Quick start spurs Chatham in group semifinal
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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 other Group III semifinal.
Senior striker Amanda Thornton fired in a goal off a pass from sophomore midfielder Emily Piskadlo to give the Cougars a 1-0 lead 5:04 into the game. Then with 27:36 left in the 40-minute first half, freshman midfielder Junna Sho delivered a precise kick into the upper right-hand corner of the net from 10 feet out off an assist from Thornton to make it 2-0.
"We just wanted to try to take control as soon as we could," said Rutgers University-bound Thornton, who overcame an injury that kept her out for more than three weeks earlier in the season, to total 14 goals and 15 assists in 2025.
Also, later in the first half, senior Julianna Critchley, headed for American University in the fall of 2026, came close to putting Morris Knolls on the scoreboard but her blistering shot from 20 feet out barely slammed off the top of the crossbar and over the net. In addition, Chatham junior defender Grace Powers made a great kick save after Chatham goalie Charlotte Nelson was off her line as the score stayed at 2-0 late in the opening stanza.
Chatham, which has won four straight North Jersey Section 2, Group III sectional titles - meaning this group of seniors has the best four-year record in the school's girls soccer history - edged Cranford, 2-1, in penalty kicks after a 1-1 tie through two halves and two overtimes in the North 2, Group III championship game this season.
"We came out strong with a lot of good, quick, crisp passing and the girls were really flying up and down the field," said Chatham fourth-year coach Anthony Correale. "Everything was clicking and that made it possible for us to create good offensive opportunities while also remaining positive in the midfield and on the defensive end. The girls just gave an excellent effort all the way around against a great Morris Knolls team."
Thornton scored the third goal for Chatham to make it 3-0. Thornton connected off an assist from sophomore Lucy Arps with about 10 minutes remaining in the second half.
With a little more than two minutes remaining, Morris Knolls broke the shutout on a goal by senior forward Maggie Krasnomowitz, committed to Scranton University, off an assist from junior Tessa Simone to cut the Golden Eagles deficit to 3-1. Senior Maria Tzoumas also played a strong two-way game for the Golden Eagles.
"We never stopped trying to put on the pressure and kept going forward. It just wasn't our day," said Morris Knolls coach Stephan Zdanowicz. "Overall, we had a very solid year, making both the MCT semifinals and also winning a sectional championship in North 1, Group 3. We are very proud of everything we accomplished this season."
Each team had 12 shots on goal with Morris Knolls senior goalie Tariyana Sango making seven saves and sophomore goalie Charlotte Nelson coming up with six saves for the Cougars. Each team accounted for six corner kicks.
Chatham has won five straight Morris County Tournament championships, four under Correale.
Chatham will look to earn its fourth Group state championship on Sunday.The Cougars defeated Shawnee in the Group III final in 2023 with a 4-3 edge in penalty kicks. In 2004, Chatham defeated Cinnaminson in the Group II championship game and, in 1983, Chatham and Hopewell Valley were co-champions in a combined I and II state grouping.
The two teams from the NJAC-American Division have now split four games this season. Chatham defeated Morris Knolls, 2-0, in the Morris County Tournament semifinals at Montville on the way to a 3-0 victory over Randolph in the MCT championship tilt. On Wednesday, Sept. 17, Morris Knolls turned back Chatham, 5-1, in Denville and, on Wednesday, Oct. 22, the Golden Eagles trimmed the Cougars, 1-0. Randolph won the NJAC-American Division this season with Morris Knolls taking second and Chatham finishing in third place.
Correale has guided Chathan to four MCT championships and four sectional titles in his first four years. This senior class has never lost an MCT game. Under previous coach Gary Adair, Chatham won the 2021 MCT crown before the consecutive MCT titles from 2022 through 2025 under Correale - five in a row. Correale had been the Parsippany club soccer coach for seven years prior to taking the Chatham job and was an assistant coach for Morristown-Beard's boys soccer team in 2021. Correale played four years in the midfield at Morris Catholic High School, then also played at Rider University in Lawrenceville and he also played for Pisa Calcio, an Italian Series B team.
Shawnee, which won its first-ever state title with a 3-0 victory over Northern Highlands in the 2024 Group III championship game, is making its third straight Group 3 final appearance on Sunday.
Morris Knolls, despite the loss to Chatham, had an excellent season. The Golden Eagles (17-5) defeated Ramapo, 2-1, in Franklin Lakes on Saturday, Nov. 15 to claim the North 1, Group III state crown, their first since 2009.
Morris Knolls won Morris County Tournament championships in 1987 and 1988. Zdanowicz was at the Golden Eagles' helm for the 2017 and 2018 MCT title teams. In 1985, an undefeated Morris Knolls (20-0-1) team shared the Group 4 state championship with Notre Dame of Lawrenceville after a 1-1 tie through two overtimes.
Zdanowicz a 1993 Brick Township High School graduate where she played four years each of field hockey, basketball and soccer (girls soccer at that time was a spring sport in the Shore Conference), took over the Morris Knolls program in 2002 from previous coach Ernie Sandonato, who led the Golden Eagles for five seasons. In 2000 and 2001 Zdanowicz was an assistant coach under Sandonato.
After high school, Zdanowicz played two years of soccer at Ocean County Community College in Toms River, then one year at Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, N.C. before a senior year and her graduate work at William Paterson University. She has over 290 career wins at Morris Knolls and will start her 25th year at the helm of the Golden Eagles in 2026 with an opportunity to hit the 300-career coaching win milestone in her outstanding career.
Last modified onMonday, 24 November 2025 09:55