Simon leads her team to greater heights

BY WAYNE WITKOWSKI Staff Writer

It’s around this time of the year that the goalie shows her value to the Brick Memorial girls soccer team and to many others around the state, and Amanda Simon is ready to step up to that challenge.

And Simon can put her finger on why: her determination. She came back last week from a mild fracture of the ring finger of her right hand that kept her out of goal for two games, and when she returned, she was near perfect in those two games. She helped shut down Southern, 6-1, as Brick Memorial clinched its eighth Shore Conference A South title in Bill Caruso’s 12 years as head coach. On Friday, she picked up her sixth shutout of the season, 4-0, in the team’s Shore Conference Tournament opener against Manalapan. Round two was Monday against Ocean, with the semifinals set for Wednesday.

“I’m ready. I want to win,” said the junior whose 14-2 team has won 13 of its last 14 games.

With the victory over Manalapan at the state cutoff, Caruso anticipates a No. 4 seed for the state tournament that begins on Monday. Brick Memorial had a string of three straight NJSIAA Group IV titles that ended two seasons ago. It won the Shore Conference title two years ago.

Simon only tapes up the finger before games – no splint – and admits that it “hurts from time to time, but I work through it. When the adrenalin gets going, I don’t feel it so much.”

And it’s a good thing she is ready, since Caruso said his mistaken judgment could have been costly to the team.

“We played not as strong in the first half (leading 1-0) and had a terrible rainstorm and wind,” said Caruso. “We were playing on an artificial surface at Veterans (Middle School), but I probably made a wrong decision to play it, even though it turned out the way it did. They could’ve gotten a lucky goal with the wind to their backs, and if we got thunder and lightning, they could have called the game.

“I’m just so eager to get out there and play. I got mad at myself and apologized to the team afterward,” said Caruso.

Christina Cuffari scored the hat trick, giving her 16 goals for the season, and Alyssa Keating put in the other, her 10th, and each had an assist. Keating had the hat trick against Southern.

“During the season, we want to win and play well, but when it’s tournament time, you want to win and advance, even if it’s an ugly win,” said Caruso.

It’s times like that when the goalie comes into the forefront. Lauren Acosta knows. She played on a state championship team at Brick Memorial in her senior year before embarking on a college career at Rutgers, and currently coaches goalies Simon and Megan Heerwagon as a Brick Memorial assistant. Heerwagon played the two games Simon missed.

“She’s looking very solid right now,” Acosta said of Simon. “It’s the time of year we depend on her for big saves, and she’s got a great attitude. She’s not afraid and is confident coming off the line. And she’s very coachable. She’s open-minded and willing to learn.”

“Two things about her are her intensity and presence,” said Acosta.

“She’s a true leader, stepping up and taking control of the whole field. She’s strong in all areas, but she had trouble with high balls. She really learned what she has to do to make saves.”

Simon said that she knew she had to improve to complement a solid defensive back line anchored by Jourdan Thompson along with Jackie Jannicki and Briana Fischer, a late addition to the back line as Kaitlin Carey recovers from a fractured knee. Carey has been in physical therapy of late and is working to return before the end of the season.

“I think I improved a lot,” said Simon. “I got a lot better with punting and coming out (off the line) and being confident.”

Acosta said Heerwagon also is “coming along,” and Caruso said that knowing he has a second goalie he can turn to if needed “helps me sleep at night.”

“She [Simon] struggled in the beginning of the year and has come around and now is mentally and physically ready,” said Acosta. “Next year, it’ll be really fun to see who steps up of the two.”

Acosta said the “most important thing [in the postseason] is to play with heart. One of our goals is to concentrate on the small things and make sure we’re improving, and that’s what we’re doing. We’re getting better and better. I’m really excited about it.”