– by Patrick Coonan of CCBC-
CCBC Essex women’s soccer won 12 straight games after defeating Monroe Community College and Genesee Community College on Saturday and Sunday by scores of 3-1 and 4-1, respectively.
The Knights (12-1) are now ranked 19th in the nation, their first time in the NJCAA Top 20 since 1989.
Essex trailed early against Monroe when Gaia Iacuzzi scored a ball crossed to the six-yard line by Kimberly McPhearson for 1-0 Tribunes lead. It wouldn’t take long for the Knights and Kara Dietrich (Perry Hall) to answer when she rolled the ball past the goalkeeper in the sixth minute of play.
In the 25th minute, Kimberly McPhearson hit a rocket off the crossbar that Knights’ goalie Sam Tornatore (Eastern Tech grad) would gather safely. In the 15th minute Joey Eskey hit the crossbar from a head ball off an Emily Vetri (Sparrows Point grad) corner. In a competitive first half, the score at the break was tied at one. For the much of the beginning of second half, the Knights were under siege.
They would eventually gain their footing and in the 73rd minute Natalie Marx had the breakthrough for Essex. The dagger came in the 87th minute when Vetri hit a shot that would go over the goalie’s reach and into the upper corner to put Essex ahead 3-1. Tornatore finished the game with three saves on four Tribunes’ shots on goal.
On Sunday, Dietrich beat their keeper near post for a 1-0 Essex lead in the 16th minute. It was Dietrich’s 31st goal of the season. Dietrich would assist on the next goal, as she played Mikayla Boyle (Eastern Tech grad ) for the 2-0 lead in the 23rd minute.
In the 35th minute, Dani Zacierka (Sparrows Point) would score to make it 3-0. Quickly after, in the 36th minute Ashley Hearn would score for the Cougars to make the halftime score 3-1 Essex.
In the 53rd minute, Boyle scored her second goal of the day to make it 4-1. The Knights would dominate the second half and see the 4-1 win out closing a big weekend and defeating its third ranked team in five days.
