Includes first-round pairings for SJ soccer, field hockey playoffs
PENNSVILLE – Ava Mayne scored her first career goal, adding another name to her team’s growing list of scorers this season, Nicolette Bloomer set the freshman school record for goals in a season and Schalick tuned up for the South Jersey Group 1 playoffs by blanking Pennsville 3-0 in regular-season girls soccer action Wednesday afternoon.
Mayne, who recently moved to wing from outside back, opened the scoring when she took a return pass from Olivia Vanacker and left-footed it between the goalie and the left post four minutes into the match. Bloomer made it 2-0 with her 18th goal of the season with 6:03 left in the half. And Kyleigh Cutler put an exclamation point on the win with 2:08 to play in the game.
“I was really, really excited because it’s my first ever goal in high school,” Mayne said. “I haven’t scored in forever, including club, too, because I’m a defender in club, so I miss the feeling of getting a goal a lot.”
Bloomer knows what it feels like to score goals. She was happy her teammate got to experience it and told her so during the post-game interview they shared.
“I was really happy for you; you really deserved it,” Bloomer said. “You’ve been working really, really hard in every position coach has put you in, whether it’s defense all the way up to up-top wing, and she’s given it 100 percent every time. You really deserved to get your goal.”
Mayne had come close to breaking through “multiple times” the last two seasons without satisfaction. Head coach Will Kemp teased that she should have had more against the Eagles. She hit the post once.
“It’s a special moment for her,” Kemp said. “She’s always playing the defending side and we tried to do a few things differently these last few weeks and she deserves it. She’s one of the hardest workers in the field and Im happy to see something actually pay off for her for the effort she’s put in for the last three years.”
Mayne became the 15th player to score a goal for the Cougars (12-4-2) this season, the most in head coach Will Kemp’s tenure and the most in program history since 15 players combined for 86 goals in 2019. Seventeen players have recorded a goal or an assist this season.
Bloomer and Vanacker lead the way with 18 and 12 goals, respectively. Karlie Bakley, who got the division-clinching overtime winner against Woodstown last week, and Cutler both have seven. Two players have five and the remaining nine have three or less. Cutler is the team’s assists leader with 14. Vanacker has 10.
“It’s not about sharing the wealth, it’s about developing the players,” Kemp said. “Here at Schalick the way that we do things, we focus on how to go ahead and grow the entire school and the entire squad compared to just putting out the strongest 11. You see all the contributions that are coming in, all the players are buying into the actual system itself and you can see it’s paying off, especially in the score sheet being so long as it is.
“It’s always impressive to see players wanting to contribute to the team in some way, shape or form, whether it’s a goal, whether it’s an assist. For players to go ahead and stay calm under pressure and have that special moment, it is the best feeling in the world. For me as a coach it’s impressive to see that many players being able to push forward with it.”
Both teams are now headed for the South Jersey Group 1 playoffs, probably feeling differently about their placement. The Cougars are installed as the No. 4 seed, which prompted Kemp to diplomatically say “I’m just happy to be in the tournament.” The Eagles, meanwhile, are the 12 seed, which coach Casey Slusher was about what they expected.
The way her team played against the Cougars tells her its ready for the postseason.
“I think they definitely played hard the whole game,” Slusher said. “We hang in every game. It seems like we’re just always off like one little inch, one little pass. We’re also very young, too,. But I’m proud of what these girls put out on the field today. I think they showed that they’re ready to go.”
SJ GROUP 1 GIRLS SOCCER PAIRINGS
Tuesday, Nov. 3
16 Glassboro (4-13) at 1 Haddon Twp. (8-9-1)
9 Pitman (11-6) at 8 Palmyra (9-8-1)
12 Pennsville (10-9) at 5 Audubon (9-11)
13 Riverside (8-10-1) at 4 Schalick (12-4-2)
14 Woodbury (8-7-3) at 3 Gateway (12-5-2)
11 Maple Shade (8-5-2) at 6 Woodstown (14-3-1)
10 Clayton (10-7) at 7 Collingswood (11-4-4)
15 Cape May Tech (5-9-1) at 2 Wildwood (16-2)
SJ GROUP 1 BOYS SOCCER PAIRINGS
Wednesday, Nov. 4
16 Maple Shade (2-14) at 1 Schalick (11-4), 2 p.m.
9 Woodbury (10-6-2) at 8 Riverside (7-9-2)
12 Pitman (5-11-1) at 5 Woodstown (10-7-1)
13 Clayton (8-9) at 4 Gateway (13-3-3)
14 Pennsville (7-9) at 3 Palmyra (9-8-2)
11 Wildwood (9-6-2) at 6 Audubon (13-3-3)
10 Glassboro (8-8-1) at 7 Penns Grove (9-6-1)
15 Burlington City (4-8-2) at 2 Haddon Twp. (11-4-4)
SJ GROUP 1 FIELD HOCKEY PAIRINGS
Monday, Nov. 2
16 Haddon Heights (3-10-2) at 1 Shore (17-2-1)
9 Bordentown (10-7) at 8 Lower Cape May (11-3-1)
12 Collingswood (7-8-2) at 5 Woodstown (12-4)
13 Salem Tech (13-4) at 4 Rumson-Fair Haven (11-7)
14 Gloucester (5-10-1) at 3 West Deptford (15-4-1)
11 Gateway (6-7-3) at 6 Schalick (13-3)
10 Florence (7-10) at 7 Haddon Twp. (10-5-1)
15 Audubon (8-9-2) at 2 Point Pleasant Boro (18-2)