CLARK, NJ- The Arthur L. Johnson High School Crusaders girls varsity soccer team will face off on the road at Wall Township HS in the state sectional final of the NJSIAA Central, Group 2 State Playoffs. The game will be played on Thursday, November 9, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at Wall Township High School. The Crusaders are seeded No. 2 in the bracket, while Wall is the top seed.
It is the first time since the 2010 season that the Johnson Crusaders girls varsity soccer team is competing for a sectional championship, when they last won, defeating Governor Livingston HS by a final score of 1-0.
Johnson defeated Delaware Valley in the first round by a final score of 3-0 and edged Ewing by a final score of 2-1. Johnson sophomore Gianna Nigro has scored three of the four goals this state tournament.
The Crusaders held off Bernards HS in penalty kicks, winning that by a score of 3-2 after being tied 1-1 through both halves and both periods of overtime.
Wall Township defeated Hillside in the first round by a final score of 7-0 and defeated Matawan in the quarterfinals by a final score of 6-0. They took down Rumson-Fair Haven HS in the semifinals by a final score of 6-1.
The Crusaders started off the season with an 12-0 record, featuring six straight shutouts to open up the season, before allowing their first goal of the season in a 3-1 win over Kent Place on Saturday, September 23. Their first setback this season was a 3-0 loss to Scotch Plains-Fanwood (ranked No. 11, now No. 10 on NJ.com’s Top 20) on Saturday, October 14.
They are currently on a nine-game winning streak since that loss, including wins over Kent Place, Dayton, Roselle Park, Rahway, Linden Brearley, along Delaware Valley, Ewing and Bernards as they head towards the state sectional final.
Last year, the Crusaders reached the NJSIAA Central, Group 2 Semifinals before losing to Robbinsville by a final score of 2-1.
Johnson’s offense is led by junior Natalya Torres (22 goals, six assists), junior Cecilia Puentes (ten goals, 11 assists) and sophomore Lily Gull (ten goals, seven assists). There is also a well-balanced look on the statistics, with everybody doing the things needed to win here and there.
Senior goaltender Tina Palella has stopped 43 shots on the season.
The Crusaders also have a strong defense that features players such as senior Nicole Cassano, junior Nicole Buczynski and sophomores Jenna Wiese and Gianna Nigro as they have constantly locked out the opposition from reaching the back of the net.
On the season, the Crusaders have scored 71 goals on offense, while the defense has only allowed nine goals (three of them coming against Scotch Plains-Fanwood).
Wall Township is ranked No. 7 in the state of New Jersey, so the task could be difficult as the afternoon progresses, so it will be a game where things will have to go right for a chance to compete.
Johnson Girls Varsity Soccer will go far in the state tournament IF:
First, the offense continues to produce, they have to take a shot on every chance that they get on the game, especially with teams they could face this postseason.
Second, clean defense and getting in the way of shots. Just have to be ready for the rushes, corner kicks and potential penalty kicks to come to them and make a clean call and be ready to save the shots and keep the momentum rolling as the games go on. The defense has communicated well and it shows on the field of the games played.
Third, timely scoring and defensive saves, this will also prove to be a major factor in the state tournament. Tina Palella has done good and she will be crucial for the team in the rest of the season.
The winner of the game captures the sectional championship and would advance to the NJSIAA Group 2 State Semifinals against the South, Group 2 sectional champion, against the winner of Cinnaminson/Haddonfield on Tuesday, November 14 at Hopewell Valley Central High School at 5:00 p.m.
