Girl’s Soccer Plays to 0-0 Tie with Holy Cross

With just two off days in between a huge 3-2 victory over Holy Cross Saturday and a rematch Tuesday, the Pirates girl’s soccer team knew they had to get their work in at practice. Cinnaminson was prepared for everything Holy Cross threw at them on Tuesday, playing to a 0-0 tie to move to 4-1-1 on the season.

“I was more nervous coming into this game than I was the last game,” head coach Matt Digney said. “I didn’t know what to expect. It’s tough to come off such a high of beating them 3-2 with a man down. I feel like the first 5-10 minutes we didn’t respond well, but the next 20-25 minutes we played well.”

The first half was pretty evenly matched, with each team getting one real good chance to score, but both keepers (Marisa DiLeo for Cinnaminson and Cassandra Skelton for Holy Cross) made statement saves to keep the game knotted at zero.

“We knew Holy Cross was going to come out just as pumped up as us,” DiLeo said. “They’re such a good team. They wanted a battle just as much as we did. We knew if we stepped up, they’d step up too.”

The second half had the making of a thriller, as time kept ticking off the clock as the zeroes remained in the score columns. Both teams traded incredible scoring chances, but again, both keepers came up huge.

“Second half, we came out, we hung tough,” Digney said. “We adjusted. We kind of packed the middle of the field because I felt like they were getting most of their offense through the middle. In return, I think it affected our offense a little bit.”

DiLeo put on a clinic in net for the Pirates, making seven saves, at least three of them on point-blank shots. Another stat that is never reflected in the box score, but one that DiLeo excelled in today, was limiting rebounds. DiLeo did not allow a single rebound on any shot. She either made a clean save or deflected the ball out of play and away from danger.

“That was the best game I’ve seen Marisa play probably since she’s been with the program,” Digney said of DiLeo’s play in net. “She had a one-on-one save where she got extended to the right side. That’s what I ask of the goalie; make the normal saves, no mistakes, and one or two big saves per game. That’s what she did today. She really helped her team out, saved her team today.”

Cinnaminson’s defense was superb Tuesday, preventing Holy Cross from getting set up in front of the net and consistently sweeping the ball back out to midfield.

“Amanda McHugh plays a huge part back there,” DiLeo said. “If the ball comes over the defense, she just clears it up. She’s a big part of why I feel so comfortable back there.”

Despite the lack of scoring, the game was not without excitement throughout. Late in the second half, with less than one minute remaining, Miranda Sackner hit the right post with a cross. The rebound did not take the bounce the Pirates had hoped and Holy Cross was able to clear it past midfield. The Lancers made one last push to win the game, but DiLeo stood tall as time expired at the end of regulation.

“You never know what type of game it’s going to be,” Digney said. “I didn’t expect first game to be the way it was. I didn’t expect this game to be the way it was. You make adjustments in the first 5 to 10 minutes of each half and see what the direction is going to be. I did see it was more defensive and I was okay with that. I like hardstyle defensive play and take our chances up front. It worked out well.”

Both teams traded scoring chances in the first overtime, but nothing that came close to winning the game for either side. It was much of the same in the second overtime, with both keepers again coming up big for their respective teams to keep the game scoreless.

Cinnaminson had one final chance to win the game at the end of the second overtime, but a shot went wide of the net and Holy Cross let the final four seconds run off the clock.

Following the 0-0 tie, the Pirates girl’s soccer team will host Rancocas Valley on Thursday, October 1 at 3:45pm.

“We’re going to go in the same way we did this game,” DiLeo said. “We’re going to try to win. We don’t know how they play. We haven’t played them yet. We’re just going to go in with the mentality of winning.”