GIRLS SOCCER
By Tim Falls, Sports Editor
Colleen Williams and Emily Kianka each scored twice against Steinert in a rare win for the Hopewell Valley Central High School girls soccer team on Monday.
The Bulldogs beat the Spartans, 4-1, in the quarterfinal round of the Mercer County Tournament. Hopewell last defeated Steinert in 1999.
Hopewell was scheduled to play nationally-ranked Pennington in a semifinal game at Mercer County Community College yesterday. The Red Raiders have been the top team in the NSCAA/adidas High School Rankings and the ESPN Risse Poll for the past five weeks. Pennington’s Erin Simon, Heidi Sabatura and Kaitlyn Kerr have been selected by ESPN Rise as national players of the week.
In the quarterfinal game against Steinert, Williams put Hopewell ahead in the first minutes of play by beating the Spartan defenders and blasting a shot by Steinert’s goalie.
Hopewell goalie, Elise Fengler did her best to preserve her team’s lead, including making a brilliant save on a Spartan header, but Steinert managed to tie the score, 1-1, in the first half.
Even after the Steinert goal, Hopewell seemed to have all the momentum and kept trying to retake the lead.
Late in the first half, Nicole Ferrara used her speed to carry the ball into the 18-yard box and, despite double coverage, played a cross to Megan Haggert, who one-timed a shot just over the net. Hopewell also almost went ahead on header off of a corner kick that careened off the inside of the near post.
In the second half, Hopewell would not be denied as Williams scored on a free kick.
Kianka cushioned Hopewell’s lead by knocking in a rebound and scoring a second goal off an assist from Williams.
Fengler made five saves and held Steinert to just one goal allowing Hopewell to advance to the semifinals.
Fenger posted a shut out in the first round of the tournament. The Hopewell goalie made eight saves as the Bulldogs defeated Lawrence, 5-0, in a rainy game on Saturday.
”I thought we did a real good job, especially in the first half with the weather,” said Hopewell coach John McGinley. “We weren’t sure which side to take and to get three goals going against the win was huge.”
Hopewell took a three goal lead in the first half and extended that lead with two second-half goals.
”Lawrence put great pressure on us early,” said McGinley. “We hung in there and did a nice job.”
Williams tallied twice against the Cardinals, while Kianka, Ferrara and Erica Henry each scored once. Kianka provided two assists.
Hopewell had defeated Lawrence, 4-0, earlier in the season, but did not take the Cardinals lightly.
”Every game is important all season,” said McGinley, “but when everyone realizes it’s do or die, sometimes a team can get tight. They’re coached well and play good soccer. One or two breaks and we might have been down, 1-0. We don’t take anybody for granted, it’s too good a league.”

