Carly Cavalier cuts in front of a Red Bank player during a 1-0 home win on Nov. 4, 2013. (Photo by Albert Rende.)
Christie Clune-Persichetti sends the ball down the sideline on Nov. 4, 2013. (Photo by Albert Rende.)
Ask Hopewell Valley girls soccer coach John McGinley and his team about the events that played out two years ago during the 2011 season and you’ll hear a rhyme: that season finale was rough and tough.
Coming off of two straight appearance in the NJSIAA Group 1 final, the Bulldogs slipped into the abyss that was a 4-14 season, ending with a loss to Hightstown in the first round. While it appeared to be a season to forget, it’s one that will linger forever in the minds of this year’s juniors and seniors, who have helped lead Hopewell Valley back to prominence, including a 19-7-2 record in 2013.
“It was a pretty rough season,” senior Michaela Murr, who had seven goals and eight assists this year, said of 2011. “Most of us were first-year varsity players, and we didn’t have experience with the type of competition that we faced. But I think that the adversity we faced really brought us together and made us determined not to have that happen again.”
Hindered by circumstance and injuries, McGinley was forced to throw some of his younger players into the fire that season. It was an investment the coach hoped would pay off in years to come, a desire that was fulfilled in 2013.
In addition to Murr, senior Carly Cavalier had a strong season for the Bulldogs, piling up four goals and four goals. Juniors Kira Olander (six assists), Lauren Anderson (seven goals and seven assists) and Christite Clune-Persichetti (10 goals) were also influential.
The Bulldogs climbed out of the cellar in 2012, finishing 13-5-4 and advancing to the Central Jersey Group 3 semifinals. Hopewell Valley’s burgeoning stars were far from satisfied, though, and returned this year determined to continue the development.
The girls began to preach “team before yourself” and focused more on playing for the girl next to them than they did for themselves, senior defender Sloane Hughes said.
The results were evident as the Bulldogs shot out to a 12-1-1 record, dropping one game to Notre Dame and earning a tie with Bridgewater-Raritan, two top-ranked teams.
“I think we had a tremendous start early in the season, and put ourselves in a good position in terms of the county and state tournaments, something that took a lot of hard work,” McGinley said.
While the loss to Notre Dame was simply a case of the team not playing well, the tie with Bridgewater-Raritan was something that McGinley and the Bulldogs could take pride in.
“Bridgewater-Raritan is a very good team and it was a good test for us, going into double overtime,” McGinley said. “I think that was something that we were able to build upon, because it showed that we can play with a lot of teams in the area.”
The game also served as another prime example of the strong play that Hopewell Valley was getting in the net from senior goalkeeper Shelby Butler, a mainstay since taking over in goal halfway through the 2011 season.
Gaining a sense of confidence after taking lumps as a sophomore, Butler has transformed into an eraser for Hopewell Valley. McGinley said there have been times when the defense has been beaten and he has expected the opponents to score, only to see Butler make a jaw-dropping play and knock the ball away.
“Shelby is probably the best goalie from (Hopewell Valley) that I have ever been around. She has great anticipation, puts herself into the right position to make a play, and she’s athletic,” McGinley said. “She also has a lot of courage and showed it in a ton of games this year when she would keep coming out for balls even if she was getting knocked around a little bit.”
That type play came in handy proved to be invaluable throughout the season, especially in a 3-2 victory over six-time defending champion Pennington School in the Mercer County Tournament semifinals that brought the Bulldogs around full circle from 2011.
The win not only put the Bulldogs into their first MCT title game since 2006, it also brought redemption to a team that fell to the Red Raiders in a 6-0 contest just two years earlier.
The run came to an end against Princeton Day in the county final and was followed nearly a week later by a defeat in penalty kicks against Wall during the second round of the Central Jersey Group 3 state playoffs. And although that’s a result that may seem like a failure, for the Bulldogs, it was a year that deserved celebration.
“We had a really good run,” Murr said. “It’s sad that it’s over, but we made really good memories and had really great moments together and we’ll keep that with us for the rest of our lives.”
,
