SALEM – Maureen Lewis stepped away from the huddle to find the camera in her bag. The Salem Tech field hockey team takes a team picture after every win to put on its Instagram page, and this was one not to be missed.
It was the first public picture of the Tri-County Conference Classic Division champions.
The Chargers clinched the first outright field hockey division title in the two-year existence of their program Tuesday with a dominant 5-0 shutout of Salem. It was their 12th straight win and left them 7-0 in the division and two games up in the loss column on their nearest challengers with one division game to play.
It’s the second division title for a Salem Tech girls program in school history, joining the girls bowling team that won the Classic Division crown last year.
“We’ve been waiting for someone to tell us because we never wanted to just assume that we got it,” Lewis said. “We don’t ever want to assume until someone legit tells us. We’re also very superstitious, too, so we don’t like to get ahead of ourselves on anything and we go game-by-game.
“A lot of hard work has gone into it and dedication from our girls, from summer practices to now, and determination. I felt like (a division crown) was definitely a possibility just based on their talent, but also their work ethic and how they come together as a team. The team is special. They have fun. And I think that is the key to success.”
The coach may not have been anticipating it, but senior Abby Beals, for one, was thinking about it all day.
“I was anticipating; I was really excited,” she said. “I was talking about it all day. I have classes with a lot of the people on my team, so I was telling everyone this is a really big game, we were going to clinch the Classic Division championship. I felt it all day. I was so excited.”
The Chargers (13-2) ended any question early, scoring three goals in the first quarter. Avery Dalton got it started with her second goal of the season with 9:35 left in the quarter, then Araya DiGregorio pumped in a pair before the horn. Adessa Plum and Jessilyn Chambers scored second-quarter goals to make it 5-0 at halftime and the midfield and defense that often get overlooked did the rest.
“I’ve been working on my drive,” DiGregorio said. “I’ve been playing for 11 years now and I’ve been working on my drives on every surface that we have and because of that I got to have my two goals and I’m really happy for that. I wanted to get my shot off and hopefully it was either an assist or a goal.”
It was picture perfect.
SCHALICK 11, DEPTFORD 0: The Cougars celebrated Senior Night and all five seniors they recognized scored … and scored … and scored, accounting for all 11 goals.
Lucy Virga and Ella Cheesman, a back by trade given a chance to play forward on this special day, both had hat tricks. Virga also recorded four assists. Alexis Shimp had two goals and four assists, Addi Shimp had two goals and three assists, and Chayce Headley had a goal and an assist.
They have been part of 58 wins – and counting.
“I’ve been coaching four of these since they were like in fifth grade (in the feeder program); it’s almost like an end of the an era,” Cougars coach Heather Cheesman said. “It was the same with the seniors who just left, because they all on the same team and this is like the last group of them. This is going to be the last group of my Panthers.”
WOODSTOWN 4, OVERBROOK 0: Woodstown played.
Girls soccer
TUESDAY’S SCORES
Clayton 7, Salem 0
Pitman 3, Pennsville 1
Woodstown 8, Penns Grove 0
Gloucester Catholic at Salem Tech
PITMAN 3, PENNSVILLE 1: Abby Marandola scored Pennsville’s goal with 3:08 left in the game.
CLAYTON 7, SALEM 0: Mikaela Sciubba had two goals and two assists to lead the Lady Clippers.
WOODSTOWN 8, PENNS GROVE 0: Woodstown played.
Girls tennis
TUESDAY’S SCORES
Pennsville 3, Glassboro 2
Pitman 5, Salem 0
Schalick 4, Timber Creek 1
Woodstown 5, Overbrook 0
PENNSVILLE 3, GLASSBORO 2
Graillyn Weber (P) def. Alana Killelea, 6-1
Naomi Hess (P) def. Taylor Adcock, 6-0, 6-1
Jaisley Weber (P) def. Virginia Tarasevich, 6-3, 6-3
Sofia Dungca-Conception Soriano (G) def. Aubrey Hall-Juliana Thomas, 6-3, 6-3
Alice Dinzeo-Amani George (G) def. Mariangela Rangel-Yasary Clemente-Brito, 7-5, 6-2
Records: Pennsville 11-5, Glassboro 8-10.
SCHALICK 4, TIMBER CREEK 1
Christina Abolarin (TC) def. Olivia Lunemann, 6-1, 6-2
Sebrina Bradford (S) def. Aliyah Joseph, 6-0, 6-1
Jasmine Hunt (S) def. Claire Koreck, 6-0, 6-2
Jazmin Perez-Brooke Brown (S) def. Anastasia Davis-Leah Limon, 6-1, 6-3
River Wojcik-Janae White (S) def. Samantha Bioanelli-Kadie Jabbie, 0-6, 6-2, 10-7
Records: Schalick 10-9, Timber Creek 9-9.
PITMAN 5, SALEM 0
Ava Mollenhauer (P) def. Heaven Jones-McCullough, 6-0, 6-0
Kendall Bennett (P) def. JaNye Hubbard, 6-0, 6-0
Mabel Pote (P) def. Erica Brewer, 6-1, 6-3
Anna Jones-Mia Gladney (P) won by forfeit
Records: Pitman 17-5, Salem 0-12.