Turnaround time from SCT final not enough
By: Rudy Brandl
The Hillsborough High girls’ soccer season came to an abrupt conclusion in Monday afternoon’s Central Jersey Group 4 playoffs.
Still fatigued from a tough 1-0 loss to Pingry in the Somerset County Tournament championship game the previous evening, the Lady Raiders were sluggish. West Windsor Plainsboro South took full advantage and eliminated Hillsborough in a sudden death overtime by a 2-1 score.
"We knew it was going to be tough," HHS head coach LeeAnn Wyble said afterward. "It was difficult to get the team back on the same physical and emotional level after such a tough game the night before."
The Lady Raiders didn’t even have 24 hours between games and it showed in Monday’s performance. Lauren Ebert netted her team-leading 14th goal of the season in the second minute of play, but Hillsborough didn’t sustain the pressure, possession or momentum for the rest of the contest.
WWPS drew even with three minutes remaining in the first half on a goal by Alexa Suarez. Neither team had a real dangerous quality chance to score in the second half, so the game moved on to sudden death overtime.
Hillsborough had fared well in overtime during the 2004 season but didn’t have enough steam to pull out this game. The visitors won it with 4:50 to play in the second overtime when Meg Voigtsberger drilled an 18-yard shot off the far post and into the net.
The Lady Raiders missed a chance to challenge No. 3 East Brunswick in Thursday’s CJ 4 quarterfinals. The team’s season ended with a 13-5-2 record.
For a full account of all the state tournament action involving the HHS soccer and field hockey teams, see next Thursday’s edition of the Hillsborough Beacon.