‘A horrible way to lose, but a sweet way to win’
CHERRY HILL – The Ocean City girls soccer team beat No. 2 seed Cherry Hill West Monday evening on penalty kicks to earn a shot at a South Jersey Group III title Thursday against nemesis Shawnee, which is unbeaten this season.
The Red Raiders, the No. 3 seed in the tournament, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the first half on goals by Coryn McDonnell and Naomi Nnewihe, but CHW narrowed the gap to 2-1 before the first half ended on a goal by Julia Lewis. Down 2-1 as the game clock ticked down to the final minutes of the second half, Veronika Jablonski fired in a goal on a direct kick from 35 yards out to tie the game, sending it into overtime.
The teams played to a draw in both overtime periods, bringing five players from each team to midfield to wait their turns alternating on penalty kicks to decide the South Jersey semifinal.
In order, Ocean City’s McDonnell, Shaela Gannon, Brooke Liebrand and Nnewihe all sent their PKs past the CHW keeper and into the net, and after two Cherry Hill West players missed, banging one off the crossbar and another over the crossbar, the Red Raider celebration began. Teammate Lindsey Seeberger didn’t even have to toe the line for a fifth shot.
“It’s a horrible way to lose, but it’s such a sweet way to win,” Liebrand said of penalty shots deciding the game. “I’m really proud of us being able to handle that pressure and converting when we needed to.”
“We were confident in each other and just had faith we could put it in the back of the net,” she added.
Kaia Ray made 12 saves in goal for Ocean City.
After pacing the sidelines through regulation, two overtimes and a penalty kick shootout, Ocean City head coach Sean Matteo looked like he played all 100 minutes plus.
“I told the girls at the beginning of the season there was a reason I cut my hair off, because I know I wouldn’t have any. That (game) aged me about 10 years tonight,” he said.
“That’s a great team,” he said of Cherry Hill West. “They did everything great. They’re going to be a tough team for years to come. To come here and (win) in this environment against a program like that? Katina (Anthony) does a great job with them.”
Matteo, in his first year coaching the Red Raiders, said from what they knew about CHW, his girls had to get a score early.
“We needed to put them on their heels. Their front three and center back are great. If we allowed them the opportunity to get the lead we knew we were going to struggle,” he said.
“Going up two-nothing, they say it is the most dangerous lead. I think we got too relaxed and made a couple mental mistakes that we can’t make on Thursday. Survive and advance. We did that. We survived those mistakes. It’s a learning lesson.”
Matteo said he knows other teams are putting their emphasis on Nnewihe, the team’s leading scorer with 32 goals this season, which is why it was good to see McDonnell score first.
“Coryn has stepped up in big spots for us this year. She scored last week against Toms River South. It shows we’re not just one person and I think that’s a big relief for Naomi. We know we have a lot of good players who can do good things for us.”
McDonnell has nine goals and 10 assists so far this season; Liebrand 15 goals and nine assists; Emma Vince, 15 goals and 10 assists; Jaida Dooley six goals and four assists; and multiple goals from Savannah Rhubart, Liv Adams, Kati Maxwell and Seeberger. That shows the diversity of scoring power on the Red Raider team.
“(Shawnee) took it to us last year at our place. We have the opportunity to go do it against them. They’re one of the best programs in the state for a reason,” Matteo said.
“It felt really great to come out strong,” McDonnell said. “We knew we had to take any opportunity we had and especially on corners we knew we could be very dangerous. I just try to get any opportunity I can off a corner.” That’s how she gave the Red Raiders their early lead.
Asked how she deals with the pressure of a game coming down to penalty kicks, McDonnell said, “I just know that no matter what, tomorrow is a new day and if I miss I miss, but I just have to put it in the back of the net. And I always take one deep breath before I kick it and I hope for the best,” McDonnell said. “I was very confident in (my teammates). I didn’t doubt them for a second.
Cherry Hill West finished the season with a 16-6-1 record.
Ocean City (20-4), the No. 3 seed in the tournament, will face No. 1 Shawnee, which is sporting a 22-0 record and has beaten the Red Raiders the last four times the teams met, most recently in November 2023 at Carey Stadium in Ocean City when Shawnee won the South Jersey title 3-2 over the Red Raiders.
“We’re excited,” Liebrand said of the sectional final against Shawnee. “We’re ready for some redemption.”
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
