EWING – It almost seems like nothing can stop these girls. Not even Mother Nature, herself.
As rain drops fell from the sky, The College of New Jersey women’s soccer team marched down the wet turf, deadlocked in a hard fought battle with Stockton. The team managed just one goal, a second-half tally from Taylor Nolan, but that was all the Lions would need on route to a soggy, 1-0, victory.
Nolan was happy to get the win for the seniors on the night which they bid farewell to six players that will graduate after the season.
“I just really wanted to do this not only to put us ahead, but for the seniors, they needed this,” said Nolan, a sophomore midfielder. “It was their last possible home game so it was great knowing it get the seniors they win they deserve. It just made it even better.”
During the game, it felt like the field had been shrunk to a smaller size as the Lions dominated the Ospreys playing the majority of the game in the opposing team’s territory, but they could not capitalize on their early opportunities.
Come half time, neither team had scored, but the Lions did not let that discourage them, and they continued to dominate Stockton in the second half, finally netting their first goal of the game.
“I like our perseverance,” said head coach Joe Russo. “Not giving up any goals is good. As you move forward and the games get more difficult, you need to defend as it gets more difficult to win with not scoring multiple goals.”
While a sea of umbrellas appeared in the stands, the Lions knew they needed to make adjustments if they were to put the storm aside and win the game.
“I think at first it took a while to get adjusted to,” said Nolan about the rain. “We just know to come out no matter what the circumstance is, and just play our hardest.”
Senior midfielder Kayla Bertolino, feels similarly to Nolan about the team’s ability power through any situation that
gets thrown at them.
“I think every game we just come in and we just have to bring the energy and play hard,” said Bertolino. “No matter what team we play from here on out, our mindset always has to be come out in the first five minutes and jut play hard. With senior night beforehand and despite the rain, we just always have to have that play hard mentality.”
With the win, the Lions improve to 12-0 on the season, and they will finish with an undefeated home record during the regular season, for the third consecutive season.
The loss drops the Osprey’s record to 5-9-1 and 1-5 within the NJAC, but that does not discredit the fight they out up against the Lions Wednesday night.
While the Lions did play the majority right in front of the Osprey goal, their defenders were able to induce a lot of shots that were wide and high of the goal, keeping the game scoreless until the middle of the second half.
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