Girls Soccer

November 13, 2009

Pats hope to learn from finals loss

Gabriella Visaggio Secaucus

Gabriella Visaggio is one of nine returning starters for Secaucus in 2010.

Click Here for more photos from Secaucus at New Providence.

By Jason Bernstein
Editorial Director

NEW PROVIDENCE – Some might view Secaucus’ 4-0 defeat to New Providence in the NJSIAA North 2, Group I title game as the end of a successful season. But for head coach Gino DePinto, it also represents a starting point for 2010.

“I just told the girls to go out there, just have fun,” DePinto said to his squad which entered the match as heavy underdogs. “We made it this far and this is the beginning of something the next few years to build upon.”

This plan would be the next step in what has been many in seven seasons under DePinto where the Patriots were once the doormats of the BCSL National division and won just one game in his first year as coach.

This year in particular marked a turning point for Secaucus (12-7-3). After never winning a playoff game under DePinto, the No. 4 seeded Patriots had earned a pair 1-0 victories over Lyndhurst and Dayton to reach the finals in a run that even they were surprised by.

“I’m very surprised by this year,” DePinto said. “I knew the group coming in was a freshman group that I knew had played together for a while. I knew we’d be better than in the previous years, but I didn’t know we’d go this far.”

But Secaucus’ tourney run came to a screeching halt at the hands of the defending sectional champs in New Providence. The No. 2 seeded Pioneers (21-1) applied the pressure from the opening whistle and broke through in the 11th minute when Amy Marchisio blast a shot off the right post and in net to make it 1-0.

“One of our goals for every game is to score as fast as we can to not let another team think they even have a chance to beat us,” New Providence coach Scott Murphy said. “Just doing that deflates the other team and it deflates the fans. That just gives the energy to keep going, to keep playing.”

New Providence would strike again twice more in the next 12 minutes with goals by Alex Schlobohm and Kim Closs. In the 47th minute, Closs would add her second goal of the game.

The Pioneer offense never relented, as they continued to release a seemingly endless stream of shots towards Secaucus keeper Kelsey Snedeker. The junior withstood the offensive onslaught to keep the game from getting out of hand, making a staggering 24 saves in defeat.

“She kept them in the game,” Murphy said. “She made some great saves on some shot that we normally would have scored on. She’s one of the better keepers that we’ve seen this year.”

Snedeker made 14 and 15 saves respectively during the Patriots’ first two playoff matches.

While Snedeker was in constant action, the Secaucus offense was completely shut down. The Patriots were unable to register a shot on starting goalie Connie Haggerty and a Pioneer defense that has allowed just six goals all season.

“Technically (skill wise) they’re a very good team,” DePinto said. “Passing, shooting, they’re just a very good team.”

Despite a less than ideal result in their last game of the season, there is plenty for the Patriots to be optimistic about. Snedeker headlines a group of nine returning starters next year. Among that group were five freshman starters. They also expect to field a traveling program this spring.

“We need this as a building block for the next year,” DePinto said. “Now they know what to be looking for with the states. They had never seen the state finals before. Now they have an idea.”

Kelsey Snedeker Secaucus

Kelsey Snedeker made 53 saves in three state playoff games for the Patriots.

 
1st
2nd
Total
Secaucus (12-7-3)
0
0
0
New Providence (21-1)
3
1
4
 
NP: Amy Marchisio (Alex Schlobohm) 11th minute
NP: Scholbohm (Rachel Schlobohm) 15th minute
NP: Kim Closs (Gina Caprara) 23rd minute
NP: Closs (Jenna Fay) 47th minute
 

Goalies: NP: Connie Haggerty, Jill Ashinskey; S: Kelsey Snedeker (24 saves).