Sean Moylan Sports Writer
The Life Center Academy girls’ varsity soccer team beat Cumberland Christian in a shootout to win this past weekend’s Atlantic Christian School Cougar Classic Tournament at the Atlantic Christian School.
The contest was knotted at 1-1 after regulation as Chloe Bercaw had the Warriors’ lone goal. Then LCA beat Cumberland 4-3 in the shootout.
“LCA was seeded #1 in the championship game,” added Life Center Academy head coach Tammy Nowicki.
LCA started the tourney with a 2-2 (3-0 in the shootout) win over Atlantic Christian.
In their second game, the Warriors played Cumberland to a 1-1 deadlock (Sarah Tenney scored for LCA), before beating Cumberland in a shootout (LCA scored 5 goals to Cumberland’s 3).
In its third game, LCA dropped a 2-0 decision to Baptist High, but it won the tourney anyway.
Life Center Academy’s Chloe Bercaw, Bianca Taylor, Jazmyne Hinson and Cayla Bercaw all made the All-Tournament team.
On Monday, Hamilton West defeated LCA, 6-0, at Florence.
Life Center Academy rebounded from that loss with a 2-1 home victory over Solebury on Tuesday. Chloe Bercaw scored both of LCA’s goals. Kelli Michalski assisted on both of Bercaw’s tallies.
LCA (7-3) is scheduled to host the Academy of the New Church today (Thursday). It is scheduled to host Akiba Hebrew Academy on Monday.
FLORENCE
Down to just 13 players, the Florence High girls’ varsity soccer team struggled this past week and lost all three of its games.
Last Thursday, despite yet another solid game by goalie Angela Federico, Florence dropped a 3-0 decision at Palmyra, which is threatening to run away with the Freedom Division.
“Federico is awesome,” said Florence head coach Mary Bauer, who is waiting for her team to recover from some injuries.
Then last Friday the Blue Devils beat the Flashes 4-2 at Burlington City.
Florence also lost a 4-0 game at Bordentown this past Monday. However, the Flashes are looking to make up some ground as they start playing more league opponents in the coming weeks.
Florence was scheduled to have played a road game at Riverside yesterday (Wednesday). Florence is scheduled to host Maple Shade on Friday, Moorestown Friends on Monday and Pemberton on Tuesday.
BRHS
“For the most part we did a very good job (Monday),” said Bordentown Regional High girls’ varsity soccer head coach Dominick Castaldo, after his Scotties hosted and defeated the Florence Flashes 4-0 this past Monday afternoon.
Nicole Walls played the first half in goal for Bordentown and she made four saves. Then, with his club leading 3-0 at intermission, Castaldo decided to use Vicki Villalba as his goalkeeper in the second stanza. Villalba had missed some games with a dislocated finger and Castaldo was anxious to get her some action. V. Villalba played very well and made two saves to help preserve the shutout.
A little more than 10 minutes into the first half, Kiley Dougherty scored the Scotties’ first goal off a feed from Leah Shaw. Then less than a minute later, Shaw assisted on a Shelia Frank goal. Then with 3:35 remaining in the first half, Brittany Bakeman added a back-
breaking goal to give Bordentown a 3-0 edge going into the half.
Jessica Villalba, assisted by Molly Napolitano, scored the Scotties’ final goal early in the second half.
“Jessica Villalba played a real nice game,” noted Castaldo. “The shots (21 of them) we were taking were shots of quality.”
Last Thursday night in Cinnaminson, the Pirates beat the Scotties 3-0.
“We were tight. We were just not playing relaxed,” said Castaldo, whose club did have a few good runs against a quality Cinnaminson soccer team.
The Pirates, however, took 21 shots to just five for Bordentown. Walls made nine saves in defeat.
Jessica Villalba is having a fine year for Bordentown and she always seems to be in the middle of all the action.
Bordentown (5-3) was scheduled to have played a night game versus Delran yesterday (Wednesday). Bordentown is scheduled to host Holy Cross on Friday. Bordentown is scheduled at Trenton Catholic Academy next Tuesday.

