Woodstown senior scores first career goal in Wolverines’ 500th all-time win and more from Thursday’s full slate of Salem County games
BOYS SOCCER
Clayton 8, Salem 0
Salem Tech 3, Gloucester Catholic 1
Schalick 2, Pitman 0
Woodstown 4, Penns Grove 2
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
CARNEYS POINT — Aaron Flynn still gets the questions and still hears the comments, but he’s used to them by now and usually just laughs them off.
At 6-foot-4, 240 pounds it’s only natural for people who watch him play futbol to wonder why he’s not protecting Mason Middlemiss’ blind side as an offensive tackle on the Woodstown football team instead of standing his ground as the last line of defense for the Wolverines’ soccer side.
Truth be told, the senior with a big throw-in and even bigger foot never really got introduced to or took an interest in football in his youth. He tells the curious he gets his contact playing lacrosse in the spring, but that doesn’t stop them from asking.
“Oh my God, yes, I get asked all the time why I don’t play football,” Flynn said. “You’d be surprised, almost every game I play in when I throw the ball in from the parents’ side, it’s either comments from parents, comments from kids at the school, they say man, you should be out there playing football or when the game’s chippy I get the usual ‘he’s too big for soccer.’
“I kind of take it like a compliment. It’s not every day you see a kid that’s 6-4 240 running up and down the field playing like I do. It’s fun. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Flynn said none of the current Woodstown football coaches have ever pressured him to crossover, but he did admit he “thought about it” briefly last year when it looked like the Wolverines were going to have some big holes to fill and the comments accelerated. Ultimately his love for the game and playing with his friends pulled him back.
His dedication to the sport was rewarded with the ultimate prize Thursday as he scored his first career goal in the second half of the Wolverines’ milestone 4-2 win over Penns Grove. It was the 500th victory in the 48-year history of the Woodstown soccer program.
The goal came on a 30-yard free kick that sailed over Penns Grove keeper Ruben Torres Saenz and gave the Wolverines a 4-1 lead.
“I didn’t get to see my player get fouled, but my coach Don Ayars said we’re going to kick it,” Flynn said. “I was surprised he was looking at me getting ready to kick the ball. I sat the ball down and I started to realize the goalie’s out pretty far, I think I’m going to try to shoot. I couldn’t believe it, but when I kicked the ball I saw his hands go up and as soon as I saw him jump I said I think it’s going to go in. I was super excited.
“I’ve never really come close. I’ll take a swing and I usually put it over top., so I don’t necessarily have the green light to rip one from outside usually. I’ll definitely remember it because it was my first one. I make a lot of jokes to the coaches before the games, after the games, that one of these times I kick it over it’s gonna drop in sometimes, so it was great. It was my senior year and I finally get to put one in.”
Flynn’s goal was part of a three-goal eruption that kept Woodstown in control of the game.
The Wolverines had the most opportunities in the first half but only had a 1-0 lead to show for it. Josh Olbrich redirected a Tommy Tucci cross just inside the left post five minutes into the game to put Woodstown on the board. They could’ve had more in the half, but hit a post and a crossbar.
Ethan Cottman scored twice in the second half before Flynn delivered. Cottman’s second goal came on a penalty kick after a handball in the box made made it 3-1. Woodstown peppered Saenz with 33 shots.
“I was really happy with the amount of pressure we applied today and that was the key to some of the opportunities that we had,” Woodstown coach Darren Huck said. “I thought we worked well off the ball and we were very unselfish as far as all the passes we linked together.
“For us to be on the road and play a division team like Penns Grove with some of the crazy finishes that we’ve had over the last couple seasons, that (Red Devils coach) Mano (Massari) have been a part of, it was gratifying to see the work pay off.”
Penns Grove picked up its pace in the second half as well. Juan Ortiz scored both of the Red Devils’ goal. The first came after he violently collided with Woodstown midfielder Jake Lewis then took the ball all the way and beat keeper Eddie Fuller, who also was injured attempting to make the save. Lewis returned to the game, Fuller did not.
Ortiz notched his second goal against backup goal Lee Coombs with less than 10 minutes to play, but it only got the Red Devils back to 4-2.
“We took too long to show up today, we really did,” Massari said. “I think the last 20 minutes of that game we took control over it, but we took too long (getting there). We’ve talked about that; it’s been a thing with these guys. Some days they show up, some days they don’t. I don’t know how they don’t show up against a division rival.
“Woodstown plays as a team and that;’ what we talked about that after the game. We don’t play as a team sometimes and that was a total team effort from Woodstown and that’s what showed today. They outworked us today, easily.”
Now that Flynn has established himself as a goal scorer for the Wolverines, will there be more chances coming his way? Don’t wait for it.
“I think we’re good where he’s at right now,” Huck said. “We’ll leave that to some other players, let him continue to grow.”
Top photo: Woodstown senior Aaron Flynn moves in to clear a ball out of harm’s way.
SCHALICK 2, PITMAN 0: Connor McQuade scored in the first half and Tim Koering scored four minutes into the second half for the Cougars. Nick Latona recorded four saves in the shutout.
SALEM TECH 3, GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 1: The Chargers rallied with three goals in the second half. Cross Lopez got the equalizer, Avery Reed put them ahead, and Logan Pace added an insurance goal. Aiden Bobo made a several saves in goal to keep the Charters in it until they go on track.
CLAYTON 8, SALEM 0: Jonathan Rehm scored five goals in the first half to run his career total to 70 and set the Clippers’ all-time scoring record. Kevin Mosley assisted on three of Rehm’s goals.
GIRLS SOCCER
Clayton 6, Salem 0
Gloucester Catholic 7, Salem Tech 0
Pitman 3, Pennsville 1
Woodstown 7, Penns Grove 0
WOODSTOWN 7, PENNS GROVE 0: Seven different players lit the lamp in the Wolverines’ fifth straight win. They’ve outscored their opponents 28-1 during the streak.
PITMAN 3, PENNSVILLE 1: The Panthers scored three goals in the first half to take control. Karsen Cooksey scored Pennsville’s goal in the second half.
GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 7, SALEM TECH 0: Seven different players scored goals for the Rams.
CLAYTON 6, SALEM 0: Mikaela Sciubba had a hat trick and Madi Traister scored a pair of goals for the Clippers.
FIELD HOCKEY
Glassboro at Pennsville
Salem Tech 6, Salem 0
Schalick 10, Deptford 0
Woodstown 5, Overbrook 0
SALEM TECH 6, SALEM 0: Hazel Eachus scored twice and Jessilyn Chambers had a goal and two assists to lead the Chargers to their first-ever win over a Salem County opponent. Hayden Crispin, Abigail Beals and Araya DiGregorio scored their other goals.
SCHALICK 10, DEPTFORD 0: Alexa Shimp and Chayce Hedley each scored twice and six others added single goals as the Cougars won their sixth in a row and posted their second straight shutout. Luci Virga had a goal and an assists to reach 150 career points.
WOODSTOWN 5, OVERBROOK 0: The Wolverines scored four goals in the first quarter, two by Caroline Sheets, and cruised to their fifth straight win. Lexi Taylor scored their first goal and fifth goal. Shyann Higinbotham scored the other goal and had three assists.
GIRLS TENNIS
GLASSBORO 4, SALEM 1
Taylor Adcock (G) def. Heaven Jones-McCullough, 6-1, 4-6 10-1
JaNye Hubbard (S) def. Virginia Tarasevich, 6-3, 6-0
Amani George (G) def. Erica Brewer, 6-0, 6-0
Sofia Dungca-Conception Soriano (G) def. Aleena Allen-Aniya Lyles-Clark, 6-0, 6-0
Shreeti Sutaria-Lindsay Townsly (G) won by forfeit
Records: Glassboro 6-4, Salem 0-6
PITMAN 4, PENNSVILLE 1
Ava Mollenhauer (PI) def. Graillyn Weber, 6-1, 7-5
Kendall Bennett (PI) def. Naomi Hess, 6-2, 6-2
Jaisley Weber (PV) def. Mikaela Totora, 6-1, 6-3
Listella Eisenhardt-Delaney Pierson (PI) def. Aubrey Hall-Juliana Thomas, 6-1, 6-0
Anna Jones-Mia Gladney (P) def. Yasary Clemente Brito-Mariangela Rangel, 6-1, 6-1
Records: Pitman 10-4, Pennville 7-3
SCHALICK 5, OVERBROOK 0
Olivia Lunemann (S) def. Isabella Sepulveda, 6-1, 6-2
Sebrina Bradford (S) def. Madison Rikard, 6-4, 6-0
Jasmine Hunt (S) def. Sianni Diaz, 6-0, 6-0
Brooke Brown-Jasmin Perez (S) def. Nicola Cusato-Liana Grant-Williams, 6-1, 6-0
River Wojcik-Janae White (S) def. Michaela Sapundzhiev-Aysia Harper Williams, 6-1, 6-1
Records: Schalick 7-3, Overbrook 1-7
WOODSTOWN 5, PENNS GROVE 0
Madison LaPalomento (WO) def. Adanelys Lopez-Melendez, 6-0, 6-0
Emma West (WO) def. Kavila Pulchard, 6-1, 6-2
Angelina Lindenmuth (WO) def. Valeria Torres, 6-1, 6-1
Emilee Kehr-Elliana Norman (WO) def Cadence Jackson-Clarisleidy Smith, 6-0, 6-0
Records: Woodstown 7-4, Penns Grove 0-8.
COLLEGE VOLLEYBALL
Anne Arundel 3, Salem CC 0 (25-9, 25-18, 25-18)
Flynn’s first, Woodstown’s 500th
