By Kyle Moylan, Sports Editor
While some schools spend decades trying to build a program, the Robbinsville High School girls soccer team came with very little assembly required.
In just its third year of existence as a varsity team — and only second in which it had a senior class at the school — Robbinsville has won the Group I state championship. Robbinsville defeated Waldwick, 3-0, in the championship game on Saturday afternoon at The College of New Jersey, in Ewing.
”These girls got excellent training when they were younger and it really shows,” said Robbinsville coach Karen DeRossett. “We’re good. We’re very good. I can say that now because we’re No. 1.”
Not even a cold and windy day could do anything about it. In fact, Laura Greb found a way to make the conditions work in Robbinsville’s favor.
With the game scoreless going into the final minutes of the first half, Greb settled the ball down 40 yards in front of the Waldwick goal. Greb was so far out that she didn’t even have a defender on her. She looked down at the ball, then gave a quick glance to her left and right. “I figured I’d just give it a shot,” Greb said. “I just wanted to get it over the defense. The wind helped it and it got over the goalie’s head.”
Waldwick’s Jill Neugegebauer leaped, but this was not going to be one of her 12 saves in the game. The ball dropped down below the crossbar and stayed above her outstretched hands for a goal with 5:08 left in the half.
At the time, it seemed like a must-goal for Robbinsville. The team was playing with a strong wind at its back and was dominating the game. And in the two title games played on the field earlier in the day, no goals were scored going against the wind.
”I was very nervous about that second half,” noted Robbinsville goalie Mary Jane Seiler. “What was going to happen when we were playing against the wind? I just had to stay confident that we would continue to dominate in the second half.”
It certainly helped to have players like Danielle Douglass, Amanda Douglass, Nicole Hornberger and Nicole Sandusky out in front of the goal area on defense. This group and Seiler combined to keep the opposition scoreless in all four of Robbinsville’s playoff games. Robbinsville ended up outscoring its opponents 15-0 in the playoffs.
”Our goal was to win the state title and not give up any goals the whole time,” Amanda Douglass said. “We’re very proud of the fact we did that. We were concerned about the second half because the wind was so bad. We just had to continue playing our game, a possession game.”
While several of the teams it faced in the playoffs would boot the ball down the field and then try and run after it, Robbinsville played a more deliberate style. It moved the ball with short, crisp passes. On a windy day like Saturday, it was definitely the winning style.
”When you keep the ball on the ground, the wind isn’t that much of a factor,” Greb said.
While Robbinsville’s style allowed it to move the ball against the wind, Waldwick still had the elements working in its favor in the second half. That’s until Carina Fleming turned that all around in one quick move.
Fleming was being covered by Waldwick’s Meredith Dickinson 15 yards and to the right of the goal. Fleming did a quick spin move to clear herself from Dickinson. Coming out of the spin, she located the ball.
”I knew she (Dickinson) was on me so I had to turn and shoot the ball,” Fleming noted. “I saw the goalie coming out a little. All of our shots were going off a little because of the wind. I gave this one my all.”
The shot beat Neugebauer to her right and settled in the side of the goal for a 2-0 Robbinsville lead with 19:53 to play.
A little over 14 minutes later, Greb increased the lead to 3-0. She took a feed from Amanda Douglass, outraced a defender and then beat Neugebauer for a score with 5:14 to play.
Greb nearly added a third goal, but her shot slid just wide left with two minutes to play. But at that point, the goal would have just been icing on top of icing.
”This is our third year as a varsity,” Greb said in almost disbelief, minutes after climbing out from a big celebration that consisted of all the girls jumping on top of each in a big pile on the field. “This is my senior year. We’re the state champs. This is ridiculous. It’s the greatest feeling in the world.”
Obviously, DeRossett was smiling and amazed as well. “Coming into the season, I knew we had a talented bunch,” DeRossett said. “You always hope you can go this far, but you never know.”
Now everyone does.

