Category: WOODSTOWN

‘Downright gritty win’

Short-handed Woodstown takes gutsy win from Penns Grove, Pennsville holds off Camden Catholic

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – An injury-riddled Woodstown team came within 72 seconds of posting one of the most unusual winning scores in all of football Friday night. But time and circumstances wouldn’t let it happen, so the Wolverines just went ahead and finished it off.

Quarterback Frankie Hoerst ran in from the 6 with a minute left to close out a 9-0 victory over Penns Grove that could only be described as “gritty.” But for the longest time it looked like the game would end 2-0, courtesy of Lucas Fulmer’s safety in the second quarter.

Players are coaches were convinced they’d finish it 2-0. It stayed that way until the Wolverines took over at the 6 with 1:12 to play after the Red Devils’ fourth-down Hail Mary fell incomplete.

Ordinarily, coach Frank Trautz would haven taken a couple knees in the victory formation to run out the clock in that situation, but Penns Grove still had timeouts to use and there wouldn’t have been enough snaps to exhaust all of what little time remained. Football teams have lost 3-2 before.

So, the Wolverines ran a play and Hoerst took it in on the first snap, then kicked the extra point to make a more traditional score and put a miracle finish by the Red Devils out of reach. There’s no such thing as a nine-point touchdown.

“We just wanted to put this one away,” Trautz said. “We couldn’t kneel it out, there was going to be some time left. 

“I’ve seen way too many crazy things happen on football fields that if you can’t take the knee and kneel it out, I don’t care if there’s 99 yards or one yard, if you give a team a shot to win a game at the end, you never know what can happen. When we knew we couldn’t take a knee, we had to run a play, and it happened to be the first play we scored the touchdown.”

Hoerst was the star of the game, but for more than being the winning quarterback at the helm of a watered-down offense. He’s also the Wolverines’ punter and his first four punts pinned the Red Devils deep in their end. 

The first one was picked up near the goal line and returned to the 15. The next three had the Red Devils starting at their 3, 5 and 7. The one at the 5 led to the safety.

“I told him he controlled the whole game, and I meant that,” Trautz said. “He controlled our offense, he controlled the kicking game. Those four punts are huge. It’s unbelievable to just control that field position all night. Big, big punts.”

And it became a battle between the 20 the rest of the night where the players knew one big play would make all the difference in the outcome.

“I’ve never been in that much of a dogfight before,” junior lineman Bradley Snitcher said. “It was intense.”

That’s how close Woodstown came to winning its game with Penns Grove Friday night with only a safety being scored. The Wolverines punched in a touchdown about a minute later for a more traditional score.

It was a courageous win for the Wolverines. They went into the game reeling in their first three-game losing streak since 2018 with seven starters either sidelined with injuries or gone – and they lost two more during the game: Fulmer and Anthony Costello. 

With such limited resources available, the Wolverines kept it simple and on the ground. Costello and Hoerst provided the running game in the first half, then when Costello he went out, Noah Chiu, who hadn’t taken running back snaps in practice until this week, became the lead back.

Costello rushed for 35 yards on 11 carries, Chiu had 28 yards on nine carries. Chiu also blocked a punt in the third quarter when it was still 2-0.

“It’s a downright gritty win,” Trautz said. “I knew our kids were going to come out and fight tonight because they have too much pride not to. It was our whole backs against the wall and we came out and just fought. I said we were going to scrap and scrap and where the chips fall at the end of the night they fall, but I knew these kids were going to fight because that’s what they’ve got in them.

“You talk about one of the tougher wins I’ve been a part of and that was this. We had guys playing out of position, guys doing whatever they had to do to just try to win a football game. It’s the beauty of high school football, man. You don’t see that in college, you don’t see that in the NFL where guys are just like, hey, put me at this position, I’ll figure it out for that night, and that’s what they did.

“They just kept fighting – and it was awesome to see.”

Trautz is hopeful some of the walking wounded will return for Thursday’s game at Pleasantville, which had its own offensive struggles in beating Haddonfield Friday 6-3.

Fulmer was one of those guys playing out of position, but he overcame any indecisiveness it might have created and was responsible for the only points of the game until the last minute.

One of Hoerst’s paralyzing punts had the Red Devils backed up on their 5. On the first snap of the series, Penns Grove quarterback Mello Erickson-Hubbard rolled to his right, then drifted into the end zone trying to escape the pressure and Fulmer was there to wrap him up. Bradley Snitcher came in on the back side to help clean it up.

“It was my first time ever playing outside linebacker,” Fulmer said. “I just went back to what our defensive coordinator was telling me all week. I saw the lineman go down. I reacted up for run. I see (Erickson-Hubbard) bounce outside and I just ran. I made a play.

“We just wanted it. After losing the last three games we wanted this one bad. I’m just extremely proud of every single guy on our team. We had a lot of guys step up this year, a lot of guys who never played varsity before. It takes a lot of guts to come out here and put on a show, and that’s what we did tonight.”

Woodstown 9, Penns Grove 0

 PG WOOD
71st Downs7
27-89Rushing38-103
3-14-0Passing0-2-0
38Passing yds0
2-0Fumbles-lost0-0
4-40.3Punts-avg7-34.9
6-50Penalties4-20
Penns Grove0000-0
Woodstown0207-9

SCORING SUMMARY
WO-Safety, quarterback tackled in end zone, 5:51 2Q
WO-Frankie Hoerst 6 run (Frankie Hoerst kick), 1:00 4Q

Eagles win another tight one

PENNSVILLE – Pennsville is making a habit of making things interesting.

For the third week in a row the Eagles played a game that went down to the wire. Fortunately for them, they’ve won the last two.

The Eagles overcame a slew of turnovers, but held on to beat Camden Catholic 18-16, with Robbie McDade intercepting a pass in the closing seconds to preserve the victory.

In the two previous weeks, the Eagles had two shots at a winning touchdown in the final eight seconds fall incomplete against Overbrook and last week scored a touchdown in the final 10 seconds to beat Audubon.

“We have made the last couple games interesting, but the big thing I can take away from the last two games is our kids have definitely learned how to keep fighting until the end of the game,” Pennsville coach Mike Healy said. “We need to do a lot of things better still, but it’s good to know they keep going until the end of the game.”

The Eagles (2-3) scored the first two touchdowns of the game and took a 12-8 lead into halftime. They went up 18-8 ion a McDade touchdown n the third, but the Irish brought it back to 18-16 early in the fourth quarter.

They gave the Irish a chance to go-ahead late in the fourth quarter when they fumbled near midfield with less than a minute to play. McDade killed the threat with his interception with 15 seconds to play.

“We made it a little more difficult on ourselves than we needed to, but we kept going, kept showing back up, got the stops we needed to get them and finish the game,” Healy said.

Camden Catholic0808-16
Pennsville01260-18

WJFL Standings

DIAMONDALLDIV
Glassboro5-03-0
Salem2-32-1
Schalick2-32-1
Woodbury1-41-2
Woodstown2-31-2
Penns Grove0-50-3
PATRIOTALLDIV
West Deptford5-04-0
Paulsboro5-04-0
Pennsville2-32-2
Overbrook3-21-2
Collingswood3-21-2
Camden Catholic0-50-3
Audubon0-40-3

THURSDAY’S GAMES
Salem 26, Schalick 13
Paulsboro 26, Overbrook 16
West Deptford 29, Audubon 0

FRIDAY’S GAMES
Pennsville 18, Camden Catholic 16
Woodstown 9, Penns Grove 0
Collingswood 36, Haddon Twp. 0

SATURDAY’S GAMES
Glassboro 52, Woodbury 13

OCTOBER 2
Woodstown at Pleasantville, 6 p.m.

OCTOBER 3
Glassboro at Deptford, 6
Paulsboro at Schalick, 6
Pennsville at Penns Grove, 6:30
Collingswood at Sterling, 7
Haddonfield at West Deptford, 7
Overbrook at Clayton, 7

OCTOBER 4
Gateway at Woodbury, 10 a.m.
Audubon at Gloucester Catholic. 11
Camden Catholic at Haddon Heights, noon
Salem at Middle Township, noon

Thursday roundup

Here are scores and notes from Thursday’s Salem County high school sports calendar; will be updated

BOYS SOCCER
Woodstown 3, Pitman 1: Bryce Ayars, Ayden Ellis and Landon Gugliemo all scored for Woodstown as the Wolverines remained unbeaten through six games (5-0-1).
GIRLS SOCCER
Woodstown 4, Pennsville 0: Freshman Hailey Kucharczyk scored a hat trick for the Wolverines. Ellie Wygand and Mazie Mazzoni combined for the Wolverines’ third shutout in the last four games.
FIELD HOCKEY
Woodstown 4, Glassboro 2: Bella Eachus scored two goals for the Wolverines (4-2).
Gateway 9, Salem 0
Clayton at Pennsville, ppd. to Oct. 15
GIRLS TENNIS
Salem at Wildwood, ppd.
Woodstown at Pennsville, ppd. to Oct. 3
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Timber Creek 2, Salem Tech 0 (25-20, 25-17): Maddie Oliver and Madelyn Stiffen had four kills apiece for Salem Tech. Casey Zaluske had 11 digs and Tiara Bazemore recorded 19 assists and four aces.

Salem County Tuesday

Here are the scores and details from Tuesday’s Salem County high school sports schedule

TUESDAY’S GAMES
FIELD HOCKEY
Audubon 6, Pennsville 2: Noelle Barbera scored three goals and Lily Fajardo had two for the Green Wave (4-1-1). Kylie Harris scored both Pennsville goals.
Schalick 9, Deptford 1: Ava Scurry moved closer to 200 career points with two goals and three assists for the second straight game. She now has 197 points for her career. Addi Shimp had two goals.
Woodstown 4, Overbrook 0: Talia Guardascione scored twice and Shyann Higinbotham recorded a career-tying three assists for the Wolverines (3-2). Every game Woodstown has played this season has been a shutout.

GIRLS TENNIS
Pennsville 5, Penns Grove 0
Schalick 5, Overbrook 0
Gloucester Catholic at Salem

PENNSVILLE 5, PENNS GROVE 0
Isabell Schrenker (P) def. Andrea Restrepo, 6-0, 6-0
Morgan Holt (P) def. Ada Lopez, 6-0, 6-0
Graillyn Weber (P) def. Kavita Pulchard, 6-0, 6-0
Emma Hankin-Naomi Hess (P) def. Valaria Pedroza-Andrea Chapone, 6-0, 6-1
Yerlian Charon-Lila Angelo (P) def. Emma Tiffins-Nathalie Dominquez, 6-0, 6-2
Records: Pennsville 7-4, Penns Grove 0-6.

SCHALICK 5, OVERBROOK 0
Miya Watkins (S) def. Sophia Burgos, 6-0, 6-0
Annmarie Podehl (S) def. Natasha Hreiz, 6-3, 6-0
Macy Clow (S) def. Isabella Sepulveda, 6-2, 6-1
Olivia Lunemann-Sebrina Bradford (S) def. Leah Wilde-Anna Mason, 6-1, 6-2
Sammi Twigg-Jasmine Hunt (S) def. Charlotte Gall-Sophia Perticari, 6-1, 6-1
Records: Schalick 5-3, Overbrook 1-9.

Big first goal

Schalick freshman’s first career goal earns Cougars a 1-1 tie with rival Woodstown; Gratz golden for Pennsville, includes other Salem County girls soccer, tennis results

MONDAY GIRLS SOCCER
Pennsville 5, Glassboro 4
Schalick 1, Woodstown 1
Wildwood 6, Salem 0
Clayton 6, Salem Tech 0
Penns Grove at Overbrook

By Brian Tortella
Special to Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Throughout the majority of Monday’s highly anticipated Schalick-Woodstown game, it seemed likely the host Wolverines were well on their way to a narrow victory over their Tri-County Diamond Division and cross county rivals for the first time in 1,081 days. 

However, the Cougars had other plans.

BELL

Freshman Cecilee Bell scored the game-tying goal with just three minutes left in regulation, sending the contest into overtime where neither side could find a winner and it ended in a battle-tested 1-1 draw.

“I’m really excited,” said Bell, whose goal was the first of her varsity career. “I’m glad I was able to make my first goal in a tough game.”

Bell, a Berlin resident, commutes 40 minutes to Schalick by bus every day. She said she was motivated by Cougars’ coach Will Kemp, who she knows from summer soccer, to attend the Salem County school.

The Cougars were battling multiple injuries, which made the rookie stepping up in a high pressure situation even more special.

“No matter what year it is, no matter what teams we both have, it’s always a good rivalry match,” Kemp said. “I thought that it was incredible to see our girls fight back, especially through a lot of different injuries we picked up.

“Our freshman stepped up. Cecilee Bell scored the first goal today for us to get back into the match. First goal of the season for her. She’s been a great addition to our squad and gave us some depth.”

As the final seconds ticked away, Kemp walked directly over and shared a moment with Woodstown coach Kieran Keyser. After all, after the fight his Cougars put up, he couldn’t be upset with their performance. 

“Battling back against a team like this is always going to be a physical battle,” Kemp said. “This has always been a joy of mine to come out here (to Woodstown). That’s the reason why I’m such good friends with Kieran, because we like to go back and forth.”

After the tie, Schalick stands at 3-3-1 against a highly competitive schedule against bigger schools. The Cougars are currently No. 9 in the South Jersey Group 1 power point standings. Kemp knows this gauntlet will have his team ready come playoff time.

“I’m feeling confident,” he said regarding the rest of the season. “The girls are usually kicking around this time. We had some tough matchups so far between Cherry Hill West, Washington Township and Timber Creek. Big schools. We have Hammonton this weekend. These are all tests to get ready for the playoffs because know this is going to be an important year and important time for us.”

MORGAN

Emma Morgan scored Woodstown’s goal with 7:01 left in the first half off of a corner from Emmy Perry. The strike came off her left foot for her third goal of the season. 

“I’m tired, obviously; 100 minutes is hard,” said Morgan, a senior. “But I think we battled really, really hard all throughout the game. Near the post you don’t always get a lot of balls, but I made that run there and it went off my left foot. It was perfect. I didn’t even know it went in, I was so hype.”

Outside of Schalick’s clutch score in the closing minutes, the Wolverines played exceptional defense throughout the contest, led by standout goalie Ellie Wygand. The senior came up with numerous big saves in the second half, single-handedly keeping Woodstown from falling behind.

At one point in overtime, Kemp even gave his props to Wygand after she made an impressive save as he trekked down the sideline.

“It feels good to have people come up to me and say that. It proves that I work hard in practice,” Wygand said. “I feel pretty good (about the game). I know it’s not the outcome we wanted – we ended in a tie – but we gave it our all and played the hardest we could. I think when we see them again it’s going to be an even better matchup.”

Woodstown hasn’t lost a game since its season-opening setback to Audubon on Sept. 5. The Wolverines are 4-1-1 and currently sit at No. 5 in the South Jersey Group 1 power point standings. 

“We have a bunch of good games coming up this week and next week that will be a good challenge for us at the beginning of midway through the season,” Morgan said.

“We are only going to go up from here,” Wygand said. “I think that in the playoffs we’re going to make a good show out and give (teams) a run for their money.”

Brian Tortella is a contributor to Riverview Sports News. His reports on South Jersey high school sports can be found on multiple platforms on the internet. (Photo by Brian Tortella)

PENNSVILLE 5, GLASSBORO 4: Molly Gratz scored three goals, including the game-winner with two minutes left in the first overtime. Taylor Bass scored the Eagles’ other two goals and assisted on the game-winner.

On the game-winner Bass broke free on the right side, then passed across to an unmarked Gratz, who easily finished.

Amina Brown scored the tying goal with 4:43 left in regulation.

“It was an exciting win,” Eagles coach Casey Slusher said.

WILDWOOD 6, SALEM 0: Molly Farrell scored two goals for the Warriors.

GIRLS TENNIS
PENNSVILLE 5, OVERBROOK 0
Izzy Schlenker (P) def. Sophia Burgos, 4-6, 6-4, 10-5
Morgan Holt (P) def. Natasha Hreiz, 6-0, 6-1.
Graillyn Weber (P) def. Isabella Sepulveda, 6-2, 6-0
Emma Hankin-Naomi Hess (P) def. Leah Wilde-Anna Mason, 6-2, 6-0
Lila Angelo-Yerlian Charon (P) def. Charlotte Gall-Sophia Perticari, 6-4, 6-1
Records: Pennsville 6-4, Overbrook 1-8.

SCHALICK 4, TIMBER CREEK 1
Miya Watkins (S) def. Christina Abolarin, 6-0, 6-0
Annmarie Podehl (S) def. Daniella Barbu, 6-3, 6-1
Ayooluwa Akimbo (TC) def. Macy Clow, 7-6, 4-6, 10-5
Olivia Lunemann-Sebrina Bradford (S) def. Allyah Joseph-Kylie Kernaghan, 6-1, 6-1
Sammi Twigg-Jasmine Hunt (S) def. Claire Kopeck-Anastasia Davis, 6-2, 7-5.
Records: Schalick 4-3, Timber Creek 0-8

KINGSWAY 4, WOODSTOWN 1
Nathalie Neron (WO) def. Abby Malesich, 6-1, 6-0
Krishani Parikh (K) def. Alyssa Berry, 6-2, 4-6, 11-9
Kelsey Dion (K) def. Noelle Neron, 6-1, 6-2
Mishi Chaturvedi-Sophia Campbell (K) def. Madison LaPalomento-Emilee Kehr, 6-3, 5-7, 10-6
Alicia Magin-Emily Magin (K) def. Emma West-Angelina Lindemuth, 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
Records: Kingsway 6-3, Woodstown 7-3.

Calling his shot

Woodstown senior fulfills his prophecy, scores game-winner against Schalick; includes other Salem County boys soccer games

MONDAY SOCCER
Pennsville 4, Gloucester Catholic 0
Penns Grove 3, Overbrook 2 (OT)
Salem at Wildwood
Woodstown 2, Schalick 1
Clayton 5, Salem Tech 0

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE — Bryce Ayars told friends and teammates in school today he was going to score a goal against arch rival Schalick today. He just had that feeling.

It took nearly 71 hard minutes of soccer, but much like Babe Ruth calling his shot, the Woodstown senior fulfilled his prophecy. And the goal was significant.

Ayars stole the ball off a defender just outside the box and beat the Schalick keeper with a left-footed shot for the game-winner in a 2-1 road victory that coach Darren Huck said could afford the Wolverines “one heck of a bus ride home while were going down Route 40.”

It was the Wolverines’ first win over Schalick since the 2022 season opener in overtime (five games) and handed the Cougars (4-2-1) their first Tri-County Diamond Division loss since 2023 (21 games).

“I let my coach know I was going to score, I let the whole team know,” Ayars said. “Most of them look up to me, so in these big games I have to step up and finish the deal.

“When I play Schalick I really want one, I don’t know if it will come, but I’ll try my best to make it happen.”

It was the second year in a row he has scored on the Cougars. The goal Monday was his fifth of the season and 25th of his career. Ben Lippincott brought the ball up the field got it into the box. Ayars stole it from Cooper Willoughby then after a controlling touch shot it past keeper Evan Sepers, who was otherwise brilliant in the Schalick goal.

“The goal was probably about composure, that was the thing that stuck out to me,” Huck said while his entire squad stood around him. “He was composed in front of the net. He didn’t get tense. He didn’t come up short and got nervous because it wasn’t on the right foot or it took a bad bounce. 

“He’s a senior, he’s a captain and he knows that he either makes it and he’s a hero or if he doesn’t make it people are going why, and he answered the call.”

Woodstown’s Ben Lippincott (14) looks to settle a ball before taking a shot against Schalick Monday. (Top photo) Bryce Ayars (R) tries to regain his balance after heading a ball into the crease.

Twenty-four hours earlier the two head coaches, both 300-game winners and neighbors, were enjoying each other’s camaraderie watching the Eagles’ game, as they often do in the fall. There was no talk of the upcoming soccer game between them. The only teams they talked about were the two on the TV in front of them.

When it came to Monday’s game, however, they were all business and the competition between the teams was as intense as ever.

Schalick’s Jaxon Weber opened the scoring on a 25-yard rocket into the upper right corner with 23:43 left in the first half. Lippincott got the equalizer for the Wolverines (4-0-1) 10 minutes before halftime.

Woodstown keeper Trey Markward was a rock in goal and turned away several Schalick corner kicks in the air. He made 17 saves. When the horn sounded, the Wolverines poured off the bench and dogpiled the goalie in the crease.

“The first goal was 100 percent on me so we just had to kind of regroup and find a way to get back in it and then we scored two goals against the toughest defense in this group,” Markward said. “It was just the complete team getting through it and not stopping after that mistake. I just thought we had 11 guys back there at all times.”

“He came up with some big saves,” Huck said. “He came off his line. He was aggressive. He didn’t let anybody push him around. He basically let the people know that was his box today and took care of business out there.”

Given its magnitude, Huck said the victory “could be a season-changer” for the Wolverines.

“Every one of these guys had each other’s back out here today; I think that was evident,” Huck said. “It came down to one thing and that was a W. It didn’t come down to who scored the goal, how many saves did Trey have, who had the assists or anything else. It was about the W and they got it done today.”

The Cougars, meanwhile, were left to do a little regrouping. The loss was their second one-goal loss in a row after scoring 21 goals in their previous four games. Their attack was impacted by the unavailability of injured leading scorer Luke Price. Second-leading scorer Steve Chomo had to come out after a scary collision in the second half.

“These last two games have been battles.,” Cougars coach Joe Mannella said. “I thought Washington Twp. (in the season opener) kind of showed we’ve got some toughness to us and these last two (games) kind of showed that we lost that.”

NOTES: The teams meet again Oct. 16 in Woodstown … The Wolverines haven’t been unbeaten in their first five games since 2011, when they started the season 6-0 (with five shutouts) …
The Wolverines return to action Thursday at Pitman in the “Orange Cup” match.

PENNSVILLE 4, GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 0: Justin Michaca and Sam Hassler scored in the first 10 minutes to give the Eagles (4-2) control of the match and John Sassi and Danny Bunny Coronel scored two minutes apart in the second. Coen Rinnier made six saves in goal. All four of the Eagles’ wins have been shutouts.

PENNS GROVE 3, OVERBROOK 2: Rooby Dorival moved up front for overtime and scored his second golden goal in three games when he converted a pass from Prince Ledbetter midway through the first overtime. Dorival also scored the game-winner against Glassboro that started the Red Devils’ current three-match unbeaten streak.

Poyraz Erdönmez and Anthony Pacheco scored Penns Grove’s other goals. Overbrook tied the match in the final minute of regulation.

“It was a good win,” Penns Grove coach Mano Massari said. “But we kind of have a way of shooting ourselves in the foot with silly mistakes that keep other teams in the game and keep us from putting the game away.”

It was tough to celebrate the win, however. Red Devils senior Louby Guerrier broke his collarbone on a breakaway in the second half. The game was delayed about 30 minutes while medical officials attended to him.

“It was a brutal loss, a brutal, brutal loss,” Massari said. “The kids won it for him, that’s for sure.”

CLAYTON 5, SALEM TECH 0: Jonathan Rehm ran his season total to 15 goals with three against the Chargers. It was his fifth multi-goal game of the season.

This week’s schedule

Here is the Salem County sports schedule for the week of Sept. 21-27

SUNDAY, SEPT. 21
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC at Camden CC, noon

MONDAY, SEPT. 22
BOYS SOCCER
Gloucester Catholic at Pennsville, 4 p.m.
Overbrook at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
Salem at Wildwood, 4 p.m.
Woodstown at Schalick, 4 p.m.
Salem Tech at Clayton, 5 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Glassboro at Pennsville, 4 p.m.
Penns Grove at Overbrook, 4 p.m.
Schalick vs. Woodstown, 4 p.m.
Wildwood at Salem, 4 p.m.
Salem Tech at Clayton, 7 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Kingsway at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
Pennsville at Overbrook, 4 p.m.
Timber Creek at Schalick, 4 p.m.

TUESDAY, SEPT. 23
FIELD HOCKEY
Winslow at Salem Tech, 3:45 p.m.
Pennsville at Audubon, 4 p.m.
Salem at Gloucester Catholic, 4 p.m.
Schalick at Deptford, 4 p.m.
Woodstown at Overbrook, 4 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Pennsville at Penns Grove, 3:45 p.m.
Gloucester Catholic at Salem, 4 p.m.
Schalick at Overbrook, 4 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 24
FIELD HOCKEY
Schalick at Seneca, 4 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
Pennsville at Salem, 4 p.m.
Salem Tech at Gloucester Catholic, 4 p.m.
Schalick at Penns Grove, 4 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Gloucester Catholic at Salem Tech, 4 p.m.
Penns Grove at Schalick, 4 p.m.
Salem at Pitman, 4 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Moorestown Friends at Woodstown, 3:45 p.m.
Gloucester Catholic at Salem Tech, 4 p.m.
Penns Grove at Palmyra, 4 p.m.
Pitman at Salem, 4 p.m.

THURSDAY, SEPT. 25
WJFL FOOTBALL
Salem at Schalick, 6 p.m.
Paulsboro at Overbrook, 6 p.m.
Audubon at West Deptford, 7 p.m.
FIELD HOCKEY
Clayton at Pennsville, 4 p.m.
Glassboro at Woodstown, 4 p.m.
Salem at Gateway, 4 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
Woodstown at Pitman, 4 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Pennsville at Woodstown, 4 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Woodstown at Pennsville, 3:45 p.m.
Salem at Wildwood, 4 p.m.
GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
Timber Creek at Salem Tech, 4 p.m.
CROSS COUNTRY
Salem Tech in NJTAC Championships at Medford Tech, 4 p.m.

FRIDAY, SEPT. 26
WJFL FOOTBALL
Haddon Twp. at Collingswood, 6 p.m.
Camden Catholic at Pennsville, 7 p.m.
Penns Grove at Woodstown, 7 p.m.
FIELD HOCKEY
Schalick at Eastern, 4 p.m.
BOYS SOCCER
Audubon at Pennsville, 4 p.m.
Camden Academy Charter at Salem, 4 p.m.
Salem Tech at Cape May Tech, 4 p.m.
GIRLS SOCCER
Cape May Tech at Salem Tech, 4 p.m.
GCIT at Woodstown, 4 p.m.
Salem at Cumberland, 4 p.m.
Schalick at Hammonton, 4 p.m.
GIRLS TENNIS
Haddon Heights at Schalick, 4 p.m.
Pennsville at Triton, 4 p.m.
COLLEGE CROSS COUNTRY
Salem CC at Caldwell

SATURDAY, SEPT. 27
WJFL FOOTBALL
Glassboro at Woodbury
FIELD HOCKEY
Woodstown vs. Delsea at Rowan, 3 p.m.
CROSS COUNTRY
Schalick at Six Flags Great Adventure
COLLEGE BASEBALL
Salem CC at Jefferson (2), noon
COLLEGE SOFTBALL
Salem CC at Thomas Jefferson, noon

Stepping up

Salem County Saturday: Pennsville makes good on its second chance for a first win; Woodstown, Salem fall; includes WJFL Diamond, Patriot standings

SALEM COUNTY FOOTBALL
Saturday’s Games
Glassboro 42, Salem 0
Pennsville 22, Audubon 17
Schalick 28, Penns Grove 7
Woodbury 42, Woodstown 6

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

AUDUBON – The folks in the stands might have thought Pennsville lost its chance to win Saturday when it fumbled near the goal line late in the fourth quarter, but the Eagles weren’t going to be denied. Given a second chance, they weren’t going to miss again.

Freshman Chase Johnson hauled in a 10-yard pass from Robbie McDade and crossed the goal line with 10 seconds to play to lift the Eagles over Audubon 22-17 for their first win of the season.

They had a chance to take the lead a few minutes earlier, but usually reliable Rylan Hardy fumbled at the 7 with the end zone in sight.

“The biggest thing for us this year is we struggle when things go bad getting back and playing the next play,” Pennsville coach Mike Healy said. “Today there were a lot of emotional swings, but our kids kept stepping up, coming back out and playing the next play and playing to the final play.”

The Eagles (1-3) didn’t hang their heads when it looked like their last-minute rally would fall sort for the second week in a row. Instead, their defense dug in and gave them another chance. They held strong after Hardy’s rare fumble and forced the Green Wave to punt.

“That was the big thing the whole day, things we didn’t get done and stepped back up,” Healy said. 

McDade went to work at the 40 with less than a minute left and all his timeouts in hand. The first two passes fell incomplete, then Kane Green hauled one in to get them to the 10. McDade finished off the drive with a slant over the middle to Johnson for the go-ahead score.

It was the senior quarterback’s first successful fourth-quarter game-winning drive of his career.

The Eagles led 6-3 at the half and 14-10 after three quarters. Audubon led 17-14 with 3:47 to play.

“My mindset was one play at a time and see where it gets us,” McDade said of the winning drive. “With a minute left all you’re thinking is next play, positive plays, positive plays, one on top of the other, and we got it done. All 11 guys had to do their job and they manned up and we got the outcome we wanted. It was very nice.”

The Eagles were in a similar position last week against Overbrook, but came up empty. They lost a 21-0 first-quarter lead, but had two shots at the end zone from the 34 in the final eight seconds and both fell incomplete.

This time they weren’t going to be denied. McDade agreed last week’s disappointment pushed them to finish this one.

“You’re just emotionally spent after both games, but one you’re excited and the other you’re just devastated,” Healy said. “The feeling after seeing the kids all excited was great.”

The quarterback seconded that emotion.

“It’s a lot better being on the other end of it, for sure,” he said.

Tough day for Wolverines

WOODBURY – When you’re a young football team learning to play on this level sometimes you just run into games like this.

Woodstown ran into a Woodbury team that hadn’t won a game all season and had scored only eight points in its last two, but that’s not the Thundering Herd the Wolverines got Saturday..

The Herd rushed for nearly 300 yards, scored the first five touchdowns of the game and swamped the Wolverines 42-6.

“I know I’m sounding like a broken record, but it’s a young team that is really learning how to play varsity football,” Woodstown coach Frank Trautz said. “We’re just not there yet. We’re going to be, we’re going to get there, but we’re learning how to play varsity football right now.”

The Wolverines’ spirit was rocked by devastating injuries to a pair of sophomore linemen in the first half.

Antonio Merendino sustained a serious knee injury chasing down Woodbury running back Dale Thomas , the eventual star of the game, on the Wolverines’ first defensive play of the game. 

A more frightening injury occurred midway through the second quarter when Abraxus (Rax) Hannah was knocked to the ground and was motionless for a brief period before being transported from the field by ambulance.

The Wolverines were chasing after Woodbury quarterback Nico Jimenez on a play from inside the 10 when the injury occurred. A broadcast of the play shows from just outside the frame Hannah appearing to take a frontal hit that knocked him backwards onto the field.

The game was delayed nearly 20 minutes while medical officials attended to him. He was said to have briefly lost consciousness on the field, but was moving and talking with Woodstown game personnel before being taken from the field.

“That was a very scary injury,” Trautz said. “Thankfully, though, he’s OK. I just talked to his parents. They have him up, walking, they’re going to discharge him from the hospital. Ultimately, that’s the most important thing, that he’s OK.”

Trautz agreed the injury to Hannah “took a lot of wind out of the sails.” The Wolverines managed just 116 yards of net offense and five first downs after the delay. Woodbury, meanwhile, ran for a touchdown on the first snap after play resumed and the Herd scored all four times it touched the ball in the second half, including returning the second-half kickoff for a touchdown.

Thomas rushed for 135 yards and four touchdowns in the game.

The Wolverines did what they could. They avoided the shutout when quarterback Frankie Hoerst threw a 67-yard touchdown pass to Sincere Cook-Reese in the closing seconds of the third quarter. The Wolverines only got five snaps in the fourth quarter because of the running block.

“Ultimately, our kids battled them; they just continue to fight,” Trautz said. “They’re leaving it all out there every week.

“I give them all the credit in the world. It’s tough when you’re on the wrong end of some of those games and it’s easy to quit at times, but our kids keep battling their butts off and they keep fighting. That’s all you can ask of them.”

Woodbury 42, Woodstown 6

 WOODS (6)WOODB (42)
71st Downs14
33-101Rushing27-297
3-8-0Passing (C-A-I)7-12-0
73Passing yds72
1-0Fumbles-lost3-0
3-44.3Punts-avg1-16.0
7-41Penalties-yds8-80
Woodstown (1-3)0060-6
Woodbury (1-3)68217-42

SCORING SUMMAR
WB-Dale Thomas 5 run (kick failed), 4:51 1Q
WB-Elijah Young 17 run (Nico Jiminez run), 6:12 2Q
WB-Samier Pettit 70 kickoff return (PAT run), 11:45 3Q
WB-Dale Thomas 71 run (run failed), 5:13 3Q
WB-Dale Thomas 7 run (Mark Martin kick), 1:42 3Q
WT-Sincere Cook-Reese 67 pass from Frankie Hoerst (pass failed), 12.5 3Q
WB-Dale Thomas 2 run (Mark Martin kick), 5:00 4Q

Glassboro overruns Salem

Glassboro 42, Salem 0

Glassboro (4-0)814200-42
Salem (1-3)0000-0

SCORING SUMMARY
G-JoJo DeLecce 21 run (Amari Sabb run)
G-Mehki Parker 2 pass from Jack O;Connell (pass failed)
G-Xavier Sabb 70 punt return (Junior Serrano pass from Amari Sabb)
G-JoJo DeLecce 9 run (run failed)
G-Xavier Sabb 55 pass from Mekhi Parker (pass failed)
G-Safety
G-Amari Sabb 47 run (run failed)

WJFL Standings

DIAMONDALLDIV
Glassboro4-02-0
Schalick2-22-0
Salem1-31-1
Woodbury1-31-1
Woodstown1-30-2
Penns Grove0-40-2
PATRIOTALLDIV
West Deptford4-03-0
Paulsboro4-03-0
Overbrook3-11-1
Pennsville1-31-2
Collingswood2-21-2
Audubon0-30-2
Camden Catholic0-40-2

FRIDAY’S GAMES
Overbrook 48, Florence 6
West Deptford 58, Camden Catholic 16

SATURDAY’S GAMES
Glassboro 42, Salem 0
Paulsboro 48, Collingswood 28
Pennsville 22, Audubon 17
Schalick 28, Penns Grove 7
Woodbury 42, Woodstown 6



Birthday cheer

Woodstown field hockey gifts coach a shutout win over county rival and a comfy throw on her birthday, includes roundup of Friday’s Salem County sports action

FIELD HOCKEY
Schalick 10, Overbrook 0
Salem 2, Clayton 1
Woodstown 6, Pennsville 0

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PENNSVILLE — Woodstown freshman Margaux Lipovsky gets excited any time she can put the ball in the back of the goal, but there was a special sense of relief when her shot broke the plane in the first five minutes of Friday’s match against Pennsville.

The goal ended a two-game dry spell for the Wolverines and sent them on the way to a 6-0 victory over their county rivals.

“It made me really excited,” Lipovsky said. “Once it rolled to my stick I kind of knew that instant it was going to go in. You just get that feeling that it’s going to go in and when you follow through and see it on the backboard it’s a good feeling.”

The Wolverines (2-2) had gone more than 125 minutes without a goal since Lipovsky scored in the fourth quarter of their season-opening 7-0 rout of Deptford. It was the program’s longest drought since going four straight games without scoring Oct. 9-18 of last year.

But they lit the lamp six times against the Eagles, with goals from six different players. Zoe Lipovsky made it 2-0 early in the second quarter, followed by goals from Corinne Cocking, Bella Eachus, Talia Guardascione (on an assist from Margaux) and Brooke Dillon.

“There was definitely some relief in there that we still have our offensive lineup,” junior captain Shyann Higinbotham said. “It was just about finishing. Finally getting to finish today proved our point that we still have it in us.”

The power surge was a nice 75th birthday present for new coach Gloria Byard. After the game the players serenaded their coach with a rousing rendition of “Happy Birthday” and gifted their former Olympian a comfy throw embossed with familiar words of wisdom.

“I wasn’t really surprised,” Byard said. “I know these guys are really a group of awesome, appreciative young ladies. They work hard. They don’t ask for anything. It’s a good group of young ladies, so I’m not surprised at all (what they did).”

Interestingly, for all the playing and living she has done, Friday, she said, was the first time she ever played or coached a game on her birthday.

“It’s ironic her first year being here it was on her birthday, and I think her coming back here to end it at Woodstown when she started at Woodstown is really special,” Higinbotham said. “It’s cool to be coached by her for my final two years here.”

The players gave the throw a more personal touch by stitching it with all of their favorite sayings from the coach. Lipovsky’s favorite is “You guys look like human cones” (a reference to standing around with the ball in play). For Higinbotham, her favorite is a little more direct – “Hard work works.”

That part of it did surprise the coach.

“That was amazing; it was like, wow,” she said. “It’s like they do listen to me, huh? They pay attention.”

The win Friday may not have been taken for granted, but it was always in the (birthday) cards.

“I knew we had a big shot at winning, but you never know, one any given day anything can happen,” Byard said. “But that’s the one thing: They were practicing yesterday and said coach, for your birthday gift we’re going to win.’ I said, ‘you promise?’ They said ‘definitely.’”

Top photo: Woodstown field hockey coach Gloria Byard shows off the comfy throw her players gifted for her birthday after the Wolverines’ 6-0 win over Pennsville. The throw is embossed with the players’ favorite sayings from their coach.

Salem’s Julliana Love winds up for a shot against Clayton. Love scored both of the Rams’ goals in the win. (Photo by Miranda Love)

SALEM 2, CLAYTON 1: Julliana Love scored two goals, including the game-winner with five minutes left, and Ava Rodgers stopped a penalty stroke as the Rams (1-3) won for the first time under new coach Brittany Bryant.

After the teams played through a scoreless first half. Love broke the ice in the first minute of the third quarter. The Clippers tied it and Rodgers kept it that way when she stopped a penalty stroke. Love put the Rams back on top with her fifth goal of the year and then they held on.

“Winning our first game was amazing,” Love said. “It was a nice look of what winning felt like for the new girls on the team.

“Being able to lead my team into winning the game felt great to know that I lead the team, but I couldn’t do it without my fellow teammates having my back. Knowing I got to put two goals in the cage for my team and coaches made me so happy to know I didn’t let them down.”

SCHALICK 10, OVERBROOK 0: Ava Scurry had two goals and three assists, Luci Virga surpassed 100 career points with two goals and an assist. Virga now has 39 points and 24 assists in her career. The 10 goals are the most in a game for the Cougars since swamping Cumberland 11-0 51 weeks ago.

Woodstown freshman Margaux Lipovsky (1) fires a shot towards the goal in the first quarter of Friday’s game with Pennsville. Lipovsky scored the game’s first goal and assisted on another in the second half.

GIRLS SOCCER
CHERRY HILL WEST 1, SCHALICK 0: West scored a goal in the first half then held off the Cougars through several close calls. Schalick’s Kyleigh Cutler was pulled down looking at an empty net without a whistle and several free kicks went across empty nets.

GIRLS TENNIS
PENNSVILLE 4, GLASSBORO 1
Izzy Schlenker (P) def. Alana Killelea, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4)
Morgan Holt (P) def. Taylor Adcock, 6-0, 6-1
Graillyn Weber (P) def. Alice Dinzeo, 6-2, 6-0
Emma Hankin-Naomi Hess (P) def. Virginia Tarasevich-Amani George, 6-2, 6-1
Sofia Dungca-Ijeoma Ufomba (G) def. Yerlian Charon-Lila Angelo, 6-4, 6-3
Records: Pennsville 5-4, Glassboro 4-4

WOODSTOWN 5, SALEM 0
Nathalie Neron (WO) def. Angelina Fothergill, 6-0, 6-0
Alyssa Berry (WO) def. JaNye Hubbard, 6-0, 6-0
Noelle Neron (WO) def. Tahirah Davenport-White, 6-3, 6-3
Madison LaPalomento-Emilee Kehr (WO) def. Heaven Jones-McCullough-Zaniyah Frieson, 6-0, 6-1
Elianna Norman-Angelina Lindenmuth (WO) def. Erica Brewer-Evangelyn Jimenez Barreto, 6-0, 6-0
Records: Woodstown 7-2, Salem 1-4.

VOLLEYBALL
SALEM TECH 2, BUENA 0: The Chargers (3-1) took two close sets, 25-19, 25-22, to win their second straight match.

CROSS COUNTRY

GALLOWAY — Karson Chew finished 17th overall and two other runners placed in the top 30 to lead the Woodstown boys cross country team to a sixth place finish in the Osprey XC High School Invite at Stockton University.

Chew covered the course in 16:49.69. Teammate Jacob Marino was 24th (17:05.35) and David Farrell was 28th (17:12.79).

Gavin Oliver of Donovan Catholic won the boys race in 15:44.46. Egg Harbor Twp. won the boys team title with 98 points.

Woodstown’s girls placed 20th in their race. Abby Marino was 16th overall (19:56.81). Natalie Briggs of team champion Freehold Twp. won the race in 18:27.20.

In his element

Penns Grove’s Guzman Silva makes 20 saves as Red Devils draw with Woodstown, Cooksey’s golden goal lifts Pennsville; Egan scores in Schalick rout

BOYS SOCCER
Penns Grove 1, Woodstown 1
Pennsville 1, Clayton 0
Schalick 6, Glassboro 0
Wildwood 6, Salem Tech 0
Salem at Gloucester Catholic

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

WOODSTOWN – Penns Grove goalie Dwayne Guzman Silva lives for these moments. The kind that keeps him on his toes, the kind that mean the difference between winning and losing (or tying as the case may be). He certainly was in his element Thursday.

GUZMAN SILVA

Penns Grove and Woodstown were locked in a tight battle for 100 minutes. And while the keeper at the other end did his part to keep the drama going, it was Guzman Silva who made the difference in the Red Devils coming out with a 1-1 tie instead of absorbing a fifth straight loss to the Wolverines.

The Penns Grove senior keeper was credited with 20 saves in the game. He was challenged throughout the second half and overtime but continually stood his ground. 

“I live for these type of moments,” Guzman Silva said. “Competitive, especially with my friends, family (around). I like to think of it like it’s an honor to have pressure on you. People like to hate. I like haters.”

You’ll get no argument from Red Devils’ coach Mano Massari when it comes to his goalie holding up under pressure. He’s been a fan of his keeper for a long time.

“I’ve been preaching about this kid for the last four years,” he said. “I really do think he’s an absolute stud. I think he doesn’t get a lot of credit and a lot of looks because of our score sometimes. We haven’t had the strongest defense in the past. I think he has saved games from being 3-1 (instead of) 6 or 7 to 1.

“That kid, in my mind, is the greatest keeper to come through Penns Grove. In the last 20 years easily. I’ve played here, I’ve coached here. In the last 10-15 years he’s easily the best to come through here. He saved us today, he really did. He stood on his head. I told him yesterday at practice for us to be in this game you’re gonna have to stand on your head and that’s what he did. He rose up to the occasion. I think we tied the game because of him. I wholeheartedly believe that.”

The only goal Guzman Silva allowed was by Ayden Ellis with 7:50 left in the first half. He said he got his fingers on the shot in traffic around the left post, but not enough to keep the ball from getting into the goal.

Woodstown coach Darren Huck would have liked his team to have put more pressure on the keeper.

“The keeper’s good (but), I think we only tested him once and that was shot by Landon (Gugliemo early in the second half),” he said. “I don’t think we tested him enough. I give all the credit on that save, but I would have liked to have tested him more.

“Right now we’re not doing that enough. We’re not testing the goalkeepers enough. That’s happened in the Glassboro game (a 1-0 win), that’s happened in the Overbrook game (a 3-2 win), and now it’s happened in this game. We’re trying to get that linkage with each other.”

Woodstown keeper Trey Markward, meanwhile, equally stood his ground. He was credited with 13 saves. The only goal he allowed was Mario Fuentes’ game-tying penalty kick midway through the second half. The penalty came as the result of a hand ball in the box within the wall defending a free kick.

Woodstown had the best chance to end it in overtime. Jack Bucksar broke in on the left side. Guzman Silva came off his line to challenge and turned the shot away, but he left the goal open. Bryce Ayars had a clean shot at the open net, but Penns Grove’s Rooby Dorival raced back into the box and cleared the ball away, paying a physical price in the process.

“Kudos to Rooby; that kid can cover some ground,” Massari said. “He’s got long strides, he’s not scared to put his body on the line. I want my other guys to take some stock out of that. That kid put his body on the line non-stop. He saved the goal there; he flat out did. Rooby’s not there, that’s a goal and we lose the game.”

That was the Wolverines’ best chance. Seconds before the end of the first overtime Ayars redirected a corner kick with his head that Guzman Silva saved.

It was a particularly chippy game with nine yellow cards.

Cooksey golden for Eagles

PENNSVILLE – Lucas Cooksey spent the last two years playing electric guitar in the Pennsville marching band before joining the Eagles’ soccer team for the first time this season. He struck the right chord on the pitch Thursday.

Cooksey ripped home a rebound in the first minute of the second overtime to give the Eagles a huge 1-0 win over Clayton.

After the teams battled for 90 minutes, mostly in the midfield, Pennsville turned up the attack. The Eagles won the ball quickly in the second overtime and Danny Bunay Coronel fired a shot from about 20 yards out. Clayton keeper Justin Delaney made a great diving save that deflected to the other side of the goal but Cooksey was right there to tap in the golden goal.

It was his second goal of the season.

“I told him he could do both, but he’s like, no, I just want to commit to soccer,” Pennsville coach Derek Foglein said. “I said OK. I’m not going to say no to that.”

The win gave the Eagles (3-2) the early upper hand in the Tri-County Classic Division and comes on the heels of a 1-0 own-goal loss to Glassboro earlier in the week.

Pennsville keeper Coen Rinnier made two one-on-one saves on Clayton striker Jonathan Rehm in the second half to keep the game scoreless. All three of the Pennsville’s wins this season have been shutouts.

“Tuesday it didn’t fall for us, but today it did,” Foglein said. “This is absolutely huge. We’ve got a stretch of three division games in a row and this is the one we had circled that we knew was going to be the challenge and the one we needed to go get. Now we can get healthy over the weekend and fly high into hopefully games where we should be favored.”

Egan gets his goal

GLASSBORO – Unbeaten Schalick spread the wealth for the second straight game, with six different players scoring goals, but none of the goals were more well-received than the one punched home by John Egan V in the second half.

Egan, a senior fan and player favorite who’s spent much of his career on the JV side, scored the first goal of his career in the second half of the Cougars’ 6-0 victory.

Ten days earlier, in the home opener against Overbrook, the Cougars set up Egan with three good chances to score in the second half without success. Against the Bulldogs, he was right on time.

“Everybody, of course, saw what happened in the Overbrook game, everybody was rooting for him,” Schalick coach Joe Mannella said. “It was actually a pretty nice goal.

“It came from (Luke) Price being really unselfish and set him up again. This time, he was on the left side and came in with the right foot. Everybody was recording everything, cheering for him. He was so over the moon. It was good for the team.”

Egan said he was “excited” to get the goal and admitted the occasion brought him tears of joy.

‘it was a great honor to get the goal and will be cherished for the rest of my life,” he said.

The Cougars’ other goals came from Marco Spinnato, Steve Chomo, Ryan Loper and Price in the first half, and Jaxon Weber in the second. They had seven players score goals in their 7-1 win over Clayton Tuesday.

Actually, Egan had a chance to get his goal earlier. Price approached Mannella at halftime and suggested if he got taken down in the box in the second half to let Egan take the penalty kick. As fate would have it, five minutes into the second half he gets taken down in the box and Egan gets to try the PK. But the keeper stopped it.

“I’m glad he was able to get one in regular play,” Mannella said.

Fancy passer

Fisler sets Schalick girls soccer all-time assists record with a pair in Cougars’ 8-0 rout of Glassboro

GIRLS SOCCER
Schalick 8, Glassboro 0
Woodstown 6, Penns Grove 0
Gloucester Catholic 7, Salem 0
Salem Tech at Wildwood

By Al Muskewitz
Riverview Sports News

PITTSGROVE – Cali Fisler is the kind of soccer player who would rather help her teammates score goals than put the ball in the back of the net herself and, frankly, she’s gotten pretty good at it.

And now there is no one better in school history.

Schalick girls soccer coach Will Kemp (R) congratulates Cali Fisler on becoming the program’s all-time assists leader.

Fisler set the Schalick school record for assists Thursday when she set up two Abby Willoughby’s three first-half goals in an 8-0 pasting of Glassboro. The senior center defensive midfielder now has 44 career assists, breaking the record held by Sara Copare since 2005.

“I love to cheer my teammates on,” Fisler said. “I would definitely rather have an assist than a goal because you just get the satisfaction of your pass getting completed and knowing you were the reason that that happened.

“Goals still feel great, but I just love seeing my teammates and celebrating them. I just think it’s so awesome.”

The East Stroudsburg commitment “honestly never thought” she would get the career record when she started because “it’s a really high number,” but she set her sights on it after setting the school’s single-season assist mark (22) her sophomore year. Most of her assists that year fueled Emily Miller’s 48-goal season.

She has recorded at least one assist in 29 games. In terms of getting it past the keeper herself, she has 19 career goals, one this season.

“There’s been many a time when Cali had an opportunity to score but she passes it off; that’s Cali for you,” Cougars coach Will Kemp said. “You always compare it to (NBA assistant great) Steve Nash, just seeing the game differently than anybody else.

“Obviously, being able to have somebody who can put that ball in the back of the net as well, that helps out, too, and Cali’s had so many players around her who have been able to score multi-goal games. When you have those players playing in front of you, it makes your life as an assister earlier and vice versa it makes your life as a goal scorer easier when you have a person who can be playing you in a ball like that.”

Fisler wasted little time getting the tying assist, sending a through ball into Willoughby to finish in the third minute of the match. She got the record-breaker in the 18th minute when she sent Willoughby off to split two defenders and finish at the near post for the natural hat trick.

Before the half ended, Izzy Desantis, Olivia Vanacker and Karlie Bakley extended the lead to 6-0. Vanacker and Kassady Sickler scored goals in the second half. 

Now that she has the “lot of weight” of the assists record off her shoulders Fisler can start to concentrate on becoming the additional goal scorer Kemp would like her to be. Right?

“Right,” she said, “but I want to build on the record, too.”

WOODSTOWN 6, PENNS GROVE 0: The Wolverines broke open a close game with five goals in the second half. Bailey Arnold Peters scored twice. 

GLOUCESTER CATHOLIC 7, SALEM 0: Seven different players score to keep Gloucester Catholic undefeated, Salem winless.