Game 6-Mountainside

Two early goals set the tone and two late ones provided the exclamation points as the Scotch Plains Blue Sharks U12 Girls intercounty team played its finest game of the year in winning its most significant game, a 4-0 whitewashing of the previously undefeated Mountainside Cosmos Saturday at Sheffield School, Mountainside. Both teams are now 6-12-1 and could meet again next Saturday at Soccerfest at St Josephs Metuchen.

The Sharks belied the early 9 am start on a chilly late October morning by bursting from the gate quickly. Their persistence was rewarded when Amanda Rodriguez picked up a loose ball and adeptly fired in a low shot from 10 yards. Minutes later Erin Brown converted on a high hard direct kick over the defensive wall. The goalie was unable to hold onto the wet ball and it was 2-0 where it stayed for the almost the entire game.

Goalie Melissa McKenna was generally untested but came up big by batting away a Mountainside shot midway through the second half. Jessica DiGiacomo, brilliant all day with her dribbling and passing was nearly rewarded but her breakaway shot was saved. Two minutes later she would not be denied, converting another breakaway. Jessica Feeley, in just her third game back from injuries scored her third goal to complete the victory.

Other contributors included Alyssa Young, Kara Gaynor, Sarah Weber, Toni Ann Capece, Lauren Buckley, Emily Cohen, Rebecca DiGiacomo, Annie Rubin, Sarah Lazarus and Desli DeMarsico.