NBC at 2-1
By:Sean Moylan
Fielding perhaps the most talented and athletic Life Center girls’ varsity soccer team of her coaching career, Tammy Nowicki was able to look on happily as her club went 2-0 and outscored its opponents 23-1 this past week.
In Thursday’s home opener versus Mercy Vo-Tech, Life Center won an easy 10-1 decision. Then on Tuesday, the Warriors blew out Girard College, 13-0, at Life Center.
Stefani Bodrog and Helen Brown led the way with two fantastic games.
In the opener versus Mercy Vo-Tech, Bodrog and Brown each collected a pair of goals (Bodrog also had an assist). However, LCA had many stars in the contest, including Jackie Steffen who scored twice and assisted on another. Jessica Keane (1 goal, 1 assist), Melinda Hinson (2 goals) and Amy Corson (a goal) also had good games. Sarah Lewis and Hinson each played a half in goal for the Warriors.
"For our first game, it wasn’t bad," said Coach Nowicki. "We moved the ball around well.
"Today (Tuesday) was our second real game (4 games overall)… and so far it was our best game," said Coach Nowicki after her team’s balanced win over Girard College.
Melinda Hinson (first half) and Sarah Lewis (second half) could have slept in the goal because the Warriors’ defense did not allow any shots. Meanwhile, Stefani Bodrog ripped 4 goals and 2 assists while Jackie Steffen (2 goals, 2 assists), Helen Brown (2 goals, 1 assists), Ashley Birney (2 goals), Amy Corson (1 goal, an assist), Jessica Keane (a goal and assist) and Marissa Mohrmann (a goal) also tallied. Bodrog was all over the ball, Brown knocked in a fantastic header and Steffen kept the pressure on the Girard’s goalie.
"Jackie Steffen was very aggressive in attacking the goalie," added Coach Nowicki, who rotated her players and let her defenders play offense.
LCA is now scheduled to host Philadelphia International on Thursday and Villa Victoria on Tuesday.
NBC
Coming into this season, the Northern Burlington County Regional High School girls’ varsity soccer team knew it would have to find offense from a source other than Amy Hoyer. After two weeks of play, Kara Pigott has stepped up as a potential partial answer to NBC’s scoring problem.
Trailing 1-0 at the half in its Tuesday home game versus Willingboro, NBC’s Kara Pigott came through with a big goal to tie the game.
Kara Pigott scored on a beautiful crossing pass by Suzie Wichtel, that she headed in to the goal.
Amy Hoyer then picked up the winning goal off a Pigott pass.
NBC took 19 shots to Willingboro’s 14, but it had some penalties.
"It was a physical game. We gave up 19 free kicks on penalties," said Coach Jennings, whose team also took its share of free kicks.
NBC’s Stacey Chuba, Lindsay Nash and Jennifer Vsas all played very well on defense. Erin Walton made 13 saves for the Greyhounds.
Against Moorestown last Thursday, NBC put itself in a quick hole it couldn’t get out of.
"We gave up 2 goals in the first 4 minutes of the game," remarked Coach Jennings.
Amy Hoyer, nonetheless, got off some quality shots that Moorestown’s goalie knocked a side with a couple of nifty one-handed saves.
Erin Walton, meanwhile, recorded 9 saves for Northern.
Coach Jennings is pleased with her team’s progress because it is doing the little things.
"We’re starting to do a lot of nice passing," Coach Jennings said.
The 2-1 Greyhounds are scheduled to host Holy Cross on Thursday and Burlington Township on Friday.
NBC is then scheduled at Cinnaminson on Monday.
FLORENCE
The Florence Township Memorial High School girls’ varsity soccer team’s 1-1 tie versus New Egypt at Florence on Monday was special because it featured freshman stoppers Jessica Carroll’s first goal for the Flashes.
Carroll’s tally came 5 minutes into the game and it looked for a while to be a huge one. But New Egypt, unfortunately, tied the game up with a goal with 6 minutes left in regulation.
Even so, Florence head coach George Chwastyk liked what he saw in Carroll’s game.
"She (Carroll) looks like she’ll turn out to be a good player," remarked Coach Chwastyk.
Florence took 28 shots, but only Carroll’s found the net. Meanwhile, Katie Thompson, the Flashes’ goalkeeper, had a strong game toostopping 12 of 13 shots that came her way.
Megha Vyas, Mandy Zacharkow and Tenna Floyd, the backbone of the Flashes’ defense, all had strong games.
Unfortunately, Coach Chwastyk was unable to give them sufficient rest during the contest.
Coach Chwastyk saw New Egypt as an improved team and added, "They’ve been together for 3 years now. They have some quality players."
Katie Thompson made an incredible 19 saves in last Thursday’s home opener versus Riverside. Nonetheless, Riverside won the game, 6-0.
"They (Riverside) had 25 shots," said Coach Chwastyk. "They’re the class of the conference."
The 0-1-1 Flashes are scheduled at Westampton Tech on Thursday.
Then on Monday, Florence is scheduled to host Pemberton.

