Wednesday, November 16, 2011

By Cory K. Doviak
NJS.com Editorial Director

Jackie Reyneke and her long throws helped lead Northern Highlands to a 6-0 rout of West Morris Central in the Group 3 semifinals.

BASKING RIDGE – It took three months, four wins over Ramapo (three in one week), and four wins in the county tournament for Northern Highlands to prove that it was the best team in its league and the best team, hands down, in Bergen County. It took about four minutes on Tuesday night to show just how good it is on a state wide level. Already nationally ranked, in line to finish No. 1 in the state and as its only undefeated team, Northern Highlands had the Group 3 state semifinal against West Morris Central well in hand almost before it even began.

West Morris Central barely went through a pregame warm-up, opting instead for a prolonged strategy session that had to have changed just 36 seconds into the game when Northern Highlands won its first throw-in. Jackie Reyneke threw the ball from the left sideline right to the six and even though Clare Shea's header finished above the crossbar, the tone had been set.

West Morris could not handle any aspect of Highlands' attack and when the fourth Reyneke throw of the game in just the first four minutes skipped off the keeper's gloves and into the net, the Highlanders had their first goal on the way to a lop-sided 6-0 victory at Ridge High School. The win pushed Highlands' season long streak to 23 straight games and it will try to close out its perfect season in the Group 3 state final on Saturday at The College of New Jersey against Moorestown.

Carly Leipzig scored twice for Highlands, which improved to 23-0 on the season.

“We just had to go out and compete like it was against Ramapo or any other competitor. We have to go out and play our hardest all the time and we did again today,” said Arista Meneve, Highlands' senior defender. “This season has just been unbelievable. Being a senior and a captain and playing my last year of high school, I just want to make sure that I help finish it off right. We've given it our all and we have really come together as a team on and off the field and that is the key.”

The key on Tuesday night was putting away its multiple opportunities, a skill that Highlands struggled with for the briefest of stretches in the first half. After getting the first goal, the Highlanders continued carving up the defense with Emma Sullivan making several dangerous runs on the flanks, Hana Kerner making herself available in the middle and midfielders like Madison Holleran and Christina Sonageri winning balls and moving them forward. But it was not until there were just over 10 minutes remaining in the first half that Highlands was able to double its lead.

Again it was off a Reyneke throw and it was Sullivan who knocked the ball in with the outside of her right foot to make it 2-0. Holleran gave Highlands the 3-0 lead it took into halftime with her goal in the 36th minute and, by that time, the rout was officially on.

Although it certainly looked easy, that was because Highlands kept its laser-like focus on the task at hand. It has not suffered a let down in any game this season and it certainly was not going to let a game like a state semifinal become the first.

Emma Sullivan and Highlands will play Moorestown on Saturday for the Group 3 state title.

“At this point in the season there is a challenge every time. You never know what is going to happen and teams that have reached this point have gotten here for a reason. No one cares about what has happened in the past, it's just about who was going to come out here and play better,” said Highlands head coach Tara Madigan. “We have one more game to go.”

How about this, every player that Highlands ran out there played well so we will name them all. In addition to those already mentioned there was solid play from Taylor Pini, Jess Abrams, Carly Leipzig, Rebecca Corn, Madeline Heaney, Kathryn Imperato, Molly Bascio and Lindsey Shrout. We'll also throw in Brooke Holle, the Highlands keeper who had a light night, but did save both shots that West Morris Central could get on net, including one tester with 11:27 to go in regulation.

Leipzig, a freshman, scored twice in the second half and Bascio, a senior, added Highlands other goal and now it is off to the state final where one more win would put the cherry on top of as good a season as any high school girls soccer team has ever had in the state of New Jersey.

“Definitely our motivation was Saturday and getting to Trenton. We had to get through this game first and we gave it all we had,” said Reyneke. “Now we are there and we are excited.”

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