MATHESON, RIVERA, LOWE, ZAMBITO LED SCORING
Wins kept seesawing with losses this season for the Cranford High School girls soccer team. The Cougars experienced three disappointing setbacks to a nemesis, endured five overtime games and dropped all five of their Union County Conference Watchung Division games to finish their season with an 8-10 overall record.
Promise, however, was shown when the Cougar girls won their first two games beginning with a 7-6 edging of Pope John and following with a 5-0 trouncing of the South Plainfield Tigers. Unfortunately a 4-1 loss to the Scotch Plains-Fanwood Raiders, a 41 loss to the Oak Knoll Royals and a disheartening 4-3 overtime setback to the Governor Livingston Highlanders dropped their record to 2-3.
A ray of hope followed when the Cougars beat the highly improved, 124 Elizabeth Lady Minutemen, 2-1, in overtime but the Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers dimmed their lights with a 20 victory. The Cougars’most lopsided win of the season came next with a 71 shellacking of the St. Thomas Aquinas Trojans, But the 13-5-2 Summit Hilltoppers proved to be the Cougars’ nemesis with a 2-1 overtime victory in the first of their three meetings.
In the first round of the Union County Tournament (UCT), the Cougars ran over the Union Farmers, 4-1, but then fell to the Hilltoppers, 2-0, in the UCT quarterfinal round. Another sting came next when the Cougars lost to the 15-3-2 New Providence Pioneers, 3-2, in two overtimes. There was a temporary sigh of relief when the Cougars thrashed the Woodbridge Barrons, 5-0, but they had to gulp when they lost to the Franklin Warriors, 2-1, and followed up with a 4-0 loss to the 16-2 Westfield Blue Devils, who would win the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 crown.
The Cougars downed the Edison Eagles, 5-2, then nipped the Iselin-Kennedy Mustangs in the first round of the North 2, Group 3 Tournament, 3-2 in overtime. Their season came to an end with their third loss to the Hilltoppers, 3-1, in the quarterfinal round.
The Cougars did outscore oppo- nents, 48-43, and senior co-captain/ forward Shea Matheson led the team with 13 goals and 14 assists for a total of 40 points. Junior forward/midfielder Selena Rivera netted 11 goals and six assists for 28 points and co-captain/ midfielder Kristina Lowe put in 10 goals and added four assists for 24 points. Junior forward/midfielder Kate Zambito finished with five goals and three assists for 13 points.
Sophomore midfielder Sarah Suh netted three goals and four assists for 10 points. Sophomore Courtney Toy and freshman Ava Cao both finished with a goal and two assists. Seniors Kaylee Fitzpatrick and Emma Cao each had a goal and an assist. Senior Alyssa Borys and junior Shannon Connolly each scored once and junior Leah Gelfand contributed an assist.
Sophomore goalkeeper Vanessa Kelly recorded 129 saves and senior backup Isa Stappas made a save.
In the victory over Pope John, Lowe tallied four goals and an assist. Matheson netted two goals and four assists and Rivera scored once. Lowe scored twice against South Plainfield and Matheson provided four assists. Matheson scored all three goals in the overtime loss to Governor Livingston. Zambito and Matheson scored against Elizabeth. The rout of St. Thomas Aquinas had Suh scoring twice and Fitzpatrick netting a goal and an assist, while Rivera added two assists.
Lowe scored twice, while Rivera and Zambito each scored once against Union. Against Woodbridge, Rivera netted two goals and two assists. Matheson scored twice and Zambito had a goal and an assist. Rivera netted two goals and an assist, and Suh had a goal and an assist against Edison, while Ava Cao scored once and Matheson had a goal and two assists. In the OT win over JFK, Matheson scored twice and Rivera netted a goal and an assist. Matheson scored the final goal of the season in the third game against Summit.
The Cougars will graduate co-captains Matheson and Lowe, along with several seniors, so there will definitely be a challenge to step up, especially in the always tough UCC Watchung Division.
