Senior Naomi Nnewihe scores four of the Red Raider goals
OCEAN CITY – The Red Raider girls soccer team made short work of Vineland Tuesday afternoon at the Tennessee Avenue field, scoring four goals in each half to shut out the Fighting Clan.
Half of the offensive production came courtesy of senior Naomi Nnewihe, who led the team with a hat trick in the first half and a fourth goal in the second.
Four other Red Raiders scored – Brooke Liebrand off an assist from Emma Vince, who also had an assist on one of Nnewihe’s goals; Vince unassisted; Jaida Dooley on an assist from Liebrand; and Emily Swan on an assist from Hudson Scola.
Liebrand, Maeve Geary and Shaela Gannon all were credited with assists on Nnewihe’s first-half goals.
The win improved Ocean City’s record to 9-3 on the year. Vineland is now 5-4.
The Red Raiders are 7-1 in the American Division, trailing only Egg Harbor Township (11-1, 8-0). The Eagles handed Ocean City one of its three losses this season. The other two losses came against Cherokee and Eastern.
Through Tuesday’s game against Vineland, Nnewihe is the scoring leader for the Red Raiders with 14 goals and seven assists, followed by Vince with nine goals and 10 assists; Liebrand with seven goals and four assists; Dooley with five goals and two assists; and Coryn McDonnell with six goals and two assists. Lindsay Seeberger has three goals and three assists and Kati Maxwell and Savannah Rhubart each had two goals and two assists.
Senior goalie Kaia Ray has 28 saves over the eight games she played.
The Ocean City girls are at Middle Township Thursday, host Millville at 6 p.m. Tuesday in the annual Pink Game to support cancer research, and are at rival Mainland at 4 p.m. Friday, Oct. 11. Ocean City beat Mainland 5-0 in their first meeting this season.
Before the Cape-Atlantic League tournament begins, the defending champion Raiders will have a rematch with EHT at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 14, at home.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff