Hun team effort rewarded in win
By Bob Nuse, Sports Editor
The groundwork for winning a state Prep A girls soccer championship started last year for the Hun School girls soccer team.
After beginning last season 0-7, the Raiders went 6-4-1 over the final 11 games and reached the Prep A final, where they dropped a spirited 1-0 decision to 11-time champion Pennington.
That strong finish made all the difference in the world for the Raiders heading into this season. They played well right from the start and capped their resurgence with a 2-0 win over Pennington on Wednesday to capture the Prep A title.
”I think we ended last year on such a positive note,” second-year head coach Joanna Hallac said. “We had a lot of momentum that helped carry us into this year. I think there was just a lack of experience with these types of games last year. And now the bulk of the kids have it.
”And these freshmen, the pressure doesn’t seem to get to them. They have done such a huge job along with these veteran returning players. We just came into this season believing and feeling like there wasn’t a team we couldn’t beat and we showed it.”
The Raiders combined a strong returning core with a group of talented freshmen to turn themselves into state champions. Senior Ashley Maziarz scored with 1:31 left in the first half to give Hun a lead. After holding off a flurry by Pennington in the second half, freshman Kara Borden scored with 1:31 left in the second half to give Hun a 2-0 lead.
”I had a lot of nerves before this game just like everybody on the team did,” Maziarz said. “We had not played very well defensively in the game against Peddie so we knew we had to step it up this game and play the way we did against Pennington last game.
”I think we knew we had to come out harder because it was the state finals. We knew they wanted it as much as we wanted it and we knew they wanted revenge after last game. So we knew we had to work a lot harder today. They are a great team and they played so hard and put in great effort.”
The game was played before a huge crowd as Hun reworked its daily schedule to allow the student body and teachers to attend the game. The home crowd advantage certainly helped the girls.
”I would like to thank Mr. (Ryan) Hews for that,” Maziarz said of Hun’s Upper School Head. “We requested having people be let out a little early for the game but he decided to change the whole school day and have everybody out by 1:30 to be here and support us.”
The girls responded to the support in a great way. While Maziarz and Borden took care of the scoring, the defense was able to stifle the Pennington offense. Goalkeeper Courtney Arch came up with big saves in the first half and the defense held Pennington in check in the second half.
”Courtney had to come up big in the first half, especially that middle 20 minutes of the first half,” said Hallac, whose team has beaten Pennington by a similar 2-0 score earlier this year. “They believed they could do this. They did it once and felt like they could do it again. Pennington has so many dangerous players but we were able to defend well as a team. Our back four were unbelievable and Courtney was great. This was a real team effort and team victory.”
With everyone contributing, the win had to feel good for the Raiders.
”It feels great, especially as a senior,” Maziarz said. “I know all the other seniors and the whole team wanted it. It was great to win on our home field in front of our home crowd.
”We had a great team this year. We’re all so close and worked hard together. We have a great chemistry. And on the field, defensively, I think Kendell Dandridge as a freshman really stepped up this year and played so hard. We had a great team all around. The freshmen have some great talent and I can’t wait to see how they are and where they are going to go.”
The Raiders were able to combine a solid senior class with a talented group of freshmen to go 11-3-2 with one game left Sunday against Mercersburg.
”The girls deserve all the credit,” Hallac said. “They show up and work hard every day. Even when we have setbacks they learn from it and move forward. I think it means so much to the school. I have never seen anything like it and I think it meant a lot to the community.
”The chemistry off the field directly feeds the chemistry on the field. These girls really love each other and support each other off the field, which just feeds everything that has been happening for us on the field.”