A fter a slow start, Red Bank Catholic (RBC) High School’s girls soccer team rebounded to make its way to the finals of the NJSIAA Non-Public South Jersey A sectional tournament.
After a tough 1-0 loss to Colts Neck High School on Oct. 7, the Caseys drew with Red Bank Regional High School the following day to put their record at 7-5-1. A pair of 1-0 wins over Freehold High School and Wall High School, with sophomore Sophia Demurjian scoring in both games and junior netminder Jackie Robinson turning aside eight Wall shots, followed.
RBC then shut out Long Branch High School and Neptune High School, and things appeared to have turned around. However, coach Frank Lawrence’s team fell to Shore Regional High School, 4-3, in the opening round of the Shore Conference Tournament, as the Blue Devils scored three times in the first half.
“After winning the Shore tournament the year before, that was a really tough loss,” Lawrence said. “We had been playing well, but things didn’t work out for us that day.”
So the Caseys put their focus on the state sectionals. RBC bounced back with a 1-0 win against Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School in a tune-up game, as freshman Jyllissa Harris scored the lone goal, while Robinson and the Caseys’ defense made it stand up.
Seeded fourth, Lawrence’s team opened the state tournament with a 2-1 win over Camden Catholic High School, as Harris and Olivia Lucia scored. Harris netted the only RBC goal against Notre Dame High School in a quarterfinals match that was 1- 1 before being decided in the Caseys’ favor on the ninth penalty kick.
Attacking fullback Emily Holtz and Lucia each scored and Robinson made 12 saves as RBC advanced to the finals with a 2-1 win over Bishop Eustace Preparatory School. Second-seeded Holy Cross High School bested the Caseys, 1-0, in the title game.
“I was disappointed with the loss, but not with the way the girls played,” Lawrence said. “They gave it their all, and they really battled back after losing in the Shore [tournament]. I felt bad for the seniors because it was their last game. At the same time, I could see in the younger players just how upset they were. The whole experience will help us next year.”
The Caseys will have plenty of talent coming back. Harris and Lucia, a junior midfielder, were tied for the team lead in goals. Holtz, a sophomore, joined the offense to the tune of four goals and eight assists, and freshman Brianna Urbanski, who struggled through minor injuries, tallied four goals and two assists. Demurjian, a sophomore, also played through injuries and posted four goals to go along with eight assists.
Another key is the return of the acrobatic Robinson in goal. In seven different matches, the junior made 10 or more saves, including a 15-save performance in an early season, 2-1 overtime victory against Wall.
RBC will lose Christina Balacco, who scored four goals and led the team with 10 assists, and Abby Shroba, who had three goals and four assists, to graduation. Midfielders Sabrina Graziano, Kelly Jacoby and Jenna Murcado, as well as fullback Kiera Farley, will also graduate in June.
“It speaks well of our depth that our scoring was so spread out,” Lawrence said. “We did have a lot of injuries and illnesses, and the girls deserve a lot of credit because we were moving players around on a game-bygame basis. That also enabled more girls to play. I think we have all the elements coming back next year to be a very strong team.”