OCEAN CITY – Mya Dever scored a goal in the first and second halves to give Ocean City High School’s girls soccer team a victory over rival Mainland Regional Monday, but the Mustang girls didn’t show any quit, scoring late and pressing their attack until the end.
Mustang Savannah Jones scored with just over eight minutes to go to make it a 2-1 game, but it wasn’t enough after Dever scored at the 31:52 mark in the first half and again with the clock at 66:15 in the second half. Lily Tedesco assisted on the later goal at the Tennessee Avenue complex turf field.
The win put Ocean City’s early-season record at 3-0 and Mainland at 1-1.
Both the Red Raider girls and Mustangs have shown diversity in scoring so far this season.
Ocean City put up four goals in its season-opening 4-0 victory over Middle Township (0-2) by four girls – Dever, Tedesco, Savannah Rhubart and Emma Vince. The girls then beat Millville 6-0 with two goals by Gabby Cupit, with Hudson Scola, Julianne Goodman, Vince and Rhubart scoring one each.
In Mainland’s first win, 5-0 over Millville, five different girls scored – Jones, Emma Tenaglia, Reilly Nagle, Maddie McBride, Emma Preissman and Gia Geraci.
Ocean City head coach Sean Matteo said he told his players they had to have more players scoring after the graduation of Naomi Nnewihe, who helped lead the 2024 team to the South Jersey finals with 32 goals.
“I think I said to these girls when we saw Naomi leave that we have to be more balanced on the attack. We can’t rely on one person,” Matteo said. Giving credit to the Mustangs, he added, “But I’ve got to say, that’s a heck of a team. Mainland could do a lot of good things this year.”
“Today we finally came together. We were still figuring some things out last week,” Matteo said. “I think today we really showed who we are. It’s going to be a great battle between us, Mainland and EHT (Egg Harbor Township) this year for the Cape-Atlantic League (title). That’s going to be fun to watch.”
Asked about team leaders, Matteo said his three captains have really stepped up – center backs Madelyn Putz and Maeve Geary and Molly Quinn, all seniors. He also singled out midfielder Jaida Dooley.
New Mainland girls coach Fred Napoli said he likes his group of players. (He is the older brother of former Mustang boys head coach John Napoli, who led that team to a South Jersey title.)
“They fight hard. We have some things to fix and I think we’ll be OK,” Napoli said.
“We have a lot of players leading the attack. In our first game, we had five different players score. We like to spread it out a little bit and get everybody involved,” he said. “I like to say, ‘Everybody eats.’”
He said his seniors “are doing a great job of leading the girls and they’re going to keep doing that the whole year. I appreciate their efforts.”
Asked about taking over the Mainland girls program, Napoli called it a great opportunity. “They’re great kids, they work hard and I’m having a good time.” Laughing, he added, “I was always jealous of my brother working a mile away from his house and that’s what I’m doing now.”
Napoli said the team goals are to be competitive all year long and “go as far as we can go.”
Matteo said his team has lofty goals after losing the South Jersey sectional final to unbeaten Shawnee (25-0) last year. “We know it’s not going to be easy with Shawnee and Mainland in Group III,” he said. “Our goal is to be playing the Sunday before Thanksgiving for a state championship.”
Quinn, one of the captains, echoed that sentiment.
“Definitely winning a CAL championship,” she said. “It’s going to be a tough battle between us, Mainland and EHT, but I know coming out today and taking the win really showed that we’re here to battle the whole season.
“Also getting a state championship; we want another one,” Quinn said. The Red Raider girls won their first state championship in 2019, a 3-0 victory over Ramapo.
“We lost a bunch of starters and a bunch of seniors, but I think coming out here today, it showed that that’s not going to be a setback for us,” Quinn said. “We have a lot of girls who’ve stepped up throughout all ages, freshman through senior, so we’re ready.”
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
