A-L-Y-G-N-E-D FOR VICTORY

Kirsten makes the second of two, back-to-back saves against O'Connell

Grossman scores game-winner from 28 yards in 61st minute; Genus scores fastest goal in SJC history

Junior defender Aly Grossman scored the biggest goal of her high school career with a 28-yard strike into the upper corner of the goal to lift St. John's to a 2-1 victory over WCAC leader, O'Connell, at Quinn Field on Election Day. (Photos are available here - use "StJohn2010" for access.)

Aly's goal in the 61st minute gave SJC the lead

Grossman's game-winning strike came during the run of play in the 61st minute as the Cadets won possession of the ball at midfield. Junior midfielder Maise McCune, who won nine out of ten aerial challenges throughout the contest, looked to her right and found a streaking Grossman motoring up the flank. With space in front of her to penetrate, the SJC co-captain eluded an oncoming O'Connell back who rushed at the six-foot defender before she cut into the middle of the field, and unleashed a screamer that had its eyes on the net. It sailed high and right of the 'keeper before swishing inside of the post and setting off a joyous chorus of applause.

The match winner was Grossman's first goal of the season in her first match back in the scarlet and white since she suffered a leg injury during the Cadets tie against St. Mary's Ryken, 2-2, on October 12th.

"Aly was terrific today", said Colin Lennon, SJC's third-year coach. "The ability to look up and see the window in between the defenders and goalkeeper shows you how competitive Aly is. I couldn't be more pleased for her and our team with the effort that they gave today."

Despite being out shot 13-4 by the Knights, St. John's managed to stretch the visitors' defense across the pitch for periods of the first half. Ball movement and runs off of the ball allowed the Cadets to string together a series of passes that went touchline-to-touchline without being dispossessed - aspects of play that St. John's had struggled with throughout the season up until recently.

"We worked on tempo and runs off the ball", Lennon stated about the tenor of his team's training sessions. "Getting everyone on the same page with respect to movement without the ball has been a major area of improvement for us."

Maise dribbles away from a recovering OC defender

St. John's opened the scoring in the first minute as McCune found fellow midfielder Carli Taylor wide on the left flank with space to penetrate behind the Knights' back four. Without hesitation, Taylor whipped in a low cross to the six that met the right foot of an oncoming Sidi Genus, who re-directed the ball into the lower right corner of the goal for her first goal of the season.

Nia attacks the Knights' right back

O'Connell found life through the play of junior forward Morgan Reuther who was able to create space for herself on both sides of the SJC defense in a span of seven minutes during the first half. In the 8th minute, Reuther ran onto a long ball played over the top of the SJC back four of Collins, Grossman, Parks and Slark, and angled towards the near post before she was stopped point-blank by Slark. O'Connell kept pressing for the equalizer and again found Reuther on the left side of the flank in the 10th minute where she drove a cross to the back post of SJC goalkeeper Kirsten Glad's net. Glad acrobatically punched the ball wide of an oncoming O'Connell midfielder who had slipped into the space.

At the 14th minute, SJC defender Shannon Collins was whistled for a foul on O'Connell's Caroline Leary roughly 35 yards to the right of Glad's goal. O'Connell tried to beat Glad with a high, arcing shot which she handled easily to avert a real scoring opportunity. This would be the first of five direct kicks that the Knights earned on the day compared to two for the Cadets. O'Connell came straight at the Cadets and produced a quality chance in the 23rd minute when they played a cross from the right flank to Glad's back post, but the junior net minder maintained control of the ball as it floated in to a sea of royal blue and white shirts.

Mimi dribbles at pace on the right flank

SJC finished the first half with a 1-0 lead and adjusted its tactical approach to emphasize more help defending from the front duo of Genus and junior Mary Matecki. Midfielder Mimi Rosenberg entered on the flank and combined well alongside McCune and Muhammad, along with fellow midfielders Nia Sena and Carli Taylor, who together did an admirable job throughout the game against the pacy, athletic flank players from the Arlington school.

O'Connell's persistence paid off in the 46th minute as Reuther was fouled as she attempted to push the ball behind SJC's dynamic duo of Slark and Collins in the penalty box. The referee whistled for a penalty kick as Slark's challenge on Reuther left the junior striker face down on the ground. O'Connell's Kara DeGuisto dispatched the PK over a diving Glad to even the derby at 1-1 with 34 minutes remaining.

Kirsten challenges OC's Reuther on a ball played to the back post

Both squads battled back and forth for the remainder of the contest but neither could muster real danger in the final third as both goalkeepers were equal to the task. Glad came out of her box in the 59th minute to snuff two successive shots at point blank range from O'Connell's Reuther, which was one of the more dramatic sequences of the contest.

Morgan attacks the OC defense
Photos courtesy of Ken White

After Grossman's goal put the Cadets up 2-1, SJC Head Coach Colin Lennon switched to a 4-5-1 system of play and inserted junior Morgan Testa to hold things together up top for the home team. Freshman Lizzie D. also contributed valuable minutes in a triangle midfield alongside McCune and junior Najla Muhammad.

At the final whistle, SJC players walked over to the bleachers to show their appreciation for family and friends that have cheered them on throughout the fall season.

St. John's improves to 12-7-4 and 6-5-4 in the WCAC. The Cadets travel to Bishop McNamara on Friday, November 5th for its WCAC regular season finale. Varsity kicks off at 3:30 PM followed by the junior varsity at 5:00 PM.

MATCH STATS

                      SJC      OC
GOALS        2           1
SHOTS         4           13
SAVES         11         2
CK                 4          1
FK                 2          5
FOULS         5          5

SJC GOALS: Genus (1) 1', Grossman (1) 61'
SJC ASSISTS: Taylor, McCune (2)
OC GOAL: DeGuisto 46' (PK)