SOMERVILLE, NJ- There is plenty of good things in store for the Arthur L. Johnson High School Crusaders varsity field hockey team, who’ve continued to prove themselves as a competitive and tough force in Union County. In their schedule this season, Johnson’s record against new opponents this season features a 4-1 record against those teams (wins against Montclair Kimberley Academy, Montclair, Newton, Blair Academy).
The Crusaders, coming into the day with nine wins, stand as the 2-seed in the upcoming Union County Tournament and looked to keep their great regular season going, as they took to the road to play against the Somerville High School Pioneers.
The Crusaders’ offensive force, led by senior co-captains Alyssa Colicchio and Kaylee Parkhill, along with junior Emma Hilton, all cashed in with a goal each as they defeated the Pioneers 3-0 Monday afternoon in Somerville.
The two teams traded chances back and forth in the game’s opening minutes, but the contest remained scoreless through the first seven minutes. The Pioneers had an early corner attempt to try and strike first, but the Crusaders defense zeroed them out.
The Crusaders defense, who has allowed nine goals all season, needed to be on their game to slow down the Pioneers, who displayed pressure, which set up a few chances earlier on. The Pioneers only got four shots on net, all saved by freshman goaltender Michelle Kukan, including a breakaway chance later in the game, which Kukan needed to dive out to knock it away.
“It’s all about finding a way to help your teammates with the play and not to just watch the ball,” Johnson junior Jordyn Walsh said. “Getting in a position to help your team is crucial and helps break down any offense coming into the circle.”
“We always know we have Michelle right behind us, but the goal is to immediately get the ball out of the circle as soon as possible,” she added.
Johnson got a corner just minutes later and went right to work. Senior co-captain Amanda Zambrana rocketed a pass on net and Colicchio directed the ball for the game’s opening goal, giving her team the 1-0 lead at 7:41 of the first half. The goal, assisted by Zambrana, is Colicchio’s team-leading 11th goal of the season.
The Crusaders threw chance after chance on net, but they were driven away from the net, but rode off the momentum of their scoring chances a few minutes after a few shots fell short.
Parkhill banked home a shot in a duration of time in the Pioneers’ zone, increasing her team’s lead to 2-0 at 14:12 of the first half. The goal was her ninth of the season, the assist going to Colicchio. The early goals allowed the game to be played a little looser than a one-goal game is usually played.
“I thought we did a really nice job pressuring the ball, drawing the foul and forcing them to play on our strong side,” Hilton said. “This gave us more offensive opportunities in the circle.”
Johnson’s remaining schedule includes powerhouses in West Essex, Kent Place, Bernards and Oak Knoll, with the regular season coming to a close. With another game in the books, the Crusaders look ahead to the week ahead, in continued preparation for the upcoming state tournament that will get underway in about two weeks.
The Crusaders know the task on hand has increased, needing to do even better than they did earlier in the season.
“We have to play our best hockey. We have four games a week now,” Johnson head coach Katrina Poskay said. “We have to start communicating a little bit better. We have the talent, but now, we have to decide if the intellect to really get after the tough ones.”
On another corner, Hilton ripped home a pass from Zambrana, cashing in at 10:44 of the second half, giving her team s 3-0 lead. In total, Johnson threw 14 shots on net, with the three goals.
“Even though we didn’t maximize on all of our opporunities, I feel that we realized we had a very strong presence in the circle,” Hilton said. “That being said, it encouraged us to continue shooting because we knew we were bound to score eventually.”
The Johnson Crusaders (10-1) head out on the road to play at West Essex HS Tuesday afternoon at 4:00 p.m.
The Somerville Pioneers (4-8) head out on the road to play at Franklin HS Tuesday evening at 6:00 p.m.
