Friday, October 2, 2009

By Rich Barton
NJS.com Staff Writer

CRESSKILL – There was a buzz in the air at Cresskill High School on Thursday as Bogota and Cresskill pitted their undefeated records against one another, but the energy in the gymnasium was quickly sucked out when Bogota started strong and breezed to a victory in Game 1. The surprising Cresskill comeback in Game 2 did two things; it put the Bogota players on their heels, and forced a third and deciding game with not only the match, but also the outright lead in the BCSL-Olympic Division on the line.

Just as they did in the first game, the Lady Bucs got off to a hot start and never looked back. They opened the third game on a 10-3 run and pulled away late for a 25-9, 25-27, 25-16 victory.

Bogota came in fired up and took the crowd right out it early by ripping off the first six points of the match. The Lady Bucs were clicking on all cylinders and they dismantled Cresskill in taking the first game without so much as breaking a sweat.

“I think we were playing at such a high level in the first game, it was tough to carry that over,” said Bogota head coach Brad DiRupo. “In the second game, Cresskill simply played better. We knew they were going to make a run and they came up big, especially during the big points.”

But that intensity showed by the Lady Bucs in the first game turned into a bit of complacency in the second game. An ace by Jaclyn Del Cid gave Bogota a 12-8 lead, but several attack errors and two points given away on miscommunications between players opened the door for a comeback by the Cougars.

They answered with a 12-4 run to grab a 20-16 lead. Bogota responded with a kill by Taylor Woegens and an ace from Stephanie Sura to tie the game at 24. With the score tied at 25, Cresskill got consecutive kills from Alexandra Phoenix and Kelly Sprengel to even the match.

“Losing the second game was a wakeup call and I guess we needed it,” said Bogota’s Taylor Woegens. “I don’t think we played up to our expectations in the second game, so we made sure we started strong in the third game.”

The Bucs bounced back in Game 3 and never trailed. Marta Topor had back-to-back kills in the midst of a 10-3 run to open the rubber game.

“I was happy with the way we fought, but I think we held back a little in the third game and it put us in a hole,” said Cresskill co-head coach Catherine Durakis, a former all-stater at Cresskill before starring at Hofstra University.

Sprengel answered with consecutive aces to trim the lead to 11-7, but Cresskill (9-1) never got any closer. Woegens added three more kills and the Lady Bucs kept their unbeaten record intact with the win.

“Bogota is great competition and we can learn from them and this match. When they make a mistake, they shake it right off and go onto the next point," said Durakis. "We dwell on our mistakes a little too long, but we’re still learning as we go. This is a match we will definitely learn from and it will make us better down the road.”

Bogota improved to 11-0 and will make its case for a high seed in the upcoming Bergen County Tournament on Satuday. They will face several of North Jersey’s best teams in the Northern Valley Tournament, including perennial powers and hosts of the tournament, Northern Valley/Old Tappan and Northern Valley/Demarest.

The win also kept a streak intact that dates back to 2003. That is the last time Bogota, which has just one senior starter, lost a match against BCSL-Olympic competition. It is a stat that is not lost on the players who want to keep that streak alive.

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