Madisyn Abella opened the scoring by heading in a goal for IHA, which won its third state sectional championship with a 3-0 win over Oak Knoll in the North Non-Public A final on Thursday.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP – After an upset loss at the hands of Ridgewood in the Bergen County Tournament quarterfinals, Immaculate Heart Academy was at a crossroads. The team felt they had all the components in place to become a championship team, but consistency was the main issue. Whether in games or in practice, head coach Eric Pfeifer did not know which team he was going to get; the one that looked like a juggernaut or one that struggled to connect passes.
He never lost faith because he knew once it clicked that the Blue Eagles would be a team nobody would want to face. The Ridgewood loss proved to be a turning point, especially in the defensive third of the field. Since that loss, IHA has been lights out.
With a section title at stake and facing a red-hot Oak Knoll team fresh off an upset of top-seeded Mount St. Dominic, the Blue Eagles put it all together and methodically wore their opponent down until they earned the result they have been waiting for all season.
Madisyn Abella headed in a cross from Maddy Hayes to open the scoring late in the first half. The duo was at it again with Hayes finding the back of the net to put the finishing touches on a dominant performance as second-seeded IHA won its fourth section title in the past five years with a 3-0 triumph over No. 4 seed Oak Knoll on Thursday at Immaculate Heart Academy in Washington Township.
“The last two weeks we’ve just clicked in practice and in games, and that starts in the back,” said Pfeifer. “We played wide and found feet. Keeping our composure against a team like Oak Knoll with their speed is key. Once we found the gaps, we wanted to find we attacked.”
One big advantage that Oak Knoll had coming into the match was its team speed across the board. That was evident early when Maris McGinty zoomed past the Blue Eagles and struck a hard left-footed shot. IHA’s steady presence in net, senior Grace D’Alessandro, dropped down to make the save.
Maddy Hayes netted the third goal for IHA, which will play Paul VI in the Non-Public A state final.
“That run that (McGinty) definitely made us focus even more,” said junior defender Ella Burkholder. “We knew they were going to try and get the ball to her up top. We had to be disciplined, win 50/50 balls, and not give them any space to push forward. With the way we’ve been playing lately and the momentum we have, we’re a very dangerous team.”
IHA’s back line quickly made the adjustment and then knocked the ball around in the back to shift Oak Knoll’s formation. This forced the Royals to push their midfielders up to try and regain possession. While they had some success in doing so it also opened up a big gap between Oak Knoll’s midfield and their defenders. Once the Blue Eagles found a way to get into those gaps, they started to generate scoring opportunities.
Oak Knoll keeper Isabella DaSilva made a nice punch save over the crossbar off a bending shot by IHA’s Sophia Bertino. Bertino created havoc throughout the first half. She took on two defenders and got fouled to set up a free kick. Burkholder took the kick from 30 yards out. The Royals attempted to clear it, but it popped right to Hayes at the top corner of the box. She sent a cross towards the far post with Abella streaking in for the header with 8:43 left in the first half to give IHA a 1-0 lead.
The Blue Eagles maintained that lead into the second half, but the Royals made a strong push for the tying goal. Led by Burkholder, D’Alessandro, and Alliana Campana, IHA held down the middle of the field and forced the Royals to shoot from distance. Just as they did in the first half, the Blue Eagles found their rhythm and then found the back of the net.
“We knew Oak Knoll was going to be fast, but we were also prepared for that and we’d have space if we played patient,” said Festa. “We knew what we could do coming into this game. There have been a lot of ups and downs, but it’s been a lot of ups lately. This proves to everyone and to us that we could be a championship team.”
Once again it was a hustle play that led to a goal. Hayden Edwards ran down a through ball and touched it off an Oak Knoll defender to earn a corner kick. Off of the ensuing kick, a loose ball popped out of the box right to Bertino. She sent the ball back into traffic in front with junior captain Christina Festa tapping it home at the left post in the 62nd minute. Less than three minutes later, Abella made a run up the left side and found Hayes in the center of the box who turned and ripped a shot into the back of the net to put the game and the section title on ice.
IHA (14-5-1) advances to the Non-Public A state final where a familiar foe awaits. The Blue Eagles will take on Non-Public A South champion Paul VI. The teams met in the state final in 2023 with IHA rallying from a deficit late in regulation before winning in overtime in a wild one, 4-3. With a state championship on the line and riding the wave of the past few weeks, Pfeifer knows his team will be ready for the challenge.
“It’s incredible to watch this team grow practice after practice, game after game, week after week,” added Pfeifer. “We’ve been stringing great days one after another. The ceiling for this team is higher than people think and we’re finally reaching our potential. That’s starting to show with the results we’re getting against quality teams and we’re peaking at the right time.”
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