Brick Girls Soccer Falls To Cranford In State Regional Title Game

BRICK, NJ — Abby Kennelly surged toward the Cranford goal, on a mission to score one last time as her senior high school season came to a close.

Jostling and driving, she hit a sliding shot. But as she slid to a stop and the ball slid just wide of the goal, the final seconds ticked away.

It wasn't going to be the ending she and her Brick Township teammates had wanted and worked for; Cranford defeated Brick 4-0 in the NJSIAA Central East D region championship game Sunday night at the Drum Point Sports Complex. But the Dragons were not going to walk off the field without giving every last ounce they had.

The Dragons wanted another state title, one to go with the team's 2018 NJSIAA Central Jersey Group 3 championship. It would have been especially sweet in a year that has been so disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic.

"This was our end goal," Brick coach Brian Blue said of reaching the regional final. "A lot of the girls were on the field two years ago when we won our first state title in 20 years. They wanted another one."

Cranford, which won its first state title in 20 years, made it clear from the start it was not going to make it easy, however.

The Dragons (10-6-1) got an early scoring chance off a corner kick, but weren't able to convert. It was one of the few chances they had the entire game, as the Cougars (9-5-1) started to stretch out the Dragons' defense, working the ball across the field until they found an open player.

"They had the perfect style to play against us," Blue said. Preparing for the final was difficult with just a day between games and no common opponents, but that is one of the elements that makes the state tournament interesting, he said.

Freshman goalkeeper Trinitie Maloney, who finished with 10 saves in the game, made two tremendous saves in the first 7 minutes of the game, stopping a charging Cranford player on a breakaway, and making a flying dive to knock away another shot 90 seconds later.

"Trinitie reads the game so well," Blue said. "Both of our keepers are very good. They push each other hard in practice, which makes them both better."

Cranford finally found the net in the 27th minute, as Olivia Russomanno connected on a long-distance shot that dropped just under the crossbar into the back corner of the net. Russomanno scored again in the 14th minute on a Cranford counter after the Cougars cleared a Brick free kick, again hitting a high shot from distance. Aileen McGovern put Cranford up 3-0 less than 2 minutes before the half on high shot from about 20 yards out.

In the second half, the Dragons mounted some pressure, and stifled the Cougars' attack until there were about 22 minutes left, when Kirsten Williams scored on a shot just under the crossbar from about 18 yards out straight in front.

But Maloney stopped four other shots in the second half, including a high ball that was headed for the back off a corner kick. She finished with 10 saves.

"They were just a better team," Blue said of Cranford.

The members of the Brick Township girls soccer varsity team are: Seniors Reese Beggs, Gianna Ferigne, Kaitlyn Horvath, Madison Horvath, Abby Kennelly, Kayleigh Markey, Alanna Paccioretti, Isabella Silva, Laighla Westgate, and Breanna Williams; juniors Abby Achille, Savannah Eichert, Nikki Fischbach, Brianna Harvey, Grace Hermance, Diana Heuner, Destinee Majett, Grace Noonan, Gianna Prato, Gabby Soldo and Melissa Zarszynski; sophomores Kaydence Fischer, Taylor Horvath, and Rian Stainton, and freshman Trinitie Maloney.

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