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Sports

Summit Fights Their Way Into Next Round

Women's Soccer Team Beats Matawan 2-1

SUMMIT – NJSIAA fourth-seeded Summit looked confident as they took the field against 13th seed Matawan on Monday afternoon. In this first round state tournament game, both teams had to leave it all on the field.

The Hilltoppers’ confidence waned, however, when Matawan forward Lisa Pabon slotted a shot past the Summit goalkeeper just 38 seconds into the game.

“That early goal surprised us,” said Summit coach Christine Bohan.

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The Hilltoppers were able to recover from the early goal and regain confidence by controlling possession and applying offensive pressure.

Summit had many scoring opportunities courtesy of tough play in the midfield by Kate Martino and Brittany Toffey. Left forward Caroline Welch sent several strong crosses into the box, but could not connect with her teammates.

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In the 23rd minute, Matawan midfielder Alexis Urbanski hit a rocket shot that was corralled by Summit goalie Liz Cassin. On the counterattack, Summit forward Kelly Osmulski responded with an unassisted right-foot blast past the Matawan keeper.

The score was now tied, 1-1.

Matawan had a few chances at the end of the first half to get the go-ahead goal, but Summit defenders Maddie Kaplan and Ashley Chase prevented further damage.

Summit came out strong in the second half and continued to apply pressure, control possession, and create offensive opportunities. In the 45th minute, Caroline Welch sent a Summit free kick to Mary Kelly, whose shot was deflected out of bounds by Matawan’s freshman goalie, Karen David. David had numerous clutch saves and deflections that kept Matawan in the game.

“We felt like we dominated play but had trouble finishing,” said Summit coach Bohan. “Their keeper (David) is a good player, and tall.”

When you’re facing a tall, athletic goalkeeper like Matawan’s David, you either need to aim low or get lucky. Fortunately for Summit, they got lucky in the 70th minute when a left-foot cross by Welch was headed backwards by a Matawan defender into their own goal. Summit now led 2-1.

Both teams fought hard for the remainder of the game; Summit was able to stave off a few dangerous free kicks and corners by Matawan’s Urbanski. When the final whistle blew, the Hilltoppers cheered, knowing that they’d kept their season alive.

Though it was a rebuilding year for Matawan’s squad (coming off a 3-16 2008 season), the team enjoyed a breakthrough year.

“We played well. We got the early lead and then just tried to weather the storm,” said Matawan head coach Ken McCabe. “This is a tough loss, but we’re happy with the season on the whole. This is the farthest we’ve ever gone. We’re a young team so this was a good showing.”

The loss ends Matawan’s season with an 8-10-1 record. With so many talented underclassmen, Matawan looks forward to future success.

With the win, Summit continues to prove that they’re a legitimate threat in this year’s state tournament. The Hilltoppers have outscored their opponents 66-11 so far this season.

“We’re glad to be moving on to the next round,” said Bohan.

The Hilltoppers (12-4) face the winner of the Spotswood (5), Shore (12) matchup in the second round of the state tournament. The game takes place this Thursday, November 5th, at Tatlock Field in Summit.

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