North field hockey edges Allentown
By: Justin Feil
Running in her full equipment isn’t easy, but Melanie Zapantis may have set some sort of goalie dash record Thursday.
Zapantis was all the way at the other end of the field when her West Windsor-Plainsboro North field hockey team scored on a corner with no time on the clock in the second overtime to top Allentown, 2-1. She wasted little time in joining in the all-out celebration.
"I just wanted to get in with the team," Zapantis said. "It was such a rush."
There was plenty of reason to rejoice in Christine Franz’s game-winning shot. The Knights passed their first big test and improved to 5-0 on the young season. They also beat perennial power Allentown for the first time since the 2003 season.
"We all felt so good after that game," said Zapantis, who saved 10 shots in the win. "That game was definitely a test for all of us, for the first-year varsity and returning varsity players."
The Knights were most encouraged by the play of their defense. Zapantis, a junior, is in her first year as starting varsity goalie, backs Danielle Sleeper and Katie Slonaker are new to varsity and defensive mid Kelly Troianello has moved from her old left midfielder position.
"Our defense has improved 100 percent since the first week," said Knights head coach Shannon Maruca. "We’ve moved some different girls there. It’s a totally new defense. That was one of my concerns.
"Melanie hadn’t been tested. You don’t know when your goalie doesn’t get to touch the ball. It’s been our midfield and offensive line. We finally got a chance to see what our goalie and backs could do. The coaches, we were so excited."
Zapantis started on the junior varsity as a freshman and last year as a sophomore, though she also served as varsity back-up. The Knights had hardly allowed the ball across midfield in racing out to a 4-0 start to the season, but they were looking forward to the challenges presented by the Redbirds.
"I was excited to play Allentown," Zapantis said. "I was pumped. I came into the game and I knew I was going to get more playing time on the ball than in other games I played in. Allentown, for me, would be one of the games where it was going to be a challenge for us.
"It’s definitely exciting to watch the game. In the other four games, even though the defense barely touched the ball, it’s such a rush to watch your team do well. Just seeing our team do well, that made it exciting for me. Actually touching the ball in the Allentown game, that made it 10 times more exciting."
It got a tad too exciting for the Knights when Zapantis had to make a 1-on-1 breakaway save after both teams picked up the pace in the second half. WW-P North took a 1-0 lead but Allentown answered right back. Both offenses had good chances the remainder of the second half and through both overtimes.
"They play a cherry picker and they have beautiful passes," Maruca said. "If they get the ball to No. 7, she’s gone. There were quite a few breakaway situations. She saved two in the second half. It was crazy. It was an insane game."
Coming out on top gives the Knights some incredible momentum. The drama of the ending was almost too much for Maruca to watch. Time expired in the second overtime as WW-P North was awarded a corner. The corner had to be played out, and Meg Pisani took the entry pass and fed Franz, who fired it into the back of the cage.
"We just heard that noise," Maruca said. "I’ve never seen a goal scored in an overtime on a corner. We just heard it hit the backboard."
Added Zapantis: "I was hoping that goal went in. Time ran out and I was standing there thinking, ‘Please go in, please go in.’ The shot looked amazing. I don’t know what went on there, but it looked like everything came together. Everyone connected so well. It was so exciting to watch."
In practice, Zapantis gets a first-hand look at just how potent the WW-P North offense can be. She frequently faces the top line’s corners.
"I know how intense they are with their corners," Zapantis said. "I definitely get practice. I’m always prepared. With their level of intensity, it shows me I can take that level and anything with it. It definitely helps."
Zapantis is feeling even more confident going into today’s game against Ewing after meeting her own high expectations in the win over Allentown. She had a measure of confidence before the game, but there was still the uncertainty of how she would do against the Redbirds pressure.
"I was confident," she said. "But I was still nervous because in previous games, I didn’t get as much playing time with the ball. I was in the game, but I didn’t touch the ball. I wasn’t sure, am I going to do well or am I not? I was confident with the team. The team together, we’re very tight and we trust each other. I trusted the defense and offense."
They worked in unison for a big win for the Knights. WW-P North comes off a year in which it tied the program record for wins in a year with 13. The Knights are hoping that this year could be even better, and getting a win over Allentown helps fuel that speculation.
"They’re very strong, very aggressive and fast," Maruca said. "We just kind of picked up the pace in the beginning of the game. Then they started to pick it up. It was too intense for me. It was a great game both ways. It was very physical.
"I think it just proves that teams are beatable and this team is good," she added. "They’re as good as they can be. That was a big confidence booster for these girls. Every girl, going into Allentown they’re usually thinking they’re going to lose or hoping they lose by only a goal or two. It does prove something. Allentown is good. They’re always going to be strong."
The win shows that the Knights will also be a tough team to deal with this season. They return a veteran offense that is still getting better. Maruca in particular pointed out that the passing has been sharper in the last week. Scarier still for opponents is that Thursday’s win over Allentown proved that the Knights also have a powerful new defense as well.
"We’ve always had good starts," Maruca said. "It’s a better start because we beat Allentown. We beat a team we haven’t beaten in three years. We’ve talked about we can’t let down. Now the pressure is on us."
After facing her first test of the season, Melanie Zapantis feels that she and the Knights are ready.
"We’re prepared for anything," she said. "There’s always those little things you have to work on. We still have little improvements to make."

