group 1 quarterfinal at New Providence’s Lieder Field.
New Providence, which was playing for the first time in exactly a week, won its third straight to improve to 14-1-1, while Roselle Park fell to 9-8-1.
All district schools, including New Providence High School, did not re-open until Friday because of widespread power outages throughout the borough after a rare pre-Halloween snowstorm last Saturday.
In the same 8-at-1 quarterfinal last year, New Providence defeated a 6-10-1 Roselle Park team 6-2. The Pioneers went on to win North 2, Group 1 and then captured the Group 1 state championship en route to an 18-3 final record.
New Providence will host fourth-seeded Dayton (12-6) Monday at 2 p.m. at Lieder Field in a semifinal game. The winner advances to Thursday’s 2 p.m. final at the higher seed.
Everyone is expecting a re-match of last year’s final, which was New Providence hosting and beating Glen Ridge 1-0. If New Providence beats Dayton at home and Glen Ridge wins at Belvidere on Monday, then the re-match will be set and will take place at New Providence again because the Pioneers are the higher-seeded team once more.
New Providence leading scorer Alex Schlobohm scored the game’s first two goals vs. Roselle Park, the first one with her right foot on a breakaway just under five minutes into the match and the second with her left foot less than a minute later.
The junior forward then crossed the ball to senior captain Emma Culleton on a corner kick and Culleton headed the ball into the net to make the score 3-0 just eight minutes in. “This is the first step in a long road and we came out strong and set the tone right away,” Culleton said.
“What we wanted to do today was to get out to a fast start and we accomplished that by scoring early,” New Providence head coach Scott Murphy said. “This was our best start of the season and allowed us to move some positions around.”
Also scoring was Olivia Arent in the first half and Ally Hartenstein with five seconds to go in the second half.
“This is our home field and this is where we’re most comfortable and play with the most confidence,” Culleton said.
Roselle Park was sparked by an outstanding effort from goalkeeper Amira Djokovic, who was very active and finished with 11 saves.
New Providence senior goalies Jill Ashinsky and Stephanni Perini barely touched the ball as the Panthers did not come close to firing a shot.
Ashinsky played in goal in the first half and then in the field for the game’s final eight minutes. Perini played in goal in the second half after playing in the field in the first half and earning one assist.
Dayton will be another state tournament opponent that New Providence – the Union County Conference’s Mountain Division champion – has not played this season. Roselle Park and Dayton are in the UCC’s Valley Division.
“Dayton is another scrappy team,” Murphy said.
Dayton split with Roselle Park in Valley Division play, winning 5-0 at home on Sept. 20 and falling 1-0 in overtime on the road on Oct. 18.
New Providence leading scorer Alex Schlobohm (No. 13) scored two goals vs. Roselle Park in her team's state win.
A New Providence player pushes the ball forward.
New Providence will next host Dayton Monday in the section semifinals.
New Providence, in white, tries to gain possession here vs. Roselle Park.
Game 17 - November 7, 2011
2011 NJSIAA Tournament
Group 1 - Section 2 - North
New Providence 1, Dayton 0
The Star Ledger
Emma Culleton delivered a free kick which Kelly Carroll converted with a header with 12 minutes remaining in regulation to boost top-seeded New Providence to a 1-0 victory over Dayton in the NJSIAA/Sports Authority Stores North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 semifinals yesterday in New Providence.
New Providence (15-1-1), which secured its fourth straight sectional final berth, will host Glen Ridge (12-6-1) on Thursday for the title. Jill Ashinsky stopped one shot for New Providence and Ricci Rajoppi had 14 saves for Dayton (12-7).
Player GoalsAssists
Kelly Carroll 1
Emma Culleton 1
GoalkeeperSaves
Jill Ashinsky 1
Ricci Rajoppi 14
Game 17 - November 7, 2011
New Providence 1, Dayton 0
NewProvidence Patch - November 8, 2011
New Providence Girls' Soccer Tops Dayton 1-0
Pioneers advance to 4th straight section final
by JR Parachini
The clock was ticking and the match was still scoreless. Favored, top-seeded and three-time defending champion New Providence was applying consistent offensive pressure, but not producing any goals.
As the second half was winding down, there were 25 minutes left, then 20, then 15, with the girls’ soccer state tournament match still deadlocked at 0-0. That was before New Providence senior Emma Culleton sent a free kick some 30 yards to junior Kelly Carroll, who positioned herself in the middle of the field about 10 yards away from the goal.
Carroll, with her back to the goal, saw the ball clearly and headed it backwards and passed oncoming Dayton goalie Ricci Rajoppi. When the ball landed in the right corner of the goal, that was all New Providence needed to win another state tournament match and advance to yet another sectional final.
With Carroll’s goal – coming with just 12:05 remaining in the second half – being the difference, New Providence went on to post a 1-0 triumph over fourth-seeded Dayton Monday in a North 2, Group 1 semifinal at New Providence’s Lieder Field.
“Their goalie was notorious for coming out for the ball with her hands,” said Carroll of the first goal she scored this season with her head. “Emma placed the ball perfectly. I was planning on doing that (heading the ball) if it came my way.”
“Emma put it in a perfect spot,” New Providence coach Scott Murphy said. “The goalie came out, as we expected, and Kelly was able to head the ball over her head. We worked on our free kicks a lot. Earlier in the year we were not putting them in the right place.”
With third-seeded Glen Ridge winning 1-0 at second-seeded Belvidere in Monday’s other semifinal, New Providence will host Glen Ridge Thursday at 2 p.m. at Lieder Field in the North 2, Group 1 final. New Providence will be hosting Glen Ridge in the final for the second straight season and third time in the last four years.
New Providence will be playing in the North 2, Group 1 championship match for the fourth straight year. The Pioneers defeated Glen Ridge 2-0 in the 2008 title match, Secaucus 4-0 in 2009 and Glen Ridge 1-0 in 2010.
“The level of competition increases with each round,” Murphy said.
Dayton was far more competitive against New Providence than Roselle Park was Friday, although the Bulldogs – like the Panthers – produced very little in the way of offense.
However, Dayton had one scary opportunity with 26:40 remaining in the second half. On a counterattack, a Bulldog forward got possession of the ball inside the penalty box and fired a low, line drive shot that New Providence senior goalkeeper Jill Ashinsky dove to her left to deflect over the end line with her hands.
At that point New Providence could have easily been down 1-0.
“Dayton was not much of a threat until that one shot,” Carroll said. “Jill really made an amazing save there.”
“Jill made a great save,” Murphy said. “We talked about one goal and how just one could make a difference.”
That was the only save Ashinsky made in earning a complete game shutout.
New Providence also won last year’s semifinal match by a 1-0 score after opening with a convincing win over Roselle Park. The Pioneers eliminated Whippany Park to get to last year’s final.
“Dayton played extremely hard,” Murphy said. “We had the better possession, Jill made a fine save and we got the goal we needed.”
Dayton had three close chances right before Carroll’s game-winning goal. Junior forward and team leading scorer Alex Schlobohm dribbled past a defender and had a breakaway from 20 yards out. After pushing the ball forward with her right foot, she switched to her left and fired a shot that just went wide right of the goal.
With 22:35 remaining, senior captain Tori Crisafi took a shot from a bit farther out that also went just wide right. Carroll then hit a shot that went over the crossbar some 30 seconds later.
“We were frustrated,” Carroll said. “We had a bunch of opportunities. I’m just glad that we were able to finish one at least.”
Rajoppi was also not easy to score on as she came up with 14 saves.
Dayton, which defeated Secaucus 5-1 at home in the quarterfinals, finished its season at 12-7-1.
NOTES: Glen Ridge scored in the first half to beat Belvidere. Senior Jeanelle Mitchell scored off an assist from senior Danielle Lisovicz.
Senior goalie Margaret Provost made seven saves for the Ridgers, who improved to 12-6-1.
Alex Schlobohm, at right, keeps an eye on a Dayton player about to throw the ball in.
New Providence junior forward and leading scorer Alex Schlobohm had one excellent scoring chance in the second half.
New Providence junior Kelly Carroll (No. 17 in middle) scored the game's only goal vs. Dayton.
New Providence players applaud another Pioneer state tournament triumph.
New Providence senior Emma Culleton (No. 15) assisted on the game-winning goal.
New Providence sophomore Anna Crisafi (No. 18) runs up field on attack.
Picture Credit JR Parachini
Game 18 - November 10, 2011
2011 NJSIAA Tournament
Group 1 - Section 2 - North
New Providence 2, Glen Ridge 0
The Star Ledger
Alex Schlobohm scored on a Kelly Carroll assist in the 24th minute and Stephanni Perini converted a pass from Anna Crisafi in the 66th to boost New Providence (15-1-1) to its fourth straight sectional title in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 final in New Providence. It's the fourth straight season in which New Providence has bounced Glen Ridge from the tournament, and the third time in those four years it has happened in the final. Jill Ashinsky stopped eight shots for New Providence and Margaret Provost made seven saves for Glen Ridge (12-7-1).
Player GoalsAssists
Kelly Carroll 1
Anna Crisafi 1
Alex Schlobohm 1
Stephanni Perini 1
GoalkeeperSaves
Jill Ashinsky 8
Margaret Provost 7
Game 18 - November 10, 2011
New Providence 2, Glen Ridge 0
NewProvidence Patch - November 10, 2011
New Providence Girls Soccer Blanks Glen Ridge 2-0
Pioneers win their 4th straight sectional title
by JR Parachini
When senior captain and standout defender Nicole Saitta was knocked out with a face injury at the very end of the first half it was up to her New Providence teammates to go on and win Thursday's sectional final without her.
“Nicole is a very strong player,” said fellow senior captain Tori Crisafi, who had a bit more responsibility in the back during the final 40 minutes of the game. “We’ve played together since the 4th or 5th grade and there was a time that she had to fill in my spot when I was out with a concussion.”
As it turned out, Crisafi and her New Providence teammates were more than up to the task of beating Glen Ridge for a fourth straight season in the states.
Behind a first-half goal from junior Alex Schlobohm and one in the second half by senior Stephanni Perini, top-seeded and three-time defending champion New Providence blanked third-seeded Glen Ridge 2-0 in Thursday’s North 2, Group 1 championship game played at New Providence’s Lieder Field.
New Providence will next take on Verona at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Indian Hills High in Oakland in a Group 1 semifinal. Verona won the North 1 championship as the ninth seed.
Tuesday’s other semifinal pits Central champion New Egypt vs. South champ Haddon Township at St. Augustine Prep in Richland. The Pioneers, who hope to have Saitta back for Tuesday’s game — she received stitches on the left side of her face as the result of going up for a header — defeated Belvidere 3-0 at Indian Hills in last year’s semifinals.
New Providence, which won for the fifth straight time to improve to 16-1-1, has now won North 2, Group 1 four years in a row, capturing all four finals at home. The Pioneers defeated Glen Ridge in the 2008, 2010 and 2011 finals and 2009 semifinals.
“We knew that because we beat Glen Ridge so many times that they would come out fired up,” said Schlobohm, who leads New Providence with 14 goals.
It was a pass from junior Kelly Carroll that Schlobohm was able to head past Glen Ridge goalie Margaret Provost to give New Providence a 1-0 lead with 16:36 left in the first half.
Here she explains her game-winning goal: “Kelly chipped it in the air and then the keeper came out. The two middle defenders came in and I saw the goalie come out and I kind of collided with her. I was able to head it over her and was hoping that I got enough of it. It was rolling slowly toward the goal, but went in.”
“The first goal set the tone,” New Providence coach Scott Murphy said. “Alex out-jumped bigger defenders.”
Glen Ridge, which finished 12-7-1, almost tied the game at 1-1 very early in the second half. A very dangerous corner kick that got past Pioneer senior goalkeeper Jill Ashinsky had to be cleared by New Providence senior captain Emma Culleton.
It was a sharp, curving corner kick that was targeted for the goal before Culleton headed it away. Glen Ridge argued that Culleton headed the ball out of danger from inside the goal (behind the goal line), thus it should have been ruled a Ridgers goal.
“When Jill comes out I stand on the line,” Culleton said. “I was on the line when I headed it out.”
“That was nerve-wracking,” Murphy said. “Glen Ridge was getting great pressure at that point.”
An all-important insurance goal was produced with 14 minutes remaining when sophomore forward Anna Crisafi, from the right side, passed the ball inside the penalty box to an on-coming Stephanni Perini. The senior, onsides on the play, had only Provost to beat, blasting a right-footed volley into the left side of the goal to make the score 2-0.
“In a flash I was thinking of when we practice penalty kicks and that I just wanted to place it in the goal,” Perini said. “I kicked it hard, but not too hard so it wouldn’t go over the top.”
“The second goal relaxed us,” Murphy said.
Ashinsky came out to make a kick save with seven minutes remaining, which was Glen Ridge’s last real dangerous threat.
Crisafi cleared away several balls in the second half, stepping up her play with Saitta not out there.
“The older players, like myself, had to calm down the younger players and show that we can play relaxed,” Tori Crisafi said. “We were able to do that and I think that frustrated Glen Ridge.”
“We had to all pull together in the second half,” Perini said.
“They’re all friends with each other,” Murphy said. “We have 12 seniors that have played together a long time.”
Murphy added that Saitta went down with a similar collision injury earlier in the season, with the Pioneers having to adapt.
“We had to move some people around when she was out and did the same thing today,” Murphy said. “We were a little more motivated to win when Nicole went down.”
Not many teams in New Jersey can boast of four consecutive sectional championships.
“To win the section a fourth straight year and beat a very good Glen Ridge team all four years is incredible,” Culleton said.
“Winning four straight sectionals is a credit to all of you and the girls who played before you,” Murphy told his players after the game.
GROUP 1 CHAMPIONS:
NORTH 1 – Verona
NORTH 2 – New Providence
CENTRAL – New Egypt
SOUTH – Haddon Township
New Providence coach Scott Murphy was pleased with his team's performance Thursday vs. Glen Ridge.
The New Providence girls' soccer team captured a fourth consecutive North 2, Group 1 championship.
New Providence junior Kelly Carroll (No. 17) shields the ball from a Glen Ridge defender.
The Pioneers are sparked by the play of freshman forward Lisa Caprara (No. 10).
Picture Credit JR Parachini
Game 18 - November 10, 2011
New Providence 2, Glen Ridge 0
GlenRidgeNavigator - November 11, 2011
GRHS girls' soccer team gives great effort
despite loss in sectional final
by Joe Ragozzino - Sports editor
The Glen Ridge High School girls’ varsity soccer team gave a strong effort despite losing to New Providence, 2-0, in the state North Jersey Section 2, Group 1 tournament final on Nov. 10 in New Providence.
But head coach Oscar Viteri couldn’t be more proud of his team.
“Our girls played well,” Viteri said. “They didn’t sit back or give up when New Providence scored. We had many good chances to score. We were just a little unlucky on this day.”
In the first half, Meghan MacDonald hit the crossbar on a shot and Danielle Lisovicz ripped a shot wide for the Ridgers.
In the second half, the third-seeded Ridgers turned up the pressure, but top-seeded New Providence held on for the win.
It marked the second straight year that New Providence beat Glen Ridge in the sectional final.
Despite the loss, Viteri was quite proud of his team’s effort throughout the game.
“I am very proud of how our girls handled themselves and played hard to the final whistle,” Viteri said.
The Ridgers, who finished with a 12-7-1 mark, moved up from the Liberty Division to the American Division of the Super Essex Conference this season. They finished third in the American Division, which is the highest division in the conference. Montclair was first and Livingston was second. GRHS also reached the Essex County Tournament semifinals for the second year in a row, losing to Livingston.
For the Ridgers, finishing third in the division was quite an accomplishment.
“I am very proud of that considering we are a small Group 1 school that plays a tough schedule of much bigger schools and bigger feeder programs,” Viteri said, “so I am very happy how our girls were very competitive in this division. We made it to the semifinals of the Essex County Tournament for the second straight year. We made it to the sectional final again. We played some great soccer this season. All the games were close and competitive. The girls worked hard each game and that made the season a success.”
Viteri particularly praised the seniors.
“The seniors that have played for me for four years have to be proud of what they have accomplished in this span,” he said. “In four years, they leave with a 57-20-4 record and two SEC-Liberty Division championships.”
Viteri has high hopes for the future.
“We will have a good mix of girls coming back next season and focus again on our team goals and keep pushing our girls’ soccer program to be one of the best in Essex County,” he said. “I want to thank the seniors for all their hard work and dedication to our soccer program and helping us to be one of the best soccer programs in Essex County over the years.”
No. 14 Stephanni Perini gets the ball pass the keeper.
No. 13 Alex Schlobohm scores the Pioneers first goal.
Sectional Champs Section 2, Group 1
Picture Credit Herman Lee
Game 19 - November 15, 2011
New Providence 3, Verona 2
Courier News - November 15, 2011
New Providence rallies to reach Group I final
by Ryan Dunleavy
OAKLAND — The formidable New Providence High School girls soccer team proved Tuesday night that it can be just as dangerous in the rare instance of playing from behind.
The defending NJSIAA Group I champions allowed a goal in the second minute and a second before halftime but rallied for two second-half goals and another in the second overtime to post a thrilling 3-2 victory in the Group I semifinals at Indian Hills High School.
Avoiding becoming the latest victim of Verona’s postseason streak of underdog victories required goals in the 60th and 74th minutes by Stephanni Perini and Kelly Carroll, respectively, and the game-winner by Alex Schlobohm with only 78 seconds expired in the final period before penalty kicks.
Schlobohm scored two goals on the same field against Belvidere in last season’s group semifinals, and now New Providence (17-1-1) will have an opportunity to defend its state title Saturday at The College of New Jersey.
When Jill Sprong scored in the second minute, it marked only the eighth goal of the season surrendered by New Providence. Another followed in the 22nd minute as North I champion Verona (14-9) never stopped applying pressure during the first half and it paid off on Olivia Marino’s header.
The 2-0 deficit was stunning considering keeper Jill Ashinsky entered the game with 14 shutouts and her team had only surrendered seven goals in its first 18 games. Ashinsky finished with six saves.
The Pioneers, who emerged from North 2, were playing without one of their senior captains, Nicole Saitta, who needed stitches in her face after taking a fall in the sectional final, and thus struggled to generate a consistent offensive rhythm.
It looked as if Verona was headed to a fourth straight shutout and its first-ever appearance in the state final when the comeback began thanks to Schlobohm’s perfectly executed crossing pass that Perini converted after being left unmarked at the right post.
The goal prompted Verona, which had remainedthe aggressor even with a two-goal lead, to sag into a more defensive-oriented formation, but it could not prevent the equalizer.
Emma Culleton’s throw-in from the corner was batted out of bounds by the defense, resulting in a corner kick. That method of attack proved more effective as a pack of players gathered in front of the net and Carroll scored the tying goal.
The Pioneers controlled the tempo during the first overtime – forcing Alison Sprong to make three of her 10 saves.
But the keeper had no chance to stop Schlobohm’s decisive strike, which came as she gathered a loose ball that had bounded off a defender, took a few dribbles and grounded a shot across her body from the left-hand side of the field.
Star Ledger - November 15, 2011
Inside Group 1 state semifinals
by Gregg Lerner
Verona vs. New Providence at Indian Hills, Oakland, 7:30
New Egypt vs. Haddon Twp. at St. Augstine, Richland, 5
In putting together the preview for Tuesday, I reached out to each teams for updated stats and figured I would share some of the details.
Verona (14-8)
Tim Farrell/The Star-LedgerCaroline Mols (19) of Verona
What a magical ride its been for the Essex County program, which stunned some of the top seeds in North Jersey, Section 1 on the way to winning its first sectional title.... as the No. 9 seed no less!
It has posted three straight shutouts (9 on the season) on the solid play of Jill Cumming, Julia Frazee, Amanda Cummings and Caroline Mols across the back line and keeper Alison Sprong.
Junior forward Olivia Marino (13 goals, 4 assists) maintains pressure on a defense while freshman center midfielder Julia Ashley (12 goals, 14 assists) possesses with purpose and sets the bar for the level of intensity Verona is playing with. Outside midfielders Sydney White (5 goals, 6 assists) and Jill Sprong (4 goals, 3 assists) give Verona presence on the periphery.
Verona could also see the return of Claire Fitzpatrick today. The freshman forward (5 goals) missed the last two games.
Head coach Anthony Scorciolla made it a point to mention the flexibility of juniors Laura Hart and Haley Tole, sophomore Colleen Farrell and freshman Amanda Flores, each of whom has embraced a role in a utility capacity yet thrived within the circumstances. Scorciolla, in his fourth season, noted the significant contributions made by first-year assistant coach Amy O'Connor.
New Providence (16-1-1)
William Perlman/Star-LedgerAlex Schlobohm (13 in white) of New Providence.
The defending Group 1 champion has shown no sign of descending from the throne. Junior forward Alex Schlobohm (15 goals, 10 assists) is fluid and efficient going to goal and is the only player on the team to be in double figures for either goals or assists.
Emma Culleton (7 goals, 5 assists), a senior mid, can set up a score as easily as she can put a shot away while the forward trio of junior Kelly Carroll (6 goals, 5 assists) and freshmen Erin Fay (6 goals, 4 assists) and Lisa Caprara (5 goals) extend the defense.
Keeper Jill Ashinsky has been at the back end of 14 shutouts for New Providence, which has outscored the opposition, 56-7.
New Egypt (16-6-1)
Kayla Bancroft is simply a tough finisher to contain up front. The sophomore striker has 24 goals and if you overplay her in an effort to deny a shot, Bancroft is aplomb at putting others in scoring position (12 assists).
Senior Samantha Bendick has emerged as the perfect complement to Bancroft with 17 goals and five assists. Junior Nicole Miller, senior Julie Ciak and sophomores Jamie Soles, Jackie Beckett and Taylor Leonardo give the New Egypt attack plenty of depth and width.
Sophomore keeper Amber Steen has been an integral piece to a defense that's pitched four shutouts over its last six matches.
Haddon Township (18-5)
For the third straight year, Haddon Township claimed the Patriot Division of the Colonial Conference. This fall, the Hawks have rode the crest of momentum to their first sectional title since 2000.
Patrice Maro, a senior forward heading to Philadelphia University, has a team-high 17 goals and 10 assists. Her classmate and running partner up top, Nicky Cutera, has chipped in with 10 goals and six assists.
Senior midfielders Taylor Clarke (8 goals), Kelly Roche (6 goals) and Tori McErlean (6 assists) get forward and set the tempo from the neutral third.
The defense has registered a dozen shutouts, including a recent string of four straight clean sheets which was snapped in the 4-2 decision over Schalick in the South Jersey final. This is a veteran cast that's seen eight seniors (Maro, Cutera, Roche, Clarke, Nataliw Waligorski, Mollu Barbieri, McErlean and Taryn Wells) log extended minutes throughout the campaign.
Erin Butrica, a sophomore, and Hannah Green, a junior, each have three goals from the midfield and junior forward Jessie Blythe had also scored three times.
Game 19 - November 15, 2011
2011 NJSIAA Tournament
Group 1 - State Semi Finals
New Providence 3, Verona 2
The Star Ledger - November 15, 2011
Alex Schlobohm came through with a game-ending goal in the second overtime to cap a rally and send defending champion New Providence to a 3-2 victory over Verona in the NJSIAA/Sports Authority Group 1 state semifinals last night at Indian Hills in Oakland.
New Providence (17-1-1) trailed, 2-0, after the first 21 minutes but managed to draw level on second-half scores from Stephanni Perini and Kelly Carroll, who netted the equalizer off a feed from Emma Culleton with six minutes left in regulation.
Jill Sprong staked Verona (14-9) to a 1-0 lead just 1:53 into the match and Olivia Marino doubleed the lead in the 21st minute.
New Providence will play Haddon Township, which defeated New Egypt, 2-1, in overtime, for the Group 1 state title on Saturday at 5 p.m. at The College of New Jersey in Ewing.
Player GoalsAssists
Kelly Carroll 1
Emma Culleton 1
Alex Schlobohm 1 1
Stephanni Perini 1
GoalkeeperSaves
Jill Ashinsky 6
Alison Sprong 7
Star Ledger - November 15, 2011
Inside Group 1 state semifinals
Verona the underdog in Group 1 girls soccer field
by Rich Bevensee
Julia Ashley (16) and her Verona teammates will be the underdog when they face New Providence in the Group 1 state semifinals on Tuesday in Oakland. - (Tim Farrell/The Star-Ledger)
Sometimes, all it takes is the first step.
That’s how Verona coach Tony Scorsciolla explained how his team advanced to the NJSIAA/Sports Authority Group 1 tournament semifinals.
Verona captured its first North Jersey, Section 1, Group 1 championship with a 1-0 victory over Midland Park on Thursday, but Scorsciolla said the biggest game really took place on Nov. 1, when Verona edged New Milford, 3-2, in the first round. It was the first state tournament victory in program history.
``Sometimes all it takes is to get over that hump,’’ Scorsciolla said. ``Once you get over the hump, the kids start believing and they play a little harder, maybe even better than they thought they could.’’
The team is now on a four-game winning streak and will need all of that momentum in its next match, a semifinal tilt Tuesday against defending Group 1 champion New Providence (16-1-1) at 7:30 p.m. at Indian Hills in Oakland.
``It’s the first time for everybody, so I think half the team is very excited and the other half is extremely nervous,’’ Scorsciolla said. ``There is no plan for us except that maybe New Providence may be overconfident and perhaps we can surprise them.’’
The best: New Providence (16-1-1), under ninth-year coach Scott Murphy, returned all but one starter from last year’s state championship team and has displayed the elements of that experience this season. The defense, anchored by senior sweeper Nicole Saitta and senior keeper Jill Ashinsky, has notched 14 shutouts with a .389 goals-against average. Junior striker Alex Schlobohm heads a long list of potential offensive weapons with 14 goals and 10 assists. New Providence is aiming for its fourth state title since 2000.
The rest: Sophomore Kayla Bancroft (24 goals, 12 assists) of New Egypt (16-6-1) should anticipate plenty of defensive attention from Haddon Township. However, any open space left by defenders willing to double on Bancroft will get a quick introduction to the scoring touch of senior Samantha Bendick (17 goals) and junior Nicole Miller (10 goals).
A senior-laden Haddon Township (18-5) squad boasts plenty of experience and poise up top in forwards Patrice Maro (17 goals, 10 assists), who is committed to Philadelphia University, and Nicky Cutera (10 goals, six assists) while its defense, backed by keeper Chrissy Ambrozy, has registered 12 shutouts.
Verona has put together a remarkable march to this stage and will need the contributions of junior Olivia Marino (13 goals, four assists) and freshman Julia Ashley (12 goals, 14 assists) to continue. The defense of Jill Cumming, Julia Frazee, Amanda Cummings, Caroline Mols and keeper Alison Sprong has bonded to notch three of Verona’s seven shutouts during the state tournament.
Prediction: New Providence brings a wealth of experience and talent to the Group 1 final four, which means it may handle the pressure of the big stage better than most. Look for the Union County squad to hoist the trophy once again.
Game 19 - November 15, 2011
New Providence 3, Verona 2
NewProvidence Patch - November 16, 2011
Girls' Soccer Has Comeback Over Verona in
State Semifinal
Pioneers advance to Saturday's Group 1 title match
by JR Parachini
Entering Tuesday night’s Group 1 semifinal at Indian Hills High School in Oakland, the New Providence girls’ soccer team not only went into the match with a five-game winning streak, but also had not trailed in any of those matches, winning all of them by shutout.
So when underdog Verona, a first-time North 1 champion, scored first less than two minutes into the match, it was quite a shock to the Pioneers.
When Verona went ahead by two goals with 18:07 left in the first half, it was time to say, “wow!”
With their backs to the wall, the team had to dig out of a big hole if it was going to get back to the Group 1 state championship game and defend its title.
Verona didn’t make it easy for the Pioneers as New Providence had to figure a way to get the ball through midfield and attack the goal the way the Pioneers are accustomed to.
New Providence came out in the second half and little by little applied more offensive pressure. Its first goal, off the right foot of senior Stephanni Perini, came with 20:15 left and pulled the Pioneers to within one.
Off a corner kick from the right side by senior Emma Culleton, junior Kelly Carroll managed to get her foot on a loose ball in the box and put it in to tie the game with 6:35 remaining.
Suddenly favored New Providence woke up and showed what it was made of. The Pioneers continued to attack the rest of the second half and dominated the first overtime, almost putting the game away in the first 10-minute sudden death sequence. One dangerous opportunity was a patented backwards header by Carroll that was tipped over the crossbar by Verona senior goalie Alison Sprong.
Then just over a minute into the second and final 10-minute sudden death overtime period, New Providence leading scorer Alex Schlobohm got hold of a deflected ball and had a clear, 15-yard shot from the left side.
The junior forward went with her left foot and fired a low, line-drive shot past Sprong and into the right side of the goal, lifting New Providence to a harder-than-it-anticipated 3-2 double overtime come-from-behind state semifinal victory.
“I just tried to stay calm,” Schlobohm said of her 15th goal. “I wanted to place it well. I saw the goalie leaning to her right, so I kicked it to her left.”
New Providence’s ninth straight state tournament victory, including five last season, put the four-peat North 2 champions back in the Group 1 final where they will face South champion Haddon Township Saturday at 5 p.m. at The College of New Jersey in Ewing Township.
Haddon Township (19-5) also needed had to come back and also needed double overtime to defeat Central Jersey champion New Egypt 2-1 in Tuesday night’s other Group 1 semifinal, which was contested at St. Augustine Prep in Richland. Senior forward and Philadelphia University-bound Patrice Maro’s team-leading 18th goal was the game-winner with just a few minutes remaining before penalty kicks.
Kaitlin Stoltz put Haddon Township on the board for the first time with a goal 17 minutes from the end of regulation that tied the match at 1-1. New Egypt, which finished 16-7-1, took a 1-0 lead early in the first half on a goal from sophomore Kayla Bancroft, which was her team-leading’s 25th.
In last year’s semifinal at Indian Hills, New Providence defeated Belvidere 3-0. The Pioneers then went on to beat Pennsville 1-0 in the final at TCNJ to finish 18-3 and end the season on a six-game winning streak.
New Providence is now 17-1-1 and winner of six straight. Unlike last year’s win against Belvidere, Tuesday night’s game against Verona — which finished 14-9 and should be complimented for winning North 1 as the ninth seed — was very much in doubt.
“It looked bleak,” New Providence head coach Scott Murphy told his Pioneers after the game. “But you kept on fighting and we’re proud of that. You girls showed the heart of a defending state champion. You didn’t want to go out that way. It was not skill. It was the heart that you have.”
Verona sophomore Jill Sprong blasted in a shot with her right foot off a header assist from teammate Laura Hart to give the Hillbillies a quick 1-0 lead with 38:07 to go in the first half.
A header by junior Oliva Marino, off a rebound, was put past New Providence senior goalie Jill Ashinsky for her team-leading 14th goal. Suddenly Verona was up 2-0 with 18 minutes to go in the first half and playing with a lot of confidence.
For the entire first 40 minutes, Verona won the battle in midfield and prevented New Providence from producing any kind of consistent offensive attack.
“We underestimated them in the first half,” Schlobohm said. “In the second half we woke up and then the first goal we scored gave us some momentum.”
“We usually start slow,” Carroll said. “We seem to need a little time. We had some nerves, but we always seem to prevail.”
Perini took a pass from Schlobohm inside the penalty box along the right side and one-timed the ball into the vacated right corner of the goal. It took 60 minutes, but New Providence was finally on the scoreboard.
“The ball came through and I saw it and I knew I had to be there to kick it in,” Perini said.
When Culleton sent the ball into the middle of the penalty box with less than seven minutes to go, it appeared to bounce around a bit like a pinball.
“I was trying to do anything to get at the ball,” Carroll said. “I got my toe on it and was able to poke it in.”
NOTES: Ashinsky was very busy in the early going of the second half, coming out to grab the ball several times in the box to keep the score at 2-0.
Schlobohm earned the assist on Perini’s goal and Culleton on Carroll’s.
It was determined by New Providence that Schlobohm’s goal was unassisted.
Tuesday night was only the third time New Providence gave up more than one goal this season. The first time was a 4-3 overtime triumph at Oak Knoll back on Oct. 13 and the second time was its lone loss, a 2-1 overtime setback at home to Summit in the Union County Tournament semifinals.
Oak Knoll captured the Non-Public B state championship Tuesday night when it defeated Mater Dei 5-0 at TCNJ. The Royals from Summit finished 13-4-2.
From left, the New Providence's goal scorers in order on Tuesday night were Stephanni Perini, Kelly Carroll and Alex Schlobohm.
New Providence head coach Scott Murphy, middle, lauds his team for the comeback state tournament victory it produced vs. Verona.
New Providence players gather before its Group 1 semifinal against Verona.
Senior Emma Culleton earned an assist on her team's tying goal vs. Verona.
Freshman forward Erin Fay (No. 9) is a speedy forward off the bench for the Pioneers.
New Providence will get to kick around a soccer ball for one more game this season.
