Girls Soccer – NJSIAA Group Semifinal Scoreboard, 11/14/17

NJSIAA Tournament

Group Semifinals

Group IV

At Rowan University

Freehold Twp. 5, Washington Twp. 3

Jada and Jasmine Colbert combined for three goals and three assists and the Patriots (23-1) won a wild affair against the Minutemen (18-4-3) to reach the Group IV final for the second time in three years.

Jada finished with two goals and an assist, while Jasmine tallied a goal and two assists to lead Freehold Township, which scored three unanswered goals to open the second half after the two teams went to halftime tied, 1-1.

Jada Colbert scored the first two Freehold Township goals, both of which were assisted by her sister. Paige Farrell and Laura Noseworthy each added a goal to stretch the lead to 4-1, but Washington Township responded with two goals to cut its deficit to 4-3 by the 51st minute.

Freshman Amanda Attanasi scored the first two Washington goals and drew a penalty kick to set up the third by Breana Winder.

Jasmine Colbert added an insurance goal off a long pass from Jada to give the Patriots some room to breathe.

Freehold Township will take on Ridge in Saturday's Group IV final, a rematch of the 2015 championship game that ended in a scoreless draw.

Group III

Middletown South 1, Northern Highlands 0

Senior Grace Massell scored off a through-ball from sophomore Emma Laudisi in the eighth minute and the Eagles (14-5-5) held on to stun the previously-unbeaten No. 1 team in the state and reach the Group III for the first time since 2000 - their second of two straight appearances in the title game.

Northern Highlands (20-1-1) failed to reach the Group III championship game for the first time since 2010, ending a streak of six straight finals appearances. The Highlanders won four consecutive group titles from 2011 to 2014, but their drought of outright titles will continue after Tuesday's loss. Northern Highlands lost to Colts Neck in the 2015 championship game and tied Wall last year to win the Group III co-championship.

Massell's goal in the eighth minute broke another noteworthy streak. Prior to the goal, Northern Highlands had not allowed a goal since Oct. 22, amounting to a run of six straight shutouts. The goal was also just the fifth allowed all year by the Highlanders.

Middletown South will attempt to complete its improbable run to a Group III championship Saturday at Kean University, where the Eagles will take on Central Jersey Group III champion Allentown at 3 p.m. Allentown is also in search of its first ever championship after earning its first ever trip to a state final.

Group II

Wall 1, Cinnaminson 1 (Wall advances on penalties, 5-4)

Sophomore Jordan Chece saved a pair of penalty kicks during the shootout and Lauren Karabin's second penalty conversion clinched the win as the Crimson Knights (23-1-2) advanced past the Pirates (19-1-3) and into a group championship game for the second straight year.

Wall won a share of the Group III title last year and will shoot for its first ever outright title Saturday against Westwood in the Group II final.

It took Wall two extra rounds of kicks to pull out the shootout win, with Karabin and her sister, Jenna, each hitting two penalty kicks. Chece saved Cinnaminson's seventh attempt and Lauren Karabin followed the save up by burying her shot to the lower right of the goal.

Cinnaminson sophomore Emma Karch made overtime necessary with a 16-yard strike in the 45th minute that pulled the Pirates even at 1-1. Chece later preserved the tie with  a save on an shot by Karch ticketed for the upper 90 in the 68th minute.

Despite the goal and the close call that Chece saved, Wall dominated the shot category, 18-4 for the 100 minutes of play. Lauren Karabin alone took three shots during the second half and overtime that got past goalkeeper Maddie Ogden, but skipped with of the post.

Wall opened the scoring in the 28th minute on a goal by junior Courtney Carduner, who one-timed a pass from sophomore Marissa Sciorilli and knocked it inside the near left post.

Group I

Shore 8, Pitman 1

Sophomore Julia Eichenbaum scored four goals in the first half and the Blue Devils (19-4-2) coasted by the Panthers (16-8-1) to reach the Group I final for the sixth straight year.

Shore will go for its third consecutive outright Group I title Saturday when it takes on Ridge, which has appeared in four of the past five championship games along with Shore. Shore won the last two, Glen Ridge won the first meeting back in 2012 and the teams share the championship in 2013.

Eichenbaum also added an assist in the game, while Lauren Mendillo scored the other first-half goal for  the Blue Devils, who led 5-0 at halftime.

Frankie McDonough also chipped in a goal and an assist, while Sophie Hauritz and Hannah Birdsall each added a goal in the win.