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Wildcats Pull Out Eighth Straight
WEST WINDSOR, NJ - The New Jersey Wildcats were without their two leading scorers tonight and it showed as they had to tough out a 2-0 victory over the New Hampshire Lady Phantoms at Mercer County Community College. Jen Redmond and Manya Makoski picked up second half goals to help the Wildcats remain unbeaten with their eighth straight win.
With leading scorers Kelly Smith and Marinette Pichon away at the WUSA festival in Blaine, MN, the Wildcats needed someone to step up to break through New Hampshire's packed-in defense. Redmond tried and finally hit the back of the net in the 74th minute on her sixth shot of the game. The US U-19 National Team star took a cross from Makoski at the top of the box, stepped past two defenders, and rolled a shot off the hands of Lady Phantoms keeper Jenna Mello for the game-winner.
New Jersey outshot New Hampshire by an 18-2 margin and dominated play with the Lady Phantoms content to keep all 11 players in their own end behind the ball. Becky Wachsberger needed just two saves to post the shutout for the Wildcats - their fifth of the season. The Lady Phantoms fell to 0-5 with the loss.
Makoski closed out the game in the final minute. Redmond sent her in behind the defense and Mello reached the ball first but touched it right into Makoski, who calmly slotted the ball into the open goal.
The Wildcats dominated the first half outshooting the Lady Phantoms 9-1 but couldn't break through the packed in defense. Jen Redmond had two great chances from long range as she hit the crossbar twice in the first 12 minutes.
New Hampshire had their best chance of the game in the 23rd minute when Wachsberger did well to tip Megan Crabtree's header over the bar. Mello tipped away long blasts from Anne Makinen in the 26th minute and 49th minute before stopping Kate Sands point blank on a breakaway in the 57th minute.
The Wildcats play two on the road against the Washington Freedom on June 23rd and the Western Mass Lady Pioneers on July 2nd before returning to MCCC for a home game against Washington on July 7th at 7:30 p.m.
LINEUPS:
NEW HAMPSHIRE LADY PHANTOMS: Jenna Mello, Lindsay Sheffield, Shelby Crabtree, Allison Reyell, Annmarie Yutkins, Kelly Collins, Megan Crabtree, Nichole Platte, Jacquelyn Kendall, Kim Mendonca (Amanda Wiggins 54), Meghan King.
NEW JERSEY WILDCATS: Becky Wachsberger, Beth McNamara, Rochelle Willis, Anne Makinen, Janine Willis, Kim Francis, Maura Gallagher (Dolores Deasley 78), Jen Redmond, Tobin Heath, Kate Sands, Manya Makoski.
GOALS:
NJW – Redmond (Makoski) 74th minute
NJW – Makoski (Redmond) 90th minute
SAVES:
NHLP – Mello 8
NJW – Wachsberger 2
SHOTS:
NHLP – 2, NJW – 18 | 
