After all the good fortune the Jackson High School girls soccer team experienced during the 2007 season, the Lady Jaguars pulled up just a bit short last Thursday in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV championship game against a scrappy Steinert squad.
Steinert scored the contest’s lone goal during the 66th minute to seal a 1-0 victory, ending Jackson’s storybook run through the postseason. Victoria Leigh headed a ball into the left side of the goal following a corner kick to give Steinert the narrow margin of victory.
“They were a very good team,” Jackson coach Drew Gibson said. “They played hard and were aggressive throughout the game. Our kids played extremely well. I thought that we had some scoring chances but didn’t get the lucky bounce.”
The Steinert goal began with solid play in the midfield. Leigh dribbled along the right side and attempted to cross the ball to a teammate in front of the goal. A Jackson player made a great defensive play to knock the pass away.
The ensuing corner kick was lifted to the middle of the box, where Lehigh was able to get her head on the ball, which went into the back of the Jackson goal, setting off a wild celebration for Steinert players and fans.
“We did a good job defensively on the play,” Gibson said. “The kid made a nice move along the sideline, and we defended the cross extremely well. They were awarded a corner kick, and the kid placed the ball where our goalie could not get to it. It wasn’t struck very cleanly, but it was well placed.”
Following the goal, Jackson played with a sense of urgency. They pushed up to the offensive end looking to create scoring opportunities. The Lady Jags had a few good looks, but could not net the tying goal.
In the closing minutes, Kim Menafra nearly headed a shot past Steinert goalie Jessica Belmonte. Menafra took a cross from teammate Liz Conrad. Kristy Lehman also had a shot in the final seconds that failed to find the net.
“We did an excellent job in the last 14 minutes trying to knot the score,” Gibson said. “The kids played with a lot of aggression and we had some chances. There was no quit in us. Our girls wanted to win this game badly. They gave everything they had.”
Jackson closes the season with an overall mark of 19-5. In addition, the Jags captured the Shore Conference Tournament title for the first time in school history.
Dana Costello led the team in scoring with 13 goals and 12 assists, while Jordan Bunch added 13 goals and six assists.