Monroe’s season ends with CJ III setback to Princeton

By: Rich Fisher
   Kathy Dillon did her best to find out about the Princeton High girls soccer team.
   Since the Little Tigers play in Mercer County’s Colonial Valley Conference, Dillon had no area coaches to ask for help. She consulted the Trenton papers to see if they had any tidbits, but came up with nothing too earth-shattering.
   Once she saw the Little Tigers in person, however, it didn’t take Dillon long to figure out that her Monroe squad was dealing with some speed and some talent.
   The 9th-seeded Little Tigers parlayed that combo into two second-half goals in taking a 2-1 victory over the 8th-seeded Falcons in a Central Jersey Group III first-round game Monday.
   "I didn’t have any scouting report," Dillon said. "I tried to send some feelers out, but I couldn’t get anything major on them. They really don’t have that one go-to person.
   "But they’re a very skilled team. They play fast, and they played quite well today. I think we played well, but they had one more goal than us, that’s how it worked out."
   For a while, however, Monroe had one more goal than the Little Tigers.
   It came midway through the first half, when Elyse Micciulla slipped a pass to Alanna Carr in the middle of the box. Carr lofted a perfect shot over the keeper’s head to give Monroe a 1-0 lead.
   Princeton, which was relentless in attacking the goal, came out fired up after intermission, and finally tied it when freshman Emma Karp weaved through several defenders before scoring.
   "They came out in the second half ready to score," Dillon said. "They dominated the first 15 minutes of the second half. I couldn’t even tell you how many shots they got off. They were goal hungry and that’s what you need to be when you’re down."
   After that goal, Monroe seemed to momentarily find its rhythm. Stephanie Salvador had a decent scoring chance that was saved by goalie Mary McNutt, and moments later Kim Soltys chipped one in that McNutt had to charge from the goal to save before a Falcon could get a foot on it.
   But that would be it for any serious threats, and with eight minutes left Karp scored the game-winner on a beautiful goal.
   "She was very good," Dillon said. "She actually transitioned the ball and controlled the middle of the field quite well."
   Despite the loss, Dillon was pleased with her team’s efforts. The Falcons were outshot, 16-8, with Caitlin Hoskins making 13 saves. But the coach was not complaining.
   "I can honestly say, I’ve never been unhappy with the way my girls play," Dillon said. "Every time they step out on the field they’re out there for 110 percent all the time. They give me everything they’ve got."
   The loss ended Monroe’s season at 12-7. The Falcons were knocked from the Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament last Thursday in a 3-0 loss to East Brunswick.
   "Even their coach said we dominated the first half," Dillon said. "They popped an early goal on us, and sometimes that can break your back.
   "But we came out wanting to win and we did quite well. We just didn’t have the finish we needed. In the second half, they came back and took over a little more. They had a corner kick, popped back out and the girl put it in while my girl was screened. Then they had a penalty kick, and that was a back breaker."
   Although Monroe finished the season with two straight tournament losses, Dillon will look back on the campaign with a smile.
   "I’m losing three seniors, we have a lot of juniors so we have a lot coming back," she said. "I think we had a great season. I’m very proud of everything they’ve done as a team.
   "We weren’t expected to do as much this year, we lost six seniors that were dominant players on our team. This team stepped it up quite a bit and did a nice job."