North soccer in position for states

Knights soccer knocks off ND

By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
   Everything is coming together for Briana Taft and the West Windsor-Plainsboro North girls’ soccer team just in the nick of time.
   First, Taft got her wish by convincing Knights head coach Kevin Mackenzie to move her up to the front line. Then, the Knights managed two must-wins to put them in position to qualify for the state tournament with a win or tie in Thursday’s scheduled game against Trenton.
   ”Finally, we’re all coming together,” said Taft, a senior co-captain. “I feel like we’re all on the same page.”
   The Knights earned their most impressive win of the season, 2-1, over Notre Dame on Tuesday. It was just the second loss of the season for the Irish.
   ”That was a playoff game for us,” said Mackenzie, whose team improved to 6-6 with one game remaining before the state cutoff to be .500. “We have to beat or tie Trenton (Thursday). If we lost to Notre Dame, that wouldn’t have mattered.”
   Likewise, they couldn’t afford a loss to Lawrence on Saturday. The teams were tied, 1-1, at halftime before WW-P North scored five goals in the second half to win going away. Taft had a goal and assist in the win over Lawrence from her new spot up top.
   ”I’ve played forward in travel for basically my whole entire life,” Taft said. “Freshman year, he moved me to midfield and sophomore year I was back to defense. Every year, I beg him to be a forward. After a while, he said OK.
   ”I’ve waited so long to be up top,” she said, “that I’m trying to give it my all.”
   There is no holding back for any of the Knights with so much at stake over the last two weeks.
   ”It’s been pretty hectic,” Taft said. “We try to push as hard as we can in practice. We take it day by day.”
   The Knights haven’t been able to afford to look ahead. Mackenzie went so far as to not tell his team about its Mercer County Tournament draw against rival WW-P South before the Notre Dame game because he didn’t want anything to distract the Knights.
   For seniors like Taft, there is added importance. This season is their last chance to play in the state tournament, and any losses in the last week could have doomed those hopes.
   ”It’s been on my mind for the past week and a half,” Taft said. “If we lose one more game, we’re done. Going in with the mindset that this could be our last game, it really motivates us.”
   The Knights have gotten comfortable in their new roles. Taft has slid up to forward, Stefanie Parrott has dropped to offensive midfielder and Megan Chismar is the new sweeper. All three were starters before, but Taft is finally where she wants to play.
   ”She’s always done what we’ve wanted,” Mackenzie said. “She makes us very dangerous up front. She’s very athletic and fast and has good skills.
   ”She sees the game well,” he added. “She tackles well. She’s great in the air. She’s a good player. She can play anywhere on the field. I pulled her back with five minutes left in the Notre Dame game, so we had an extra defender back there with Megan. We wanted to make sure we preserved the lead.”
   WW-P North jumped to a 2-0 lead on goals by senior co-captain Sarah Alesio and freshman Christine Niciforo. The Knights didn’t relinquish the lead as they stayed in position to make the state tournament.
   ”It’s big for us to be able to win a game like that and beat a good team going into states in a game that mattered,” Mackenzie said. “I think we’re playing very well. The girls never lost confidence. It says a lot about their character. They never packed it in. They had confidence. Even going into Notre Dame, they were confident. We’re feeling good about the way we’re playing.”
   Just in the nick of time.