SOUTH JERSEY GROUP 1
| MONDAY’S SCORES | WEDNESDAY’S QUARTERFINALS |
| Shore 8, Haddon Heights 0 | Lower Cape May vs. Shore |
| Lower Cape May 1, Bordentown 0 | |
| Woodstown 2, Collingswood 0 | Woodstown at Rumson-Fair Haven |
| Rumson-Fair Haven 8, Salem Tech 0 | |
| West Deptford 9, Gloucester 1 | Schalick at West Deptford |
| Schalick 4, Gateway 2 | |
| Florence at Haddon Twp. | Haddon Twp.-Florence at PP Boro |
| PP Boro 5, Audubon 0 |
PITTSGROVE — Schalick senior Ella Cheesman has played in a first-round playoff game every year of her varsity field hockey career, but this one wasn’t quite like the others.
The Cougars knew they were in for a fight and were on their toes. They scored two goals in the first five minutes Monday, three in the first 10 and went on to beat Gateway 4-2 in their South Jersey Group 1 tournament opener. It was their season-best eighth win in a row and 15th in the last 16 games since opening the season 0-2 without scoring a goal.
The sixth-seeded Cougars (15-3) have won their last five tournament openers, but this was their closest opening-round game since a 1-0 win over Salem in 2022 and their most competitive opening opponent since this year’s senior players were freshmen. They won their last two openers by a combined score of 18-0.
“It was different because in past years we really played teams that weren’t as skilled,” Cheesman said. “We played them in the preseason and tied them. This game wasn’t a given. They put up a great fight. I was on my toes every minute. We came out as a team in the first half and really locked in and showed them we’re here to win and we’re here to go far.”
They now travel to third-seeded West Deptford (17-4-1) for Wednesday’s quarterfinals.
“We knew they weren’t going to just lay down and roll over,” Schalick coach Heather Cheesman said. “We knew it was going to be tough. We knew we had to come out strong (and) with intensity.”
That they did. Sophomore Lily Terrigno opened the scoring 2:26 into the game and wrapped her two first-quarter goals around Lucy Virga’s 20th of the season. Elena Valella made it 4-0 in the final minute of the second quarter.
“We had a goal going into this, to score within the first 10 minutes and then to hold the lead by two throughout the game,” Coach Cheesman said.
“I think it showed our team wants it,” Ella Cheesman said of the fast start. “I know all the seniors, we all want it. You don’t want any game to be your last game. I think we came out strong and we showed them we’re here to win and we want it. If you want it more, you’re gonna get it.”
It looked like the Cougars (15-3) would have a four-goal margin going into halftime, but Gateway (7-9-3), a No. 11 seed despite finishing 13th in the SJ Group 1 power points standings, cut into the lead with a continuation goal after the second quarter expired. The Gators made it 4-2 on a penalty stroke in the third quarter.
Top photo: Schalick’s Luci Virga (1) puts a shot on Gateway goalie Maddison Troendle in the first half of their South Jersey Group 1 field hockey playoff game Monday.