Big Night For Girls Soccer: Lone Goal Sends Lancers into State Final

Livingston head coach Paul Raiz was laughing Tuesday night after telling a story he told sophomore forward Kristine Kelly after a recent game that if she had a chance for a goal in the next game, she should take it or else.

The else was that she would have to walk home from Warren -- which would be quite a hike.

Obviously the Lancers head coach was joking, but maybe Kelly took it a little serious.

"I told her after the Morris Knolls game that you would get another chance and this time you better put it in," said Raiz after the Group 4 North 1 sectional victory. "And if you don't put it in, you might as well walk home."

The sophomore striker found an opening and knocked it by Watchung Hills goalkeeper Meghan Kovac on Tuesday with a little less than 10 minutes left in the Group 4 girls soccer semi-finals.

It gave Livingston a 1-0 lead and the Lancers would only give the Warriors a couple of chances the rest of the way at Watchung Hills.

With the victory over Watchung Hills, the Lancers (22-2) take on Lenape on Saturday in the Group 4 finals at the The College of New Jersey at 12:15 p.m. It was only the third loss this season for Watchung Hills.

 In Lenape Livingston takes on what is considered possibly the best team in New Jersey with a 23-1-2 record. Lenape has won three consecutive group titles.

For Livingston going up against a strong Lenape team just continues the trend of the Lancers playing the "underdog" role during most of the state playoffs especially against a predominant Wolverines crowd. "We are always the underdog and we just have to keep playing hard," said senior Kate Schwindel, who helped set up the goal.

With 10 minutes remaining, Schwindel smacked a shot from the 35-yard line and Kovac had a hard time holding onto the save. "I tried to get the ball up and to get something going," said Schwindel.

The ball popped up and Livingston sophomore Joanna Scotti would head it in near Kovac, but the ball bounced round and Kelly was able to collect it and kicked it in the goal.

"We had one goal — to get the ball in and time was running out," said Kelly. "It was unbelievable and we worked so hard for so long."

For a senior like Schwindel, this is a dream come true especially being the first Livingston team to make it to not only a group semi-final game, but now a group final. "This is huge and it is crazy," said Schwindel. "We had to leave everything on the field and we had nothing to lose tonight."

While Livingston scored the lone goal, the Lancers would keep the pressure on through most of the game.

Livingston had the better of the play in the first half and even dominated more in the second half. "In the second half we controlled more of the field and attacked their defenders," said Schwindel.

And it almost paid off early in the second half.

Despite controlling the flow in the first half, Livingston collected the game's first corner two minutes into the second half.

Schwindel took the corner and a wild scramble almost resulted in a Lancers goal, but Kovac was able to get the ball.

With Schwindel in the middle and freshman twins Sabrina and Monica Flores on defense, the Lancers put the clamps on the Watchung Hills scorers, especially Wolverines' midfielder Daphne Corboz who had 25 goals coming into the contest.

In addition senior goalie Michelle Millman made some key saves in goal to preserve the scoreless game.

For most of the game Livingston's forwards and midfielders chipped away at the Wolverines defense.

As this would go on for several minutes, Watchung Hills would respond with the ball and make a quick run to score, but it would be snuffed out by the Lancers defenders lead by the Flores twins and Millman.