Results, details from around Salem County in girls soccer, boys soccer, field hockey; Schalick’s Willoughby scores four goals, Woodstown’s Battavio notches her 50th career goal
GIRLS SOCCER
Clayton 6, Salem 0
Glassboro 1, Pennsville 0
Pitman 7, Salem Tech 0
Schalick 6, Overbrook 0
Woodstown 4, Penns Grove 0
By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News
PITTSGROVE – Abby Willoughby has goals. She had four of them Thursday afternoon in Schalick’s 6-0 girls soccer win over Overbrook, but don’t get the idea one of them is the desire to be the Cougars’ next Emily Miller.
The Cougars are on the lookout for their next prolific scorer following Miller’s 48-goal season in 2023, but instead of emulating the record-setting scorer, they simply want Willoughby — and the rest of the players on the team, for that matter — to be the best version of herself she can be. Besides they already have another Emily Miller on the roster.
“I don’t think there is going to be a new Emily,” coach Will Kemp said. “I think that Abby’s Abby. Emily wasn’t the new Kerri Jackson (43 goals in 2022). Kerri Jackson wasn’t Sara Copare (who held all the records before her).
“Everyone’s their own individual, which I actually love. No one’s trying to emulate those players, they’re trying to be themselves. So, Abby’s going to do her job this year and we also have other players who are going to be playing that same type position. Abby just stepped up big-time today, scored the goals, but she also played in the midfield, she also played in the defense.
“I’m not going to say she’s going to be that role, but whatever role she fits in, she does great with it.”
Willoughby, a defensive specialist with one goal (Penns Grove) during last year’s South Jersey Group I finalist season, was one of five players to play striker against the Rams as Kemp seeks to put the best players for the best spots. The others strikers Thursday were freshman Liv Vanacker, sophomores Emily Tramonta-Miller and Helen Lillia and senior Quinn Berger.
Willoughby actually started playing soccer as a goalie, but soon found herself playing all over the field. She started her high school career as an outside back.
As a newly placed goal scorer she only has 44 goals to go to catch Miller’s mark.
“I’m super glad,” she said. “I was playing defense all year last year so getting up top I released my excitement to score. I don’t know if I can be quite as good as her, that’s a pretty tall task, but I guess I can get close and try my best. I have goals.”
Those actual goals include seeing her teammates grow as a team, do the simple things and win the big games.
The junior scored both goals as Schalick opened a 2-0 halftime lead. Her third goal put the Cougars up 4-0 and her fourth – a spinner off her left foot – wrapped the scoring. Cali Fisler and Carly Vicente scored the Cougars’ other two goals.
They were the Cougars’ first goals of the season in their first win after a 5-0 loss to Cherokee in the season opener.
“It was good to see the girls get on the board today,” Kemp said. “They’re going through some stuff. We had a tough preseason … to prepare for the playoffs this year.”
“it’s a bit of a boost of confidence after the last game,” Willoughby said. “It was nice to come back and be strong.”
| Overbrook (0-1) | 0 | 0- | 0 |
| Schalick (1-1) | 2 | 4- | 6 |
GOALS – Schalick: Abby Willoughby 4, Cali Fisler, Carley Vicente.
WOODSTOWN 4, PENNS GROVE 0: Talia Battavio became the fifth player in Woodstown girls soccer history to score 50 career goals when he banged home a rebound off the post for the first of her two goals against the Red Devils. Now with 51 career goals, she remains No. 5 on the Wolverines’ all-time girls goal scoring list.
“It’s a phenomenal career milestone,” Wolverines coach Kieren Keyser said. “The goal itself came in typical Talia fashion. It was a scrap goal and she had to work to get it. That’s the type player she is.
“It came on a cross. It actually hit off the post and Talia was able to be there and square it away and bang it home. That’s the type of player she is.”
Keyser had the good fortune to coach two of the Wolverines’ 50-goal scorers. One of his first players was all-time leading goal scorer Tatum Devault, who scored 75 goals in a career that concluded in 2022.
“What’s cool is Tatum and Talia played together and Talia’s kind of chasing her and they assisted each other a lot,” Keyser said. “I’m not sure if Talia can quite get to No. 1, but certainly getting to 50 is a huge deal, especially for an athlete who is a basketball player first, and to reach that milestone is soccer, that is phenomenal.”
Lia Covely and Emma Perry scored the other two goals for Woodstown, who’ve now won two in a row after dropping their season opener and have an early-season showdown with Schalick Monday. Perry has scored in all three games for the Wolverines.
| Penns Grove (0-1-1) | 0 | 0- | 0 |
| Woodstown (2-1) | 3 | 1- | 4 |
GOALS – Woodstown: Talia Battavio 2, Lia Covely, Emma Perry.
| WOODSTOWN GIRLS CAREER GOALS | GOALS | SR. YEAR |
| Tatum Devault | 75 | 2022 |
| Tori Malpezzi | 70 | 2008 |
| Amy Gray | 69 | 1993 |
| Chelsea Norbuts | 65 | 2009 |
| Talia Battavio | 51 | 2024 |
GLASSBORO 1, PENNSVILLE 0: Amina Brown scored the game’s only goal at the 6:04 mark of the second half.
| Pennsville (0-2) | 0 | 0- | 0 |
| Glassboro (1-1) | 0 | 1- | 1 |
GOALS – Glassboro: Amina Brown.
PITMAN 7, SALEM TECH 0: Emery Sharpnack scored two goals and dished three assists to lead the Panthers. Pitman scored four goals in the first 11 minutes of the match.
| Pitman (2-1) | 4 | 3- | 7 |
| Salem Tech (0-1) | 0 | 0- | 0 |
GOALS – Pitman: Hanna Keefe (5:03), Madison Peek (5:53); Lexi Kostiuk (8:10); Emery Sharpnack (10:57); Emery Sharpnack (47:29), Madelyn Richter (63:55), Tessa Marker (64:53).
CLAYTON 6, SALEM 0: Ava Delaney and Deondria Simon scored two goals apiece for the Clippers. Simon also had a pair of assists.
| Salem (0-2) | 0 | 0- | 0 |
| Clayton (1-0) | 6 | 0- | 6 |
GOALS – Clayton: Ava Delaney 2, Kyleigh Grigorean, Deondria Simon 2, Madi Traister.
Boys soccer
THURSDAY’S SCORES
Clayton at Salem
Pennsville 3, Salem Tech 0
Schalick 3, Overbrook 0
Woodstown 4, Penns Grove 1
PENNSVILLE 3, SALEM TECH 0: J.P. Laughrey scored a pair of goals two minutes apart midway through the first half for Pennsville’s first goals of the season and Sam Hassler added a second-half goal as the Eagles earned their first win. Coen Rinnier made eight saves to record the shutout.
“I love a freshman who knows how to be in the right spot,” Pennsville coach Derek Foglein said of Laughrey. “He had both of his in quick succession where he was in the right place and hammered them home.
“He’s just a good player who sees the field well and isn’t afraid to use his body (and) strength, which is very rare for a freshman.”
| Salem Tech (0-2) | 0 | 0- | 0 |
| Pennsville (1-1) | 2 | 1- | 3 |
GOALS – Pennsville: J.P. Laughrey (Stone Mumink), 18′; J.P. Laughrey (unassisted), 20′; Sam Hassler (Shane Puckett), 60′.
SCHALICK 3, OVERBROOK 0: The Cougars got goals from three different players in their season-opening win. Jaxon Weber scored the only goal of the first half, then Bradford Foster and Michael Nelson stretched the lead in the second half.
| Schalick (1-0) | 1 | 2- | 3 |
| Overbrook (0-1) | 0 | 0- | 0 |
GOALS – Schalick: Jaxon Weber (unassisted), Bradford Foster, (Steve Chomo) Michael Nelson (Anthony Sepers).
WOODSTOWN 4, PENNS GROVE 1: Adrian Ibarra, who scored 26 goals last season, opened the scoring to Woodstown’s season and Grant Prater scored twice in the first half for the Wolverines. Juan Ortiz got Penns Grove on the board before halftime. Ben Lippencott scored Woodstown’s fourth goal in the second half.
| Woodstown (1-0) | 3 | 1- | 4 |
| Penns Grove (1-1) | 1 | 0- | 1 |
GOALS – W: Adrian Ibarra (Bryce Ayars); W: Grant Prater (Adrian Ibarra); W: Grant Prater (Ben Lippincott); PG: Juan Ortiz; W: Ben Lippincott (Nicholas DiTeodoro).
Field hockey
THURSDAY’S SCORES
Salem 3, Pennsville 1
Schalick 7, Glassboro 1
Woodstown 4, Deptford 0
SCHALICK 7, GLASSBORO 1: Ava Scurry scored a scored a hat trick and Luci Virga and Phoebe Alward each scored twice. The Cougars outshot their visitors 32-5.
| Glassboro (1-1) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1- | 1 |
| Schalick (2-0) | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2- | 7 |
GOALS – Glassboro: Karli Pritchett; Schalick: Ava Scurry 3, Luci Virga 2, Phoebe Alward 2.
SALEM 3, PENNSVILLE 1: Audrey Boggs scored twice and Kevana Roman once as the Rams opened their season with a victory in this Battle of Broadway. Sophia Marandola scored Pennsville’s goal in the fourth quarter.
“It was commented by a spectator after the game, ‘It looked like an ‘old school’ hockey game and was enjoyable to watch,'” Rams coach Shanna Scott said. “(It) was a very fast-paced and quick game. There were simple mistakes made and things we can do better for next time – there is always something we could ‘do better or grow in’ – but I am very proud of my girls and give them the credit they deserve for how hard they worked in our season opener.”
| Salem (1-0) | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0- | 3 |
| Pennsville (1-2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1- | 1 |
GOALS – Salem: Audrey Boggs 2, Kevana Roman; Pennsville: Sophia Marandola.
WOODSTOWN 4, DEPTFORD 0: Shyann Higinbotham scored two goals and assisted on another in the Wolverines’ season-opening win. Megan Donelson and Bradley DiGregorio scored Woodstown’s other two goals.
| Deptford (0-2) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0- | 0 |
| Woodstown (1-0) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2- | 4 |
GOALS – Woodstown: Shyann Higinbotham 2, Megan Donelson, Barely DiGregorio.
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