By: Sean Moylan
Sometimes it’s not about trying to destroy the other team.
Sometimes it’s about having fun, playing everyone and walking away with a comfortable win without embarrassing the other squad. Such was the case last Wednesday afternoon in Hamilton as the Florence Township Memorial High School girls’ varsity soccer team blanked Trenton Catholic Academy, 5-0.
"We played okay, but I had a lot of reserves in the game," said Florence head coach Mary Bauer.
Of course, Brittany Spence, who has had the best season of her career, scored Florence’s first goal off a feed by Angela Federico. Federico also delivered an assist on Spence’s and Florence’s second goal of the contest.
"She played well," said Bauer, who used Spence in the midfield. Yet as great as Spence was, Federico had the far more intriguing story. Late in the opening stanza the freshman Florence standout scored her first varsity goal and then things got real interesting.
Bauer let Federico play as a goalie in the second half and she actually made three decent saves. Meanwhile, Florence’s star goalie Kaitlyn Antolic, who only had to stop one shot to keep TCA off the scoreboard in the first half, got a chance to play in the field in the second half and she made the most of it as she tallied Florence’s last goal.
"It was freaky watching her (Antolic) trying to bring the ball up," kidded Bauer, who is more used to watching Antolic diving all over the place, making incredible saves.
Lorraine Perri, assisted by Carly Blanton, scored Florence’s other goal. The Flashes collected 22 shots in the contest.
Florence (7-4-1) was scheduled to have played at New Egypt yesterday (Wednesday). On Friday, Florence is scheduled at Life Center Academy. Then on Tuesday Florence is scheduled to host Palmyra. The Flashes beefed up their schedule this year and they’re still winning. Bauer, of course, deserves a lot of the credit. But so do Spence and Antolic. It’s been a fun year.
BRHS
The Bordentown Regional High School girls’ varsity soccer team is so young that it’s unfair to overreact to the club’s wins and losses.
Nonetheless, the Scotties sure looked great this past week both on paper and on the field.
In fact, this past Tuesday Bordentown hosted and defeated Palmyra 3-1 for one of its best triumphs of the season.
"Today (Tuesday) we showed we could finish against a good team," said Dominick Castaldo, the head coach of the Scotties.
Bordentown’s Sheila Frank scored the first goal of the game and then she iced the game with a second-half tally. Palmyra scored just before the end of the first half but Leah Shaw answered and netted a goal to put the Scotties ahead for good. Bordentown had 25 shots while Palmyra posted 8 shots on goal. Nicole Walls, Bordentown’s goalie, earned the win.
"Today (Tuesday) we played a nice game, but even on Saturday we played a nice game," said Castaldo.
On Saturday, Bordentown dropped a 2-0 road game at Ewing. Ewing scored both of its goals in the second half and the Scotties even outplayed Ewing in a few areas.
"We out shot them 9 to 7 and still lost 2-0," noted Castaldo.
Last Wednesday, Bordentown beat Medford Tech, 5-1, at Northern Community Park. Castaldo played everyone as Jessica Villalba (assisted by Ashley Valentino), Shaw (assisted by Villalba), Valentino (assisted by Shaw), Jackie Gabauer and Harlee Gallo (assisted by Frank) all scored goals for the winning team.
"In the first half it was 2-0 in no time and then it was 4-0," said Castaldo. "They (Medford) try really hard and they’re a good group of kids."
Castaldo used Walls, Frank and some other girls in goal. Bordentown had 20 shots while Medford shot two times. Bordentown climbed back to .500 (6-6-1) with the win over Palmyra.
"Right now we’re going through a rebuilding project and I’m pleased with where we are," said Castaldo, who plays primarily underclassmen. Still Bordentown would love to make the playoffs this season.
Bordentown was scheduled to have played at Burlington Township this past Wednesday (yesterday). Bordentown is scheduled to play Delran in a makeup game on Monday. Bordentown is scheduled at Cinnaminson on Tuesday.
NBC
Larry Young has always liked talent on his Northern Burlington County Regional High School girls’ varsity soccer teams. And while his first couple of years as the Greyhounds’ head coach were successful ones, due to inexperience, injuries and a lack of team chemistry Young’s teams were good but never great. But this season all of that may have changed.
Not only has the team already clinched a playoff spot with it’s fine 7-2 record, it was also recently invited to play in this weekend’s South Jersey Coaches Tournament, an honor which is given to only the best teams in the area.
NBC is scheduled to play at Bishop Eustace on either Friday or Saturday. But at the same time it would like to fit in Friday’s scheduled game with Delran. But other than such minor scheduling conflicts things have been going well for NBC, as players like Morgan Golden, Kim Lebak and Shannon Pennock have developed into scoring stars. And the team continues to blow out opponents in games, which were thought to be toss ups when they were originally put on the schedule.
"It’s taken a few years to get a system in place," said Young, whose current group buys into what he is trying to do. "And physically we’re in good shape. The kids believe in the system. It’s what I envisioned."
Although Julia Logan, a freshman midfielder-forward, is expected to miss some time with an injury, NBC doesn’t have the slew of injuries, which all but ruined previous campaigns
Last Friday’s scheduled game versus Pemberton was postponed to October 16th. But even that worked out as there was a flu bug going around the team at the time and the players didn’t mind having that day off. NBC is no longer the victim of Murphy’s Law. NBC is playing under Young’s Law now, and because of that fact it’s a winner.
Northern Burlington was scheduled at Willingboro yesterday (Wednesday). It is scheduled at Hill West next Wednesday.
LCA
Ashley Nyul became the latest member of the Life Center Academy girls’ varsity soccer team to reach 100 goals for a career when she booted a pair of goals in LCA’s 6-1 win over Villa Victoria this past Tuesday.
Over the past few years Sam Weer and Katie Steffen have also accomplished the feat. Nyul, who now has 101 goals, wasted no time getting number 100.
"Her first goal was scored two minutes into the game," noted LCA head coach Tammy Nowicki.
Chloe Bercaw, Cayla Bercaw, Brittany Hilaman and Kelli Michalski also scored for the Warriors.
Nyul also had two goals in LCA’s 3-1 win over Solebury last Thursday. Chloe Bercaw had the team’s other score.
LCA (8-7) is scheduled to host Florence on Friday.

