Is it possible that one of the longest and most impressive runs in New Jersey high school sports history could be on the verge of coming to an end?
It could be if you follow a trend that began last year when East Brunswick High School’s girls’ soccer team finished with a 15-7-1 record and is currently 6-4 this season. These records are in stark contrast to what the Bears have achieved ever since girls’ soccer became a varsity sport in the mid-1970s. Rarely did a season go by without East Brunswick winning at least 20 matches and being ranked among the best teams in the state.
Perhaps the most noteworthy achievement is the 33 Middlesex County Athletic Conference (1978-1985) and Greater Middlesex Conference (1985-present) tournament championships, which means another team won the title only three times.
After opening this season with five victories, East Brunswick seemed to hit a wall and was shut out in its next four matches before halting the losing streak Oct. 5 with a 4- 1 victory over J.P. Stevens High School (0-8 division, 2-8 overall).
“We need to find more consistency with goal-scoring,” said Kevin Brady, East Brunswick coach. “We had a breakout offensive performance against Old Bridge (a 4-0 shutout), but we haven’t come close to duplicating that effort since.”
That was until the Stevens game, which provided a muchneeded victory even though it came against the GMC Red Division’s last place team.
The leading scorer is junior Katrina Nguyen-DeMary with four goals, while sophomore Sabria Glasgow has three goals and four assists. Seniors Courtney Brancato (three goals), Melissa Ciaccio (two goals, one assist) and Sydney Greenspan (one goal, one assist) have also contributed to the scoring.
Other points have come from seniors Morgan Crooks (one goal, one assist), Nicole LeSur (one goal) and Fiona Withum (two assists), junior Andrea Apostolescu (one goal, one assist), sophomores Kayla Flynn (two goals, one assist), Rory Keegan (two assists), and Victoria Constantin, and senior Michele Popovski (one assist). Overall, the Bears are averaging an uncharacteristic 1.8 goals per game.
In past years, even when the offensive didn’t click, East Brunswick could always count on a solid defense to hold the fort, and that appeared to be the case when the season opened. The veteran Greenspan was joined by three newcomers on the backline — Popovski, Flynn and junior Samree Mastro, to form a veritable wall that recorded shutouts in four of the first five wins.
Sophomore goaltender Lauren Krinsky has performed admirably but has faced too many shots on net as evidenced by her 60 saves.
“Sydney and Morgan have provided steady leadership and helped our younger and less experienced players transition to varsity soccer,” Brady said.
The Bears (4-2 division) have six games remaining, three against Red Division opponents, including an Oct. 6 match at frontrunner Monroe Township High School (7-0 division, 7- 3 overall). The outcome of that game will likely determine if East Brunswick can still challenge for the Red Division title.
Regardless, the Bears’ sterling record in the GMC Tournament, which begins Oct. 25, makes them a serious challenger to defend the title they have won the last three years.