By: Sean Moylan
The Penn-Jersey League held its first ever all-star soccer games on November 15 at Mercer County Park and they were both huge successes.
Because their teams both won Penn-Jersey championships two weeks ago, Life Center Academy boys’ varsity soccer coach Art Steffen and LCA girls’ soccer coach Tammy Nowicki were both automatically chosen to coach the New Jersey teams.
LCA halfback/striker John Hinson scored a goal to lead Steffen’s New Jersey boys’ team to a 1-0 victory over the Pennsylvania squad.
"I think he (Hinson) scored on a cross by a player from Saint Mary’s," added Steffen. "It was a defensive game."
New Jersey was able to play tremendous defense because LCA superstar defenders James Todd and David Cotton helped to control the backfield along with LCA goalie Ulysses Wallace.
"Ulysses (Wallace) played the first half and he made four good saves," said Steffen, whose goalie collected eight saves overall in the contest. "It was a good game and both sides played excellent. The passing was really good."
New Jersey captured a 4-3 decision over Pennsylvania on the girls’ side. Senior forward Sam Weer, who finished her stellar career at LCA with over 100 lifetime goals, played in the contest. Chloe Bercaw, a midfielder, and April Hatcher, a defender, were LCA’s other representatives on Nowicki’s victorious Jersey team. The games were trial runs, but all the kids played and the games were so successful on so many levels that they’ve decided to have an all-star game next season too.

