Girls soccer team defeats Middletown South, advances to quarterfinals

BY MATTHEW MANGAM

            The girls soccer team defeated Middletown South by a score of 1-0 in the first round of the Central Jersey Group IV Tournament yesterday.

            Senior Ava Morales scored the only goal in the game on a free kick 16 minutes into the second half. Morales said, “We really put in the work. We wanted it more than Middletown and held our own to the end.”

            Sophomore Goalkeeper Isabella Ludovico, who had 16 saves in the game, provided insight into the team’s strategy: “We focused on getting up the field through possession. Once we got the goal, we sat back and cleared the ball, especially in the last 10 minutes.”

            The next game is away against Rancocas Valley, on Friday November 5 in the Quarterfinals of the Group IV State Tournament. Morales said, “We are going into the game on Friday with the same attitude.”

            Friday’s game is against the #2 seed in the tournament and is expected to be a tough matchup. Ludovico added, “Rancocas are a good team so we have to focus on possessing the ball and taking shots.”

            After reaching the semifinals of the Greater Middlesex County Tournament, the team looks to extend their successful season beyond their current 11-7-1 record. “It could be our last game, so we are going to put in everything we have. We will work as hard as we can to get the win,” according to Morales.

Posted 11/3/21

Photos by Tim O’Neill