Lady Raiders eliminated in CJ 4 quarterfinals

Unbeaten Steinert ends fine HHS season

By: Rudy Brandl
   The Hillsborough High girls’ soccer team ran into the same predicament as last season in this year’s Central Jersey Group 4 playoffs. For the second straight year, the Lady Raiders won a game before suffering a quarterfinal round elimination loss to the top seed in the bracket.
   Thursday afternoon in Hamilton, the HHS girls fought hard and played top-ranked Steinert even for most of the game before allowing two late goals in a 2-0 loss that ended their season. Last year, defending Group 4 champ Brick Memorial knocked out the Lady Raiders.
   Hillsborough (14-5) controlled the early part of the game and nearly took a 1-0 lead late in the first half when Mary Bednar’s 35-yard free kick hit the crossbar. Bednar had another chance to score in the second half but her shot hit the side of the net.
   Steinert (21-0) dominated the second half with 15 shots and finally broke through the stubborn HHS defense with 9:15 to play in regulation. The Spartans tacked on an insurance goal three minutes later and advanced to the sectional semifinals.
   HHS senior goalkeeper Taryn O’Connor played a superb game with 13 saves, including a few huge stops on breakaways.
    "We kept it respectable," Lady Raider head coach LeeAnn Wyble said afterward. "We’re definitely walking out of here knowing this was the best team they played. They had to earn this win."
   For more in-depth stories on all the HHS teams competing in the state playoffs, see Thursday’s Hillsborough Beacon.