Schalick girls soccer overcoming a rash of injuries that would have decimated a lesser team, projecting a No. 2 seed in South Jersey Group I tournament

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE – Way back in 1987, the University of Georgia had a basketball team that lost three of its top six players to a multitude of misfortune and played the second half of the season with only eight players.

A friendly wager with another SEC coach in the preseason that the Bulldogs wouldn’t go .500 was all of a sudden looking pretty good. But somehow they managed to not only survive but thrive, making a run in the SEC Tournament and eventually earning a spot in the NCAAs where they lost in the first round in overtime.

That special team has since been known as “The Miracle Workers.”

If the Schalick girls soccer team goes on to have the kind of success coach Will Kemp says it’s capable of if it keeps its head down and focuses on the task of the day, they might be calling the Cougars the same thing.

The Cougars’ season has been beset with a cascade of injuries that would have crushed a less committed team. Instead, they have made due with what they have, got some inspired play from players way ahead of their developmental schedule and maintained a standard that has them looking at a solid No. 2 seed in the upcoming South Jersey Group I girls soccer tournament.

“We’ve had major injuries,” Kemp said Tuesday after the Cougars handled Pennsville 4-0. “We’re missing several starters throughout this entire season. We went almost three weeks without an experienced goalkeeper. But the girls continue to push forward and do their jobs.

“We’re not winning matches the way we have the past few years, but at the same time we’re still getting the job done and that’s all that matters the most right now to me.”

The Cougars’ 11-4 record that is minor miracle in itself considering they currently have seven players out with injuries (for 72 total matches missed), many of them starters or players projected to play major minutes. They had 14 players available for the game with the Eagles, leaving them only three reserves for substitutions.

They haven’t had their full complement one day this season. They hope the walking wounded with the “best chance” of returning can make it back before the playoffs start.

“It’s a big number,” Kemp agreed. “We’re pretty much playing with 13 players, some matches only 12. We play against the big schools – Cherry Hill (West), Cinnaminson, Cherokee – we see their bench and they have 30 players. We’re trying to stick up with those girls when they’re making subs every 10 minutes.

“Our players have actually done a really good job overcoming a lot of adversity. But at the same time, you wonder what we could have been if we were actually at 100 percent.”

When the wave of injuries first hit, the players’ confidence started to shake, but they rallied around each other and fought through any shortcomings. The older players took the ones now given expanded roles under their wing. Kemp continued to put his faith in the players he did have available and made sure every one understood her role and responsibility.

The only games the Cougars have lost were to the biggest schools they played and Audubon, the projected No. 1 seed in South Jersey Group I.

“It was definitely hard,” junior midfielder Quinn Berger said. “When you lose people you think you’re going to lose more games because they’re starters and important players, but you keep fighting through it because we know deep down it doesn’t matter because you still have to play. It was very important to keep that mentality and not break.”

“I think we stepped up very well,” junior captain Cali Fisler said. “We were able to push through and play together as a team and keep our standard of play.”

The Cougars haven’t lost back-to-back games this season. They’ve had winning streaks of four and five games. They’re looking to maintain their position in the upcoming bracket with their final two regular season games against Penns Grove Thursday and at Williamstown Saturday.

“These girls have already worked miracles,” Kemp said, “pulling out wins when we were completely down, getting back into matches after letting up the first goal, continuing to be competitive, especially inside of our division with some of the rivals we currently have the way certain teams play against us, getting wins when it really mattes the most.

“This squad is special; this squad is very special. I think we can do something big if they continue to keep their head down and work for each other. The more they become a collective the more consistent they’re going to be on the field.”

Schalick 4, Pennsville 0

GOALS — S: Quinn Berger, 6:48; S; Abby Willoughby (Olivia Bergholz), 17:50; S: Cali Fisler (Liv Vanaker), 46:25; S: Jael Winnberg, 58:35.

SOUTH JERSEY GROUP I
Girls Soccer Power Points
(Top 16)
1. Audubon (14-2) 23.944, 2. Schalick (11-4) 19.124, 3. Woodstown (11-4-1) 16.556, 4. Haddon Twp. (9-6-1) 16.345, 5. Riverside (9-6) 15.200, 6. Palmyra (11-4) 14.609, 7. Gateway (11-3) 14.297, 8. Glassboro (7-4-2) 12.924, 9. Clayton (9-5-1) 12.872, 10. Pitman (8-8) 9.558, 11. Maple Shade (5-9-1) 8.578, 12. Pennsville (6-10) 8.413, 13. Buena (7-8) 7.026, 14, Wildwood (4-10) 6.590, 15. Penns Grove (2-11-1) 6.190, 16. Woodbury (2-11-1) 5.862.
Others: Cape May Tech (1-14), Salem (0-14), Paulsboro (0-13).

Cover photo: Schalick girls soccer coach Will Kemp talks to his team prior to sending it out to face Pennsville Tuesday.