New Egypt Getting through the opening round of the NJSIAA Tournament became harder for New Egypt High School’s soccer teams once Hurricane Sandy hit. Add to that a freak snowstorm late last week and the second round became a scheduling nightmare.
The girls team (13-7-1) was finally scheduled to play its first Central Jersey Group I game on Nov. 12 after receiving an opening round bye. No. 4 seed New Egypt played No. 5 seed Highland Park High School, which remained out of power through most of the town last week, in the second round.
In a 5-0 shutout over the visiting Owls, goalkeeper Amber Steen turned aside 10 shots on goal for the clean sheet, while outside midfielder Kayla Bancroft contributed two goals. Fellow-outside midfielder Nicole Miller, Michaela Schenker and striker Jamie Soles added a goal each, and Kat Tinnirello had an assist.
The girls move on to play top-seeded Metuchen High School, which defeated Bound Brook High School in its quarterfinals matchup, 6-0, when the semifinals get underway on Nov. 15.
New Egypt’s top-seeded boys are enjoying a 16-1-1 season and its first perfect record in the Burlington County Scholastic League (BCSL) Freedom Division. It hosts No. 8 seed Asbury Park High School, which defeated Florence Township Memorial High School, 3-0, in the opening round, in a quarterfinals matchup on Nov. 14.
The Warriors advanced after a 9-1 opening victory over South Hunterdon Regional High School on Nov. 10, as Adam Coyle scored five goals to raise his season total to 20 and Travis Ward fired in his 27th goal as one of the tops in the state along with three assists. Nick Sample scored a goal and his two assists gives him a school record of 20 for the season. Ken Johnston scored his 12th goal and Ian Manguerra closed the scoring.
Ryan Grasso and Connor Ingenbrant shared the goalkeeping duties, as they have all season.
Prior to their game against Highland Park, girls coach Jen Kociuba said she and her players “were relieved to get back to normal. It was all nerveracking, but as long as the kids are safe, we’re okay. We just tried to get ready as best as we could and whatever happens, happens.”
Soles and Bancroft lead the scoring with eight goals each, while
Miller has seven. Jordan Beckett and Elena Brown are the inside midfielders, while Kim Wilson,
Emily Garvey, Bridget Buckalew and Tinnirello will look to continue minimizing scoring threats against Steen. New Egypt boys coach Sam Palumbo also feels his team needs to recapture the form it had three weeks ago.
“We just have to play our game and keep the ball on the ground and use our athleticism to our advantage,” Palumbo said, as his team has bounced back from its 2-1 loss to Haddon Heights High School in the South Jersey Coaches tournament semifinals.
Ward, Coyle and Sample were selected to the BCSL coaches All-Division first team with stopper Ken Stillwell and sweeper Matt Dey. Defender Keith Zarrielo and midfielder Ken Johnston were named to the second team. Midfielder Kennard Taylor and fullback Lunter Lang complete the lineup.