Hun Girls’ Soccer Dethrones Pennington to Win Prep A, Utilizing Chemistry, Toughness to Produce Historic Win
There was electricity in the air as the Hun School girls’ soccer team hosted powerful Pennington in the state Prep A championship game last Wednesday.
A throng of around 1,000 surrounded the grass field by Stony Brook, offering raucous support to a top-seeded Hun squad that was determined to snap second-seeded Pennington’s streak of 11 straight Prep A titles.
At first, Hun senior star and co-captain Jess Sacco and her teammates were taken aback by the scene.
“We came out here and saw the fans and everyone was freaking out because we were nervous,” said Sacco.
“But then it was take a deep breath and then just go out there and enjoy it because we love this game and we love each other.”
Hun didn’t love the way the game went early on as a skilled Pennington squad dominated possession, generating a slew of scoring opportunities.
“They definitely had us scrambling for about 20 minutes,” acknowledged the Lehigh-bound Sacco.
“I think our defense and goalie kept our heads in it. I think the midfielders definitely worked their butts off. I am really proud of the freshmen like Nicole Apuzzi, Kara Borden, and Kendall Dandridge, they are all amazing.”
Junior goalie Courtney Arch, who had earned a shutout in a 2-0 Hun victory when the rivals met in the regular season on September 30, was working under fire as Pennington star and Stanford-bound Alana Cook produced a number of chances.
“It is a little terrifying, I remember last game I stopped her shot before and in reality she is just another girl and another player,” said Arch. “She just happens to be phenomenal. Once I start making the best saves, I know I can make the small saves.”
Hun put Pennington on its heels when senior co-captain and Lehigh-bound Ashley Maziarz found the back of the net on a stunning free kick to the top corner from 30 yards out with 1:31 remaining in the first half.
“It was just a phenomenal shot,” said Arch of Maziarz’s brilliant strike. “I think that made Pennington a little frantic and that gives us a confidence boost. Whenever we score, we play better because we just get more confident with ourselves.”
Riding the momentum from the goal, Hun played better and better in the second half, thwarting Pennington’s offense and getting an insurance goal from freshman phenom Borden with 1:31 to seal an historic 2-0 victory.
The crowd stormed the field to congratulate the Hun players, who were hugging each other in the middle of the pitch before they gathered together to claim the championship plaque that had been so long in the stranglehold of Pennington.
A beaming Hun head coach Joanna Hallac was thrilled with her team’s effort and the support it has generated in the Hun community.
“It was huge, the girls deserve all of the credit, they show up and they work hard every day,” said Hallac.
“Even when we have setbacks, they learn from it and we move forward. It means so much to the school. The whole school came out here and the whole day was scheduled around this. I have never seen anything like it, I think it meant a lot to the community and that is what we are about here. I think it is really great for Hun.”
The Hun squad showed its resilience as it weathered the first half storm. “Things got a little hairy there for a good 20 minutes but we survived it,” said Hallac.
“Courtney had to come up big in the first half. She had to come up big throughout the game but especially in that middle 20 minutes of the first half. They believed they could do this. They did it once already and they knew they could do it again. Pennington has so many dangerous players but we were able to defend well as a team. Our back four were unbelievable, Courtney was great. This was a real team effort and a real team victory.”
Arch, for her part, heaped praise on the gritty defensive unit, which featured junior Jess Johnson and Dandridge along with Maziarz.
“They are the best group of girls I have played with,” asserted Arch. “We know how to react under pressure and we know that, no matter what, we have each other’s backs. We recover and we work hard for each other so we always have that trust between each other which I think makes us really dynamic.”
In Hallac’s view, that ability to stay cool under pressure stemmed, in part, from last fall when Hun recovered from a 0-7 start to make the state Prep A final, where it fell 2-0 to Pennington.
“We ended last year on such a good, positive note and we had a lot of momentum and that helped carry us into this year,” said Hallac.
“I think there was just a lack of experience with these types of games last year and now the bulk of the kids had it and these freshmen have just been great, the pressure doesn’t seem to get to them. They really have done such a huge job along with these veteran returning players. I am really impressed with their play in these big game situations.”
Another key factor in the team’s success has been the obvious unity among the players.
“The chemistry off the field directly feeds the chemistry on the field, these girls really just love each other and support each other off the field,” said Hallac, whose team wrapped up the fall last Sunday by beating Mercersburg Academy 4-0 to finish with a final record of 14-4-1.
“They are like one unit, seniors, freshmen, it doesn’t matter what grade they are, they all hang out together off the field.”
Arch believes that chemistry has helped Hun stick together on the field. “I think it is that on and off the field we are best friends,” said Arch. “Off the field, we all eat lunch together. We still hang out with each other. We are a second family here, I love it.”
For Sacco, that family feeling drives the team’s competitive fire.
“Everyone plays with a lot of heart, we may not have the most talent but we have a lot of heart,” said Sacco.
“Every time we get out on that field, we play for each other and give it 110 percent. We didn’t have a letdown today, we knew we would have to go out there for 80 minutes and really battle every single second. I think we did that very well.”