Girls Soccer

September 17, 2009

Fast start propels Kardinals

Alicia Weber Kearny

After given an early lead, Kearny's Alicia Weber made six saves to preserve the win.

Click Here for more photos from Bayonne at Kearny.

By Jason Bernstein
Editorial Director

KEARNY – If the Kardinals were looking to stake their claim as Hudson County’s best, it didn’t take long. Kearny scored three times in the opening 15 minutes en route to a 3-1 victory over Bayonne yesterday at Harvey Field.

Kearny (2-0) applied the pressure offensively right from the start with Samantha Pace breaking the scoreless tie just five minutes into the contest with an assist from Janitza Aquino.

The Kardinal attack continued when Mercedes Lois headed in a Danielle Williams corner kick in the 10th minute. Five minutes later, Aquino capped off the surge when she fired a shot off the crossbar and into the net past the reach of Bayonne (0-2) goalie Shannon Krand for a quick 3-0 lead.

“It helped a lot because with a lead you’re more relaxed, your nerves go away,” Kearny goalie Alicia Weber said. “I’m not worried about giving up a goal every two seconds.”

Kearny may have had a three-goal lead, but the Bees would no go down quietly. Krand kept the score close as she withstood a barrage of shots from the Kardinals in the first half. The highlight came midway through the half when Krand leapt to haul in a shot from Pace and on the play, slid to her left to turn away a shot from Stefanie Gomes.

“(Shannon) played awesome in the game,” Bayonne coach Kellie Kopacz said. “To come back and keep her head in the game after giving up those three goals really says a lot.”

In the second period, Bayonne’s offense came alive. After a couple of near misses, including a shot off the crossbar, sophomore Lisa Rovatsos put the Bees on the scoreboard in the 67th minute. Rovatsos eluded a clear attempt from Weber and fired into an open net for score.

“(Lisa’s) big and quick,” Kearny coach Vincent Almeida said. “It’s not always a combination you see in girls soccer. She’s got speed in the short distance, extremely quick and super physical. Shoulder to shoulder she’s beating just about everyone for the ball.”

Rovatsos and Bayonne continues to apply pressure, but Weber and Kearny ensured the lead didn’t shrink any further. In the 75th minute Weber stopped a Rovatsos shot from inside the box. A rebound attempt by Rovatsos was cleared away by Ashleight Amadeo to put out the threat.

“Bayonne is a good team and they fought back and we were in trouble,” Almeida said. It was 3-1, but it easily could have been 3-3, if not 4-3 them.

Weber made six saves in net to earn the victory, while Krand finished with a staggering 17 saves.

Lisa Rovatsos Bayonne

After scoring 38 goals last year, Bayonne's Lisa Rovatsos netted her first in 2009.

 
1st
2nd
Total
Bayonne (0-2)
0
1
1
Kearny (1-1)
3
0
3
 
K: Samantha Pace (Janitza Aquino) 5th minute
K: Mercedes Lois (Danielle Williams) 10th minute
K: Aquino (unassisted) 15th minute
B: Lisa Rovatsos (unassisted) 57th minute
 

Goalies: B: Shannon Krand (17 saves); K: Alicia Weber (6 saves).