Last year, the Raider girls finished with a 21-2 record but lost 3-2 in overtime in the South Jersey Group III finals. In 2022, the girls were 15-0-4 but lost in a shootout during the sectional semifinals. And in 2021, the Raiders were 21-1-1 and lost in a shootout to Mainland Regional in the semifinals.
“Ocean City has gotten to the South Jersey finals but lost in pretty much heartbreaking fashion,” Matteo said last week after his team beat Holy Spirit 6-1 in the season opener. “We know we have a (Cape-Atlantic League) title to defend, which is going to be interesting with the coaching turnover in the CAL. And we want to get to that final game in that Coaches Tournament.
“The goal is to just get over the hump and I think the team is there that can do it. We know we have some tough ones coming up, but those goals are high and hopefully we can get to them.”
Before he provided a preview of his team leaders for the season, Matteo noted he was thinking well ahead because one of the program-wide goals is to get some hardware for his junior varsity team this season.
“We have the luxury of being one of the programs in the area with a great JV program and it starts there. Those girls are going to be playing in the JV tournament so our first goal is to get them some hardware and competing, because that breeds success for years to come,” he said.
The girls lost some talented players to graduation, he said, noting McKenna Chisholm in particular, and that “trying to replace her has been an interesting process.”
“It was nice to finally see us click (against Holy Spirit). We went a little bit lighter in preseason knowing the first two weeks we had six games. Yesterday was fun. There was a lot of good possession. I think we saw more of a team unity than we did even throughout preseason,” he said.
On the attack, Matteo said he had to go with his front two, senior Naomi Nnewihe and Jada Dooley.
“I think a lot of attention the past two years has been given to Naomi and rightfully so. Teams have taken her out of games. I think we’re showing we’re not a one-trick pony, for lack of a better phrase. We’re able to attack from a lot of different areas,” he said, noting not only the tandem of Nnewihe and Dooley but of other players as well.
“Jada, a junior, had two goals and two assists yesterday. It was kind of an absolutely perfect game, in my opinion. We had five girls scoring on opening day. It’s nice to see that we can attack from anywhere. That’s going to make it tough for teams to limit one player. They’re going to have to deal with four or five others,” the coach said.
He is impressed with his midfield leaders, senior captains Brooke Liebrand and Coryn McDonnell.
“Before I even got the job they were getting the team out for practices, they were getting them training. This team has been pretty much working four days a week all summer. And they showed it yesterday. They commanded the midfield,” he said. “We also have an outstanding sophomore in Emma Vince who broke out in the preseason. She showed the speed yesterday. Anyone who goes there has been great but we’re really relying on that senior leadership to fill those gaps from last year.”
The coach said he has changed tactics on defense and said senior captain Shaela Gannon is anchoring it at center back.
“We kind of rotated through the left and right back and even out wide, which was nice. We have five or six girls who can really go in there and play solidly. One of our sophomores, Madison Putz, showed why she started as a freshman last year. She really commanded on the back line and is so calm and patient on it, so I’m happy we still have her for multiple years. And then our other back, Molly Quinn, is probably one of our fittest players that just quietly does her thing and does it so well it’s hard to take her off the field.”
The Raiders are especially heavy in goal.
“We actually have a blessing of having five ’keepers in the program. Yesterday it was Callie Erney who made the start. She earned it. She made a big save to keep it one-nothing, otherwise if Spirit tied it yesterday it could have been a different game,” Matteo said. Erney started throughout preseason.
“We’re trying to get our other one up to speed. (Senior Kaia Ray is) still one of the best ’keepers. I think it’s still her position to lose right now and I’m excited to see her at the end of the week,” he said. “I played goalkeeper. To see that much depth at that position is unheard of. It’s been a really fun battle with all of them. And we have a freshman, Madi Adams, that has seen time in preseason. We could go any way and I would feel confident back there.”
Matteo was a goalkeeper, going to Pitman High School and on to Rutgers University where he played for the men’s soccer team for a couple of years until a bad ACL injury ended his playing career, but he quickly turned to coaching.
“I started coaching right afterwards at Pitman as a goalkeeper coach and in 2015 took over the girls program. My first head coaching job was on the girls side and I fell in love with coaching ever since,” he said.
He has coached at Buena, Holy Spirit and Absegami on both boys and girls sides. When this opportunity came up it was difficult to pass up.
This year he started coaching club with Ocean City Nor’easters “so it worked out for me to be in one area, not traveling all over the state and getting to work with some great players.”
Asked about his philosophy, he said, “As weird as it sounds, I like the beautiful soccer, not the team that is trying to send those long balls and just rely on someone like Naomi who can make those 30-yard sprints.”
His focus is “getting possession, keeping the ball, finding those moments and showing patience. Everyone wants to score the goal, but sometimes you want to make sure you have the right opportunity to do it rather than the next opportunity.”
Ocean City 6, Spirit 1
Ocean City showed a varied attack against Holy Spirit with five different girls scoring a total of six goals.
Dooley opened the scoring on an assist from Nnewihe just over 4 minutes into the game. Nnewihe scored next at the 19:43 mark on an assist from Vince and six minutes later Vince made it 3-0 on an assist from Liebrand.
With less than eight minutes to go in the first half, Savannah Rhubarb scored and 44 seconds before halftime assisted Dooley on her second goal, returning the favor from Dooley’s assist on her own goal.
Liebrand scored 2:40 into the second half on an assist from Dooley and from that point Ocean City spent the rest of the half working on its passing and bringing in subs to keep from running up the score.
Holy Spirit’s Megan Kane added one for the Spartans at the 26:37 mark for the 6-1 final.
The Raider girls beat Vineland 3-1 on Sept. 5, with goals by Vince, McDonnell and Kati Maxwell. Maxwell and McDonnell also had assists, as did Lindsey Seeberger. Goalkeeper Kaia Ray made 4 saves.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
