Central Jersey Group II: Robbinsville girls soccer bows out after Delran’s 7goal barrage
Nov 04, 2024
Robbinsville's Gianna Johnson, left, heads the ball off the crossbar as she's challenged by Delran's Devin Ginley, center, and goalkeeper Cailey Czaplicki, right, during a Central Group II first round girls soccer game on Monday afternoon in Delran. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Delran's Ashley Porreca moves with the ball against Robbinsville during a Central Group II first round girls soccer game on Monday afternoon in Delran. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Robbinsville's Sofia DiMeola moves the ball against Delran during a Central Group II first round girls soccer game on Monday afternoon in Delran. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Robbinsville's Caileigh Guzik, right, and Delran's Mya Jackson, left, battle for control of the ball during a Central Group II first round girls soccer game on Monday afternoon in Delran. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Delran's Olivia Shaffer, left, and Robbinsville's Sofia DiMeola, right, challenge for the ball during a Central Group II first round girls soccer game on Monday afternoon in Delran. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Robbinsville goalkeeper Gabby Sabol, left, scoops up the ball before Delran's Anna Corsanico, right, slides to try and score during a Central Group II first round girls soccer game on Monday afternoon in Delran. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Show Caption1 of 6Robbinsville's Gianna Johnson, left, heads the ball off the crossbar as she's challenged by Delran's Devin Ginley, center, and goalkeeper Cailey Czaplicki, right, during a Central Group II first round girls soccer game on Monday afternoon in Delran. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Expand
DELRAN — The Robbinsville High girls soccer team was left to play the what if game.
What if Sofia DiMeola’s shot in overtime against Hopewell Valley went in instead of striking the post?
What if there wasn’t the shocking loss to Ewing in the CVC Tournament?
Because instead of a potential home playoff game in a rugged section, the Ravens were on the road against one of the state’s top scorers.
And a bad matchup on paper bore itself out on the pitch.
Mya Jackson scored four times and fifth-seeded Delran ended 12th-seeded Robbinsville’s season with a 7-2 victory in the first round of the Central Group II playoffs on Monday afternoon.
“Central Jersey Group II is the toughest section in the state. If we had been in Group III, we would have been the four seed,” Ravens coach Caitlyn Curran said. “It makes a difference. We were on grass instead of turf playing away instead of home, we had a 45-minute ride. You think back to like (the 3-3) with South and those ties and small losses by one goal would have put us in a different spot.”
Jackson’s four goals brought her season total to 41 and career mark to 96. She entered the game with more goals (37) than Robbinsville had all season (29).
It took about 13 minutes for the Bears (15-4-1) to figure out the Ravens’ offside trap and Jackson slipped a pass in behind for a wide open Anna Corsanico.
That was just the start of a first-half onslaught as Jackson scored twice and Ashley Porreca added the fourth with 13:24 left in the half after a terrific run down the left-hand side.
To Robbinsville’s credit, it asked questions of Delran’s defense. Gianna Johnson hit the crossbar with a header at 2-0 down and Kinsley Franke smashed a free kick off the crossbar when it was 3-0.
The Cerniglia sisters scored second-half goals for Robbinsville, but it was already a 5-0 deficit — courtesy of an own goal after more good work from Jackson to slide a pass across the face of goal — before the younger Lucy knocked one home from the center of the box.
Jackson notched two more goals with a long-range Stella Cerniglia strike sandwiched in between.
“We created a lot of opportunities and the score doesn’t necessarily say what happened within the course of the game,” said Curran, whose team also had a goal-bound effort acrobatically cleared off the line in the second half. “It’s kind of been the story of our season, just trying to get it through. I have to give it to them because they found the back of the net and we didn’t.”
Curran still felt good about her team’s season. The Ravens got off to a 6-1-1 start and even though they finished 5-7-1 over the last 13 games, they still came within a post of winning a share of the CVC Colonial title.
“I do not think people though we were going to have the season that we had,” said Curran, whose side graduates seniors Sofia DiMeola, Ella Moir, Caileigh Guzik and Stella Cerniglia. “I’m really proud of us for putting together the season that we had with the huge wins that we had. I look forward to carrying on next year.”
Robbinsville (11-8-2) 0 2 — 2
Delran (15-4-1) 4 3 — 7
Goals: L. Cerniglia, S. Cerniglia (R). Jackson 4, Corsanico, Porreca (D). Assists: Ki. Franke (R). Jackson, Keith 2, Porreca, Corsanico (D). Shots: 13 (R). 17 (D). Saves: Sabol 3, Moorcroft 2 (R). Czaplicki 2, Diehl 2 (D).