EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP — Junior Jackie Brownlee scored four goals — including the 100th of her career — to lead the Eagles over the Red Raiders 5-2 in the CAL championship game Oct. 23.
Sophomore striker Mya Dever and senior midfielder Hudson Scola each had a goal for Ocean City High School, which was on the defensive for much of the match.
The Egg Harbor Township girls began applying pressure on Raider goalkeeper Madi Adams early, with Brownlee taking her first shot on net just more than 2 minutes into the contest to decide who would raise the Cape-Atlantic League trophy.
Adams was up to the challenge, and would be many more times before the final whistle, but could not keep the D1 prospect down for 80 minutes. She was credited with 11 saves.
Brownleee had a natural hat trick, with three goals in the first half to lead Egg Harbor Township to a 4-1 halftime lead, then added her fourth — and 41st of the season — in the second half.
Her first came just more than 9 minutes into the contest, when junior Evalyn Brown passed to her in front of net to make it 1-0.
Less than 5 minutes later, Brown made it 2-0 with a rebound goal following a kick save from Adams. Brown notched three more assists to give her 18 goals and 14 assists for the season.
But the Raiders weren’t going down without a fight, and Dever halved the lead with a goal just more than a half-minute later.
Ocean City showed some life and continued to fight, but Brownlee struck again with 7:17 remaining in the half to make it 3-1, then knocked the air out of the Raiders with a breakaway for her third with 5:03 left in the opening stanza.
Things got scrappy in the second half as the Raiders fought to get back in the game, and Eagle Lianna Ohlsen was shown a yellow card for an egregious foul.
As the clock wound down, Brownlee put the final nail in the coffin with her fourth of the match with 8:07 remaining.
Afterward, Egg Harbor Township pulled Brownlee and goalkeeper Gianna Galego from the match, replacing the ’keeper with sophomore Caitlyn Hager.
Scola made it 5-2 with her fifth tally of the season as the clock neared 2 minutes remaining.
Head coach Kelly Halliday called it a “tough loss.”
“I was proud of our effort, and that’s what I told our team. I mean, the score is not an indication, I don’t think, of the actual game, but they’re a good team,” she said. “Jackie is a really good player, and they deserved to win, but I was really proud of our effort.”
Adams didn’t take the loss to heart.
“I think we did pretty good no matter what the score was,” she said. “I think we did great. We stayed strong throughout the end.”
The junior discussed facing a goal-scorer like Brownlee.
“It’s hard, but you gotta stay with it. I know she’s really good, but you gotta stay strong, you gotta keep fighting with it,” Adams said.
Center midfielder Savannah Rhubart also saw positives from the experience.
“We’ve just worked so hard and our chemistry; we all love each other. We’re all just here playing for each other,” she said. “We never let each other down, and I just think it’s awesome how we always fight for each other and we support each other.”
Rhubart echoed Adams on the difficulty of defending Brownlee, but called her “really classy.”
“I respect her a lot as a person and as a player, and it’s tough, but I mean, you can only do what you can do,” she said.
The Raiders now turn their attention to a couple of other tournaments during what she calls “trophy season.”
Seniors Emma Vince and Katie Wheeler and freshman Darrah Ostrander, all starters throughout the season, were missing from the squad due to injury. Vince is the only one who has a chance to make it back before her final season ends, depending on how long the Raiders stay in the NJSIAA South Jersey Group III playoffs.
“Injuries is part of the game. It just gives some other players some time to step up, and I’ve been really proud of our effort,” Halliday said. “All of our girls were capable of playing, and we’re young, so it’s just gaining them some experience. But yeah, it’d be nice to have some starters back.”
The Raiders are now 12-6, 9-3 in the CAL American Division, second behind the Eagles. The Eagles are 16-0, 12-0 in the CAL American. They opened the season with a 4-2 win over Ocean City, then beat the Raiders 2-1 in the rematch Sept. 24.
EHT now has won at least the past six matchups, including three wins last season and again this year.
Both teams played the next day in the South Jersey Coaches Association Tournament. Ocean City, the 15th seed, traveled to second seed Paul VI, which was 15-1 overall and 6-0 in the Olympic Conference National Division. Paul VI won, 7-1.
Egg Harbor Township, the third seed, was hosting 14th seed Hammonton.
– STORY by CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
– PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
