Fall 2006 Championship Game

Mid November has come to be known for a proliferation of leaves to rake, dwindling sun light, heated football rivalries and in the last three years exciting soccer playoff games between the Scotch Plains Blue Sharks U14 Girls intercounty team and Rahway.

The teams, which both entered the game unbeaten, had split their previous two plsyoff meetings making the November 18 matchup, won by the Sharks 2-1 as a rubber match between the squads, Like the previous two games, the 2006 rendition was also played at Rahway’s downtrodden field and contained many players who had participated in all three games.

Danielle Schweizer, one of the few Sharks who had not played the past two years, scored a goal in each half, the second on a brilliant breakaway midway through the second half. Schwiezer took a perfect through pass from Lauren Buckley and with a marksmen’s precision beat the goalie from twenty yards.

Schweizer had opened the scoring in the first half when she rebounded Emily Cohen’s shot that had hit the post. Rahway tied the score which remained knotted through the end of the first half.

Melissa McKenna was solid in goal as the Sharks took their first title in the U14 division after previously winning one in U12.

Also starring were Lauren Berk Erin Brown Amanda Rodriguez Jessica DiGiacomo Alyssa Young Rebecca DiGiacomo, Sarah Weber, Emma Kaplan, Sarah Lazarus, Toni Ann Capece and Kara Gaynor.

Fall 2006 Playoff Semi Finals

It was a game that had more twists and turns than a Coney Island Rollercoaster and as much suspense as the Virginia Senate race. It did not seem fair that there should be a winner and loser in such an evenly played game but with daylight dwindling in a brilliant November sky the rules said that penalty kicks would decide the semi final game between
the Scotch Plains Blue Sharks U14 Girls intercounty team and another Scotch Plains team and in that format it always helps to have a goalie as skilled as Melissa McKenna.

Like she had three times over the last three years, McKenna saved enough shots in the penalty kick shootout to allow her team to win. As in their championship game win against Rahway in 2004, Lauren Berk provided the winning penalty kick as the Sharks took the shootout 3-1 after the teams had battled through eighty minutes of regulation and two five minute overtimes to a 3-3 tie Saturday November 11 at Memorial Field in Scotch Plains.

Luckily for everyone involved, the coaches, sensing inclement weather for Sunday, switched the game and it was a classic with numerous lead changes and several spectacular goals.

Erin Brown put the team on top with a beautiful shot from a tough angle in the first minute but Scotch Plains bounced back to tie on a perfectly placed direct kick from Olivia Checchio. Amanda Rodriguez put the Sharks back ahead when she connected on a hard left footed shot before halftime but Scotch Plains tied it and then went ahead 3-2 with a pair of second half goals. It was the first time all year the Sharks trailed in the second half and the first time they had given up multiple goals.

With time running down, the Sharks were awarded a penalty kick on a hand ball and Jessica DiGiacomo tied the game with a well placed penalty shot. In the penalty kick shootout, DiGiacomo put the team ahead on the first shot and after Scotch Plains evened it, Alyssa Young put the Sharks ahead to stay with a well placed low shot. McKenna made her third straight save and Berk clinched it on the final round when her hard shot could not be held.

Also standing out for the winners were Rebecca DiGiacomo, Sarah Weber, Danielle Schwiezer, Lauren Buckley, Emma Kaplan, Sarah Lazarus, Toni Ann Capece, Emily Cohen and Kara Gaynor.

Fall 2006 Game 9

The chilly November air did nothing to cool off the Scotch Plains Blue Sharks U14 Girls intercounty team as they continued their relentless charge to a league championship
by blanking Kenilworth 6-0 in the first round of the playoffs Saturday November 4 at Memorial Field Scotch Plains.

Amanda Rodriguez provided the only scoring the team would need when she scored with her left foot from ten yards out in the first ten minutes. Sarah Weber added to the margin with a booming right foot shot from fifteen yards. Leading scorer Danielle Schwiezer also scored from long range as the team took a 3-0 lead into halftime.

Erin Brown opened the second half with a long left footed shot and Alyssa Young scored one of the most impressive goals of the game when she took a high cross out of the air and one timed the ball into the net. Lauren Buckley, a hero earlier in the week when she scored the tying goal for Park against Terrill, completed the scoring.

Melissa McKenna and Brown shared the goalkeeping duties.
Also starring were Rebecca DiGiacomo, Emma Kaplan, Jessica DiGiacomo Lauren Berk, Sarah Lazarus, Toni Ann Capece, Emily Cohen and Jessica Feeley.

Fall 2006 Game 6

Unseasonably chilly October weather could not cool off the Scotch Plains Blue Sharks U14 Girls intercounty team’s red hot offense as they exploded for six unanswered goals to turn an early 1-0 deficit into a 6-1 victory Saturday October 14 at Memorial Field Scotch Plains.

The victory improved the Sharks’ record to 6-0 and their goal aggregate is now 30-3, but the contest did mark the first time they have trailed all season. Kenilworth came out strong on offense and converted a breakaway into a 1-0 lead before leading scorer Danielle Schwiezer evened the score with a hard shot from fifteen yards.

Sarah Weber scored what would prove to be the winning tally when she connected from a tough angle to score just before halftime.

In the second half the Sharks poured it on as Schweizer connected again and Alyssa Young, Jessica DiGiacomo and Amanda Rodriguez also pierced the net.

Melissa McKenna and Erin Brown shared the goalkeeping duties.
Also starring were Rebecca DiGiacomo, Emma Kaplan Lauren Buckley, Lauren Berk, Sarah Lazarus, Toni Ann Capece, Emily Cohen and Jessica Feeley...

Fall 2006 Game 5

The Scotch Plains Blue Sharks U14 Girls intercounty team started October with the type of performance that typified their 4-0 September record as they came on strong in the second half to defeat Westfield 4-1,Saturday at Houlihan Field in Westfield. In their four victories the Sharks have outscored the opposition 24-2
.
Alyssa Young scored the only goal of a defensive dominated first half when she put a hard shot into the right corner of the goal from 15 yards.

In the second half Emily Cohen scored two nice goals from short range to give the team breathing room, before leading scorer Danielle Schweizer completed the scoring with
a well placed shot from twenty yards. Westfield averted a shutout when they converted a penalty kick in the final ten minutes.

Melissa McKenna and Kara Gaynor shared the goalkeeping duties.
Also starring were Amanda Rodriguez, Jessica DiGiacomo, Rebecca DiGiacomo, Emma Kaplan Lauren Buckley, Sarah Weber, Lauren Berk, Sarah Lazarus, Toni Ann Capece, Erin Brown and Jessica Feeley..

Fall 2006 Game 4

Completing the September phase of their schedule similar to their other three games, the Scotch Plains Blue Sharks U14 Girls intercounty team once again used balanced scoring and strong defense to win their fourth straight lopsided victory, this time blanking Westfield 4-0 Saturday morning at sun drenched Park Middle School in Scorch Plains.
In their four victories the Sharks have outscored the opposition 20-1.

Jessica DiGiacomo scored what proved to be the game winning goal when her hard shot from short range eluded the goalie. Danielle Schwiezer, the team’s leading scorer, scored two medium range goals to swell the margin to 3-0 at half time.

Though they took many shots, an outstanding effort by the Westfield goalie limited further scoring until ironically enough, the Sharks’ regular goalie Melissa McKenna, showed her fine skills outside of the goal with a hard shot from fifteen yards. McKenna and Erin Brown combined on the shutout as a strong defense limited Westfield chances.

Also starring were Amanda Rodriguez, Emily Cohen Rebecca DiGiacomo, Emma Kaplan Lauren Buckley, Sarah Weber, Lauren Berk, Sarah Lazarus, Toni Ann Capece, Alyssa Young, Jessica Feeley and. Kara Gaynor...

Fall 2006 Game 2

In a near carbon copy of their season opener against Plainfield, the Scotch Plains Blue Sharks U14 Girls intercounty team used balanced scoring and strong defense to win their second straight 6-0 decision this time over Linden, Sunday at Wardlaw-Hartridge School in Edison

Emma Kaplan opened the scoring early in the first half with her first goal for her new team. Last week the team’s other newcomer, Danielle Schwiezer scored the initial goal.
Rebecca DiGiacomo added the second goal, followed by Amanda Rodriguez to make it 3-0 at halftime.

The second half resulted in goals by Alyssa Young, Jessica DiGiacomo and Young completed the scoring. Melissa McKenna and Emily Cohen combined on the shutout,

Also starring on another unseasonably warm late summer afternoon were Lauren Buckley, Sarah Weber, Erin Brown, Lauren Berk, Sarah Lazarus, Toni Ann Capece, and. Kara Gaynor...