BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
While Brookdale Community College’s women’s soccer team waited for the offense to come around, the defense held things together.
Now, with the offense clicking, the Blues have clinched no worse than a tie for their fourth straight Garden State Athletic Conference title and are ranked No. 8 in the country among Division III junior colleges.
“Overall, the girls really pay attention to what we’re trying to get them to do — that they have to play as a team” said coach Frank Lawrence. “They are playing well as a team.”
Laura Lovallo missed the first four games, and since her return, the Blues scoring has soared. She’s your classic finisher with 10 goals in the seven games she has played. Her scoring has opened things up for everyone else.
A defender, Katy Miller, is second in goal scoring with seven, most of them off corner kicks.
In fact, corner kicks have been a weapon for BCC this fall.
“We’ve never had a team score so often on corner kicks,” said Lawrence.
The scoring is the result of having players like Lovallo, Mindy Brickle and Gina Ciccarelli, who are outstanding at placing their kicks in the box.
But placement is only half the battle, as Lawrence noted.
“You have to have players who are willing to be aggressive in the box and head the ball,” he said.
Miller is that kind of player, someone who will sell out to get to the ball.
The defensive troika of Laura Fiorentino, Katie Miller and Erika Thompsen has been good from day one and is getting better.
“They are as good as anyone,” said Lawrence. “They play great together. To me, when they’re out there, I’m calm when the other team is on the attack because I know they will limit the opportunities of the other team.”
The addition of Emily Grimes in the backfield has added depth and made the defense even more formidable.
Goalie Kim Mergner has stepped in and in her first year as starter is playing like a veteran.
“She’s done very well,” said Lawrence. “She’s out there talking and directing the defense.”
The Blues have the top seed for the upcoming Region XIX tournament, secured via their win over Morris earlier in the season. Still the Blues would like to do something no other Brookdale team has done through this streak, finish the conference season with a perfect record.
The Region XIX tournament starts for Brookdale on Oct. 29 with a semifinal game. The Nov. 1 championship match will be hosted by the Blues, starting at 1 p.m.
The Region champion goes on to the District championship game on Nov. 5 in Lincroft, where the winner advances to the National Tournament in Herkimer, N.Y., starting Nov. 12.