NonPublic A South: Notre Dame girls soccer drops shootout heartbreaker to Trinity Hall
Nov 07, 2024
Notre Dame goalkeeper Kate Moog reacts after Trinity Hall won a penalty kick shootout during a Non-Public A South quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon at Mike Perone Field in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Notre Dame's Anna Guido, 18, moves with the ball against Trinity Hall during a Non-Public A South quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon at Mike Perone Field in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Notre Dame's Reagan O'Mara, right, goes to shoot the ball as Trinity Hall's Bryelle Shaheen, left, defends during a Non-Public A South quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon at Mike Perone Field in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Notre Dame's Elizabeth O'Mara, 22, leaps to head the ball clear against Trinity Hall during a Non-Public A South quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon at Mike Perone Field in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Notre Dame's Ashton Robbins, left, kicks the ball as she's defended by Trinity Hall's Ryan Raynor, right, during a Non-Public A South quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon at Mike Perone Field in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Trinity Hall's Lily Guli, right, and Notre Dame's Riley Cunningham, left, chase after the ball during a Non-Public A South quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon at Mike Perone Field in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Notre Dame's Avery Whittle, right, and Trinity Hall's Isabella Anzevino, left, challenge for the ball during a Non-Public A South quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon at Mike Perone Field in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Notre Dame's Molly Snee, 26, heads the ball against Trinity Hall during a Non-Public A South quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon at Mike Perone Field in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Notre Dame's Elizabeth O'Mara, right, and Trinity Hall's Ryan Raynor, left, chase after the ball during a Non-Public A South quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon at Mike Perone Field in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Notre Dame goalkeeper Kate Moog makes a save against Trinity Hall during a Non-Public A South quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon at Mike Perone Field in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Notre Dame's Riley Cunningham, left, and Trinity Hall's Isabella Anzevino, right, challenge for the ball during a Non-Public A South quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon at Mike Perone Field in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Notre Dame's Isabella Daley clears the ball against Trinity Hall during a Non-Public A South quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon at Mike Perone Field in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Notre Dame's Isabella Lynch kicks the ball up the field against Trinity Hall during a Non-Public A South quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon at Mike Perone Field in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Trinity Hall coach Pat Trombetta watches from the sideline against Notre Daem during a Non-Public A South quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon at Mike Perone Field in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Notre Dame coach Lauren Diaz watches the action against Trinity Hall during a Non-Public A South quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon at Mike Perone Field in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Show Caption1 of 15Notre Dame goalkeeper Kate Moog reacts after Trinity Hall won a penalty kick shootout during a Non-Public A South quarterfinal girls soccer game on Thursday afternoon at Mike Perone Field in Lawrence Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)Expand
LAWRENCE TWP. – Years from now members of the Notre Dame High girls soccer team will happily look back on this season and remember a month-long string of success that featured a 12-game winning streak.
Right now, however, the sting of losing on penalty kicks to 6th-seeded Trinity Hall in a NJSIAA Non-Public A quarterfinal is tough to get over.
The two teams played to a 1-1 tie through regulation and, after two overtimes, Trinity Hall was perfect on penalty kicks to end the 3rd-seeded Irish’s season.
The Monarchs shot first and each team made their first two. Trinity’s Kailyn Fitzgerald converted to make it 3-2 and give her team the lead for good. On ND’s next attempt goalie Anna Martin dove to her left to make the save, and the Monarchs nailed their final two shots for a 5-3 edge in PKs.
As always when it comes down to a shootout, disappointment hung heavy in the air over the Irish players.
“We did think we were gonna go far in states,” senior captain Bella Lynch said. “We worked through so much to get to penalties. We never stopped fighting. It showed we all wanted it. The results are not what we wanted.”
Lynch then summed it up succinctly.
“In the end,” she said, “It just, like, sucks.”
Trinity Hall, coached by former Princeton Day School coach Pat Trombetta, dominated much of the early play before Notre Dame started to gain possession. The Monarchs seized it back, however, forcing Irish goalie Kate Moog to make several big plays.
“Our goalie did an amazing job today,” Lynch said. “She saved our butts so many times.”
Notre Dame’s best chance came with 1:40 left in the half when Avery Whittle rifled a right wing shot off the outside post.
The Irish broke through early in the second half, when Reagan O’Mara centered a pass to an unmarked Ashton Robbins, who slammed it home from 15 yards out. But 10 minutes later Trinity Hall’s Haley Noorigian tied it on an amazing long-side shot from a near-impossible angle on the right flank.
“I really thought (Nooigian) wasn’t gonna get there,” Lynch said. “There was no possible way our goalie could get it. It was from the weirdest angle.”
From there each team sent some fairly easy shots on goal and the match went into overtime. In the first OT, Trinity Hall had the better of the play and kept Moog busy. In the second OT, Moog made a diving save on a header; while Martin came out to grab a ball in front of the goal before O’Mara could get a foot on it.
“I thought that we were gonna pull through and get a goal,” Lynch said. “In the second half I feel like we had the majority of the possession. We played as a team the entire game even when stuff didn’t go as we planned after they got their goal.
“It’s unfortunate it had to come down to PKs. I know in the end we worked super hard. Our team camaraderie is the best I’ve ever seen. I’m so lucky to be a part of it. Hopefully the Notre Dame team keeps the love for each other after we leave.”
Lynch is one of several seniors who will play college soccer next year as she is headed for the University of Gettysburg.
“There’s a lot more soccer to be played,” she said. “A lot of our seniors are going to be playing. We know high school soccer is not the end of anything. And these other girls are juniors and sophomores and freshmen. They’re really talented players.
“I can say it now as a senior, that high school soccer is just a great memory to look back on. We were happy to be third in the section and happy to be here. It’s just unfortunate how it ended.”
Trinity Hall (11-7-3) 0 1 0 0 — 1
Notre Dame (14-7-1) 0 1 0 0 — 1
Trinity Hall wins, 5-3, on penalty kicks.
G: T-Noorigian. N-Robbins. A: N-O’Mara. Shots: T-19, N-10. Saves: T-Martin 6. N-Moog 14.