November
7, 2005
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Danielle Schulmann and the Northern Highlands attack won the possession battle, but neither team could find the back of the net in 100 minutes. |
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FRANKLIN LAKES – The end of a championship game normally brings with it the full range of emotions. On one side there is usually wild celebration, while on the other there are tears and disappointment for an opportunity lost. Not so on Sunday at the conclusion of the Bergen County tournament girls soccer final.
Instead, it was more like a surreal handshake and confusion over which team got to keep what trophies after their presentation.
After two sudden death overtimes, nothing was decided in 100 minutes of play and top-seeded Northern Highlands and the second seeded Immaculate Heart Academy walked off as co-champions, the result of a scoreless draw.
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| IHA keeper Joanne Romano made two key first stops to keep the game scoreless. |
The teams may have differing views on the result, but the record books will show two winners of the Bergen County title for 2005.
“I don’t have a dog, but if I did and it died, this is probably how I would feel,” said Northern Highlands senior goalkeeper Jen Byer, who adds the co-championship to the titles she helped win as a starter in 2002 and again last season. “The disappointment is that the girls played their hearts out. We felt like we dominated the game. We had so many opportunities and we just couldn’t put one away.”
The mood was a bit lighter on the other side.
“I am really proud of what we accomplished. To me it is like we upset them because they were top seed and they won it last year,” said IHA sweeper Jillian Hartung, who had a busy day against the Highlands attack, which possessed the ball for long stretches, especially late in regulation and the two overtimes. “We can use this game for our confidence in the states because Northern Highlands is one of the best teams in the state and we competed with them.”
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| Pamela Kopfensteiner (16) and the Highlands defense allowed just three shots on net. |
The game was evenly played in the early going and IHA (17-1-1) even had what could have been considered the first scoring chance. Three minutes in, Briann McDonough’s cross found its way to the front of the net before it was headed out by Highlands’ Dara Feinman.
Highlands’ first two chances were more dangerous and only two excellent saves by IHA keeper Joanne Romano kept the Highlanders off the board. In the 12th minute, Christina Gomez had possession and barely a step on the last defender, but she still found enough room to hit a left-footed rocket around what turned into a screen. Romano held her ground and made the stop.
Ten minutes later, Danielle Schulmann set up Gomez at the 18 and her quick turnaround rip was also saved by Romano, who finished with four stops. It would turn out to be a recurring theme for Northern Highlands (18-0-1), which was able to flood the scoring third, but unable to put one in the back of the net.
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| Jaclyn Wood and the IHA defense bent but did not break against Highlands' skilled attack. |
The Highlanders had a goal waived off by an offsides call early in the second half and saw another chance miss by inches with six minutes to go in regulation when Schulmann put a header off the outside of the net after a serve by Momoko Aoe.
Aoe had a chance to end it in the first overtime when Schulmann’s through ball found her alone inside the 18, but on a tricky angle. Aoe slid a shot back toward the far post, but it rolled just wide.
IHA’s strength was its defense and although it saw more action than maybe it would have liked, it was up to the challenge. Jennifer Orlando, Jaclyn Wood, Julianna Griego and Hartung all played well in the back for the Blue Eagles.
Highlands also was solid along the back, so much so that Byer did not get a touch on the ball in either of the two overtimes. Fran Holuba, Ashley Kamen, and Pamela Kopfensteiner were all quick to the ball and steered away most of the trouble before it could become dangerous.
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| IHA's Briann McDonough battling for possession against NH's Fran Holuba. |
Both teams will have a quick turnaround to their next big games. IHA will host Pingry on Monday in the Non-Public North A state sectional semifinals, while Highlands will host Wayne Valley in the semifinals of the North 1, Group 3 sectional tournament. Both opponents declined the request to push the state games back to Tuesday, so both Highlands and IHA will have to shake off whatever they were feeling after Sunday and get right back at it.
“A team that wins the league, the county or the state is usually jumping around going nuts, and neither of us feel that. I don’t feel it, but I am glad to say that we are co-champs,” said IHA head coach Steve Silver. “I was thinking last night that if this game went into overtime we should just shake hands and stand there for 20 minutes. We both have to go play tomorrow and it is going to be ridiculous.”
FOR MORE PHOTOS OF THIS GAME OR TO BUY A COLLECTOR'S PRINT OF THIS GAME STORY, PLEASE VISIT 4FeetGrafix.com.
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