The Bordentown Regional High School girls’ soccer team saw its season end early this fall.
The Scotties were eliminated in the state sectional tournament’s first round, but there may be signs of better things to come down the road for this program.
Bordentown ended the year with an 8-10 record but did manage a 5-3 mark in the Burlington County Scholastic League’s Patriot Division. The Scotties placed second to Holy Cross Preparatory Academy, which finished 7-1 to win the division title.
After a 2018 season where Bordentown finished 6-13 overall, a winning division record this year, along with another state sectional playoff appearance, indicated the improvement that the program has enjoyed.
Bordentown’s improved season clinched the Scotties a berth in the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 2 sectional tournament.
Coming in as the No. 10 seed, the Scotties faced seventh-seeded Arthur L. Johnson High School in Clark on Oct. 28. Bordentown fell to the Union County school, 1-0.
Although a deep playoff run was not in the cards for the Scotties this season, there were still multiple highs that they can build on going into next year.
Prior to the start of the season, coach Dominick Castaldo said that he was optimistic.
Although Castaldo said that he team’s challenges in previous years may have been the result of a young squad, the upcoming talent and experience holds potential for a bright future.
One of those bright points for Bordentown was sophomore forward Lexi Mazzella.
Mazzella was the top offensive player a year ago when she led the Scotties with 18 goals and five assists. In 2019, she paced the offense again with 16 goals and seven assists.
From those 16 goals, Mazzella posted five multi-goal games this season. She gained hat tricks against Pemberton High School at home on Sept. 18 in a 6-0 victory, while she completed the feat again on Oct. 4 against Delran High School in a 5-3 road loss.
She also connected on a pair of goals three separate times this year.
In Bordentown’s Sept. 4 season opener at New Egypt High School, Mazzella’s two goals guided the Scotties to a 2-0 victory. Another two-goal game from Mazzella was the deciding factor again in a 3-1 road victory on Sept. 13 against Hamilton West High School. In a Sept. 26 home game against New Egypt, she recorded two goals again to help secure a 3-1 victory for the Scotties.
With Mazzella situated at the top of the pitch for Bordentown, Castaldo said prior to the start of the season that he not only anticipated another strong individual performance from her, but pointed out her teamwork abilities as well. With seven assists on the season, she proved herself to be a vital component among the squad.
Contributions throughout the lineup also came from multiple players, which included solid performances from juniors Reiley Lorentz and Haley Russell and freshman Victoria Wheeler. Lorentz registered four goals and two assists; Russell scored three goals and dished out five assists; and Wheeler collected five goals and three assists.
With Mazzella returning to the Scotties in 2020 for her junior year, the continued support from Lorentz, Russell and Wheeler, could be a potential force for Bordertown.