Central Jersey Group III: Lawrence girls soccer slips past Nottingham
Nov 04, 2024
LAWRENCE TWP. — Taking the field with so many young and talented players, Lawrence High senior girls’ soccer player Michaela Little has learned not to fret.
As the leading scorer for the Cardinals, Little has provided her teammates with plenty of confidence, even when things might not be going as smoothly as they would like.
Case in point, Monday in the opening round of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association Group III Tournament when fifth-seeded Lawrence was hosting 12th-seeded Nottingham, a team it had easily handled 18 days earlier in a regular-season matchup.
Even though Little scored off a pass from junior midfielder Elena Rivera eight minutes into the contest, the Cardinals had trouble distancing themselves from the Northstars before pulling out a 2-0 victory.
With its first state win in seven years, Lawrence (11-8) will get to host another tournament game Thursday because fourth-seeded Burlington Township was upset by 13th-seeded Freehold Boro, 2-0.
“With a young team like this, sometimes there are nerves, but I didn’t think we had them today,” Little said. “It was fun to see how they reacted after a win like this. I was happy to help them get the first state tournament win since I’ve been here.”
With forward Little (18 goals, two assists) and senior fullback Liliana Calderone, both four-year players, providing the leadership, the Cardinals were able to move on despite playing without two of their key ingredients – junior forward Amber Wooding, who is out for the season with a knee injury, and junior midfielder/forward Becca Boggs (12 goals, 17 assists), who had to miss the game with an illness.
“I wanted them to survive and advance,” said Lawrence head coach Emily Palombo, whose team won the regular-season matchup, 6-0. “It was a little tense this time. Nottingham’s goalkeeper made some really nice saves.”
With Northstars’ sophomore ’keeper Ava McDonald making 13 saves, it would have been understandable if the home team had become frustrated. Little was at the top of that list after McDonald stonewalled her on a penalty-kick try with 21:37 left in the first half. Then, in the game’s closing minute, Little drew McDonald off her line and got around the young goalie, only to shoot inches wide of the post.
“I really wasn’t worried,” said Little, who is headed to Shenandoah University next season. “We had a lot of opportunities. We were just a little unlucky. It seemed like all of our shots were on the goal line. We talked about how it was not if we would score, but when we would.”
While the Cardinals sent one shot off the post and another off the crossbar, their defense limited Nottingham to two shots in each half, while posting their ninth shutout of the season. Yet, the visitors were not out of it.
“At halftime, I emphasized that it had to be a full-team effort,” said Nottingham head coach Jess Belmont, whose 9-12 team was making its first state appearance in four years. “We were grateful for the opportunity, but we had to stay on our marks and communicate.”
The Northstars, who only had three seniors in Bridget Cutty, plus Kaitlin and Emma Wilke, kept the game tight until Lawrence sophomore midfielder/forward Ava Donnelly lofted a 24-yard shot over the leaping attempt of McDonald with 4:23 to go.
At that point, even Little could breathe a little easier as she and her teammates celebrated a state tournament win, then began looking ahead to another home game, this time with the 5-12-1 Colonials Thursday.
Nottingham(9-12) 0 0 — 0
Lawrence (11-8) 1 1 — 2
Goals: Little, Donnelly (L); Assist: Rivera (L).
Shots: 4 (N), 17 (L); Saves: McDonald 13 (N), Kachurak 3 (L).