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Quick start spurs Chatham in group semifinal

Quick start spurs Chatham in group semifinal

  CHATHAM _ A quick start proved vital to the ultimate success of the Chatham High School girls soccer team in a Group III semifinal on Wednesday, Nov. 19.   Scoring one goal in the first several minutes of the game and then another one less than eight minutes later, the Cougars defeated Morris Knolls, 3-1, at Otto Haas Field at the Chatham Middle School.   Chatham (17-5-2) will play Shawnee (21-2) for the Group III championship on Sunday, Nov. 23 at Franklin High School at 12:30 p.m. The Renegades from Medford in Burlington County blanked Northern Burlington, 3-0, in the…
The Hanover Park girls soccer team is ecstatic after its win over Madison in the sectional final.

PKs power Hornets in title matchup

MADISON _ Hanover Park's Samantha Cicerone is fearless in pressure situations.  Cicerone, the fifth - and last - player to take a penalty kick for the Hornets in the North Jersey Section 2, Group II soccer final against Madison, didn't stress at all prior to her attempt. Her head was clear and she was focused. That's because Cicerone has had opportunities to make a difference at crunch time before. "I'm good with it. It's OK," she said, referring to her ability to come through when needed most. "I blocked everything out. I did what I do in practice. I'm used…
Chatham's Paige Droner, No. 10, dribbles the ball as Hanover Park's Alyssa Alfano closes in.

Abundance of talent at All-Star Game

PEQUANNOCK _ After three-plus years of minding the net, Mendham's Sonja Zeepvat had to remind herself not to use her hands when called upon to play the field. "I was forced not to use my hands," Zeepvat said. "It was also an interesting way of looking at everything." A standout goalie, Zeepvat, a striker when she was younger, demonstrated that she still knows how to dribble and pass the ball. Accustomed to seeing the 21 other players before her at all times, she never thought she'd spend another moment outside of the goal area, allowing her a different perspective. However,…
Droner leads Cougars to OT win

Droner leads Cougars to OT win

CHATHAM _ Remmey McEnroe noticed that Chatham's energy had faded a bit in the second half of its North Jersey Section 2, Group III final against Scotch Plains-Fanwood. McEnroe, a senior right wing and co-captain, started to have flashbacks to last season when the Cougars played West Morris and held a one-goal edge in the sectional title game. While Chatham endured a drought, the Wolfpack tallied two goals to capture the crown. Of course, McEnroe had faith in her teammates yet she did not like the fact that the Cougars were headed into overtime with the Raiders on Saturday, Nov.…
Abby Droner, left, was one of three Chatham players with two goals in a 10-1 state tournament win over South Plainfield.

Chatham subs get in valuable time

CHATHAM _ There was no grudge to settle and absolutely no desire to send the score into double digits. Five days after a devastating setback to Mendham and a 10 days after a euphoric event - claiming the Morris County Tournament title - Chatham opened the state tournament with a 10-1 victory over South Plainfield in a North Jersey Section 2, Group III first-round game on Tuesday, Nov. 2. The Cougars (11-4-3) went into halftime leading 4-0. At the break, Chatham coach Gary Adair put in some of his subs so they'd get playing time. They took their turns on…
The Hanover Park soccer team posed for photos after a state win over Parsippany Hills.

Historic season for Hornets

EAST HANOVER _ The beautiful, finely booted and lofty soaring pass from deep on the left side from Julia Santos found its target in Ashley Alfano cutting across the middle. Alfano then delivered when it mattered most, scoring the goal that capped the best season in Hanover Park girls soccer history. Alfano, Santos, goaltender Abigail Huang, Hailey Scaff and a host of other key contributors propelled the top-seeded Hornets to a 1-0 victory over sixth-seeded Parsippany Hills on Sunday, Nov. 22 in the North West B Division final. The goal by Alfano, a senior forward, was her ninth this fall…
Cougars go 2 OTs but retain perfection

Cougars go 2 OTs but retain perfection

PARSIPPANY _ At 5 foot 11, Chatham's Olivia Garman has what her coach Gary Adair refers to as "a lot of presence." And, Garman, a senior who plays center defense, capitalizes on every opportunity to use her height to her advantage on the soccer field. "Being tall is great for set pieces, for winning headers," Garman said. "I'm bigger so I can push people off the ball. Corner kicks work out well for me." On Monday, Nov. 2, Garman found herself in an ideal situation in the second overtime, tipping the ball in with her head to boost Chatham to…
The Rams are all smiles as they embrace and celebrate their MCT title.

Sciancalepore saves Rams in MCT final

ROXBURY _ There were 15 seconds left in the game and Randolph goalkeeper Ellie Sciancalepore could see Kinnelon’s one last chance at tying the Morris County Tournament championship game coming straight at her. When she snatched the ball out of mid-air, the senior keeper knew the title belonged to the Rams. Top-seeded Randolph captured its 14th overall title in school history and first one outright since 2011 with a 1-0 victory over upstart Kinnelon in the title contest held at Roxbury High School on Saturday, Oct. 19. Sciancalepore made four saves, including the pressure-packed last one for the Rams. The…
Sciancalepore saves Rams in MCT semifinals

Sciancalepore saves Rams in MCT semifinals

MOUNT OLIVE _ Ellie Sciancalepore jumped up and grabbed onto the center of the soccer goal crossbar and gave her long legs one last stretch. She knew she would need to take advantage of every inch of her body to get Randolph to the Morris County Tournament final. The senior didn’t disappoint. She made three shootout saves and Randolph converted on two of their PK chances to defeat defending champion Morris Knolls 1-1 (2-0 shootout) in the MCT semifinals at Mount Olive High School on Saturday, Oct. 12. The top-seeded Rams will face Kinnelon, which edged Jefferson, also in penalty…
Rams are ultra determined this season

Rams are ultra determined this season

EAST HANOVER TWP.  _ The seniors on the Randolph girls soccer team are playing with an extra sense of determination this year. The Rams have no hardware to show for their years of hard work. Building a 5-0-1 start, it’s obvious that Randolph is serious about its chances for winning a title this fall. A 3-1 win over previously undefeated Hanover Park on on Tuesday, Sept. 17, was a prime example of Randolph’s determination. Lauren Robles, Karen Hull and Julia Yan scored goals to spark the Rams' triumph. Grace Mochnal connected for the Hornets. The Rams are off to a…
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