CLARK, NJ- Three days after winning their first game of the season, the Arthur L. Johnson High School Crusaders girls varsity soccer team took to the field in their home opener against the New Providence High School Pioneers.
In the task of pursuing a victory, the Crusaders cashed in for an early goal from senior Cecilia Puentes and an insurance goal from senior Natalya Torres late in the second half to defeat the Pioneers 2-0 Tuesday afternoon in Clark.
While the two goals from Puentes and Torres were the deciding factors in the win, the story of the game was on the defensive end.
In the game’s opening minutes, Puentes headed in the first goal with a crowd of players on both teams surrounding the net, giving her team the lead at 3:34 of the first half. The lone assist of the game-opening score went to Torres.
“The ball being right there and [me] hitting it to the back of the net was just knocking it at the right time and the goalie wasn’t there,” Puentes said.
The Crusaders continued fighting for more goals, including earlier on in the game, corner kicks ended up being gloved down, off the post and kicks going over the net and off the top part, but the offensive attack fueled the Crusaders’ edge in the competition.
New Providence, who only trailed by one, battled back to tie the game, using their speed and passing of the ball in a steady pace, but the suffocating presence of the Johnson defense cancelled several chances out. Most of the setups by the Pioneers were either deflected away, cleared without trouble and for the most part, cancelled out by the defense of the Crusaders.
Full Coverage of Johnson Girls Varsity Soccer Home Opener Win Against New Providence HS Here
