South Brunswick High School goalie Lizzie Ruedemann kicks a shot away from the Vikings’ goal during an Oct. 1 game at East Brunswick High School. The Bears edged the Vikings, 1-0. STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER ERIC SUCAR Thanks to a balanced scoring attack and an ever-stingy defense, South Brunswick High School’s girls soccer team has run off 11 straight wins since the fall campaign began.
The Lady Vikings are coming off a solid 1-0 success against Monroe Township High School on Oct. 2, as sophomore Samantha Rivera scored the lone goal and fellow sophomore Sydney Schneider kept yet another clean sheet in goal. Schneider has made nearly 60 saves in 11 games, recording seven shutouts and allowing just four opposition goals.
At the other end of the field, coach Beth Barrio’s team has found the net 34 times, led by Juliana Franco’s 10 goals. The junior also has four assists. They key to South Brunswick’s offense lies in the fact that the Lady Vikings have a slew of girls who can put the ball in the net.
Francesca Dimitrakis has seven goals to go with four assists, while freshman midfielder Damali Simon-Ponte has scored six goals and assisted on five others. Sunna Baig has four goals, Michaela Knoblock has netted three and Katrina Morales has a pair of goals, including one on an incredible 40- plus-yard free kick against Montgomery High School. “First and foremost, these girls are a team, and they play as one,” Barrio said. “Everyone contributes. Our players are talented and versatile, and we have excellent senior leadership.”
One of South Brunswick’s biggest wins came on Sept. 27 against East Brunswick High School. The Lady Vikings went into the intermission down 1-0, but they came back to win on goals by Morales and Dimitrakis, as Schneider made nine saves. It marked the second victory over the Bears this season for Barrio’s team and kept South Brunswick in the driver’s seat in the race for the Greater Middlesex Conference (GMC) Red Division title.
South Brunswick’s boys soccer team picked up a pair of wins to improve its record to 7-3-1. Harrison Kudwitt had a goal and an assist, while Sean Louhisdon and Ryan Philip also scored in a 3-2 victory against Piscataway Township High
School on Oct. 2.
Previously, the Vikings downed St.
Joseph High School of Metuchen, 4-1, on
Sept. 30. Keiler Knapp and Jermaine
Small each posted a goal and an assist, and
Matt Cannon and Philip tallied as well.
Arvind Swaminathan made six saves in net for the winners.
At neighboring North Brunswick Township High School, the girls soccer team split a pair of matches and is now 4-4-2 on the season. On Sept. 30, the Raiders fell, 2- 1, to Sayreville War Memorial High School. Down 2-0 after the first half, the Raiders fought back thanks to a Julie Youngman goal, but they were unable to get the equalizer. Youngman scored the game’s lone goal, converting a Tatum Altman pass, in a 1-0 win against South Plainfield High School. Danielle Segerholm kept a clean sheet in goal for the Raiders.
Girls volleyball
The Raiders’ girls volleyball team downed South Plainfield, 2-0, on Oct. 3 to up its record to 9-2 on the year.
Christina Ko had four aces, five digs and an assist; and Cassie Luken contributed four kills, three digs and an ace. On Sept. 30, North Brunswick upended Monroe, 2-0, with Nnenna Ibe posting seven kills to go with a pair of blocks. Setter Zoey Woody pitched in with 14 assists, five digs and a kill.
South Brunswick’s girls volleyball team picked up two victories and also has nine wins on the year against just one defeat.
The Lady Vikings downed Piscataway, 2-0, on Oct. 1, as Julia Burzynski recorded 14 kills and Sophie Kong aced three serves. On Sept. 29, South Brunswick bounced back after dropping the opening set to get past J.P. Stevens High School, 2-1. Kong had 12 digs and three more aces, while Burzynski added eight kills and six digs. Elizabeth Ruley, the Lady Vikings’ setter, had 28 assists.
Field hockey
In field hockey, the Lady Vikings opened the week with a triumph, but then lost two matches to fall to 5-5 on the year. Danielle Gallagher netted two goals and Mollie Hayes added a goal, as Liz Ruedemann made seven saves in a 3-0 victory over Old Bridge High School on Sept. 29.
On Oct. 1, South Brunswick lost a tough 1-0 decision against East Brunswick despite out-shooting the Bears by a 2-1 margin. The following day, Monroe defeated the Lady Vikings, 4-1. Ruedemann made nine saves in the loss, while Gallagher, assisted by Hayes, scored for South Brunswick.
Football
North Brunswick’s football team (1-3) fell to Monroe, 36-6. Kevin Poindexter hooked up with tight end Joe Castellanos for the Raiders’ lone touchdown.