Junior Dina Bojkovic scored less than 10 minutes in to give Livingston the lead in a 2-1 win over Ridgewood in the North 1, Group 4 state sectional semfinals.
LIVINGSTON – After scoring just one goal over its first four games and being shutout six times over the first 13 games of the season, Ridgewood first-year head coach Marissa Madison could have been understandably discouraged. However, she took the opposite approach. She was happy with how hard her team worked day in and day out even when the results were not what they wanted. She knew if her team could continue that work ethic that the Maroons would be a dangerous team come tournament time.
Although the season came to an end without a championship, they were certainly a much-improved team that was dangerous right down to the final day of the season.
Facing budding rival Livingston in the North 1, Group 4 semifinals, Ridgewood pulled a goal back in the second half and fought to the final whistle. However, it was top-seeded Livingston that moved on to the section final by holding on for a 2-1 win on Monday at Livingston High School.
After being eliminated by Ridgewood in the states two out of the past three seasons, Livingston was filled with adrenaline going into the match. The Lancers controlled play in the first half by playing to feet and then getting the ball into space for junior speedster Dina Bojkovic. Less than ten minutes in, Bojkovic split two defenders to run onto a Zoey Nightengale through ball up the right flank. She then cut back and chipped a shot into the side netting inside the far post to give the Lancers a 1-0 lead.
Outside of a hard shot on net midway through the opening stanza by Lucia Mastellone, the Maroons were unable to generate much in the offensive third of the field. It appeared they were going to escape the first half with a one-goal deficit until a bad bounce resulted in a handball in the box with just over three minutes to go. Izzy Kilelee stepped up and converted the kick to give the Lancers a two-goal lead.
Gabriella Winn scored the goal for Ridgewood, which finished its season with a 12-12 record.
In the Bergen County Tournament last month, Ridgewood upset IHA in the quarterfinals and then took eventual co-champion Ramsey to overtime before falling, both games were by scores of 3-2. The Maroons relished being challenged and took the last 40 minutes of their season to show what type of team they were, a team that refused to give up. While the Maroons struggled to get going in the first half, they made some halftime adjustments and quickly found their rhythm to open the second half.
“I challenged them in the second half to run through every ball and show how much you want this game,” said Madison. “When you’re playing against a great team and you’re down you have to do whatever it takes to stay in the game. It was about who wanted it more. You could eventually be disappointed by the end result. But you have the peace of mind knowing that you left everything you had out on the field.”
They had two quality scoring chances in the first 12 minutes. One cross went right across the goalmouth with nobody at the far post to tap it in and a hard shot on net was saved by Lancers’ keeper Antonia Giordano. Ridgewood sophomore center back Gabriella Winn was outstanding all game long. After collecting a failed clearing attempt, she took a touch then lofted a perfect shot from 35 yards that bent over Giordano’s outstretched hands that dipped under the crossbar and in to trim the lead to 2-1 with 13:47 to go.
Madison pushed Winn up to an attacking position hoping to net the equalizer and force overtime. The Lancers were under pressure throughout the second half, but the back line held up and did not allow a shot on goal the rest of the way to advance to the North 1 Group 4 final against a familiar Essex County foe, Montclair.
Although Ridgewood (12-12) saw its season end it is the camaraderie of the girls, the growth of the team, and the fighting spirit that Madison will remember in her first year at the helm.
“I’m so proud of these girls and how far they’ve come this season,” added Madison. “I’m a brand-new coach here and the girls had to get adjusted to me as I did to them. They totally bought in and trusted the process of where we wanted to get to. We got to a county semifinal and the section semifinals. This is such a great group, and I couldn’t be happier for them and the strides they made this season.”
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