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Wildcats' 13th Doesn't Come Easy
Second Half Surge Clinches First Place in Northeast Division
WAYNE, NJ - For the second time this season, the New Jersey Wildcats topped the New Jersey Lady Stallions in a W-League contest and for the second time it didn't come easy. The result was exactly the same for the Wildcats - a 4-1 victory over the Lady Stallions at DePaul Catholic High School - but once again the Wildcats had to work for the win.
With the win, the Wildcats clinched the Northeast Division regular season title with a 13-0 mark - their first ever first-place finish - while the second-place Lady Stallions fell to 10-3. Both teams have one game remaining before the playoffs. The Wildcats also earned the right to host the Eastern Conference playoffs with the victory. The conference semifinals and final will be held at Mercer County Community College on July 31st and August 1st.
Kelly Hammond, Janine Willis, Anne Makinen, and Tasha St Louis all hit for the Wildcats, who topped the Lady Stallions by the same score at home on June 16th. Dominique Esposito hit for the Lady Stallions as all the scoring came in the second half. Amanda Brown had a strong game in goal for the Wildcats with a season-high six saves.
Neither team could find the back of the net in the early going on DePaul's miniature-sized, 100 x 60 yard field. The Wildcats had the possession in the first half, but the Lady Stallions had the better of the chances. Marinette Pichon hit the outside of the post from an angle in the fifth minute for the most dangerous chance for the Wildcats in the opening half. The Lady Stallions had two great chances in a three-minute span starting in the 20th minute but Brown was up to the task both times. The Wildcats keeper tipped long shots from Kristina Fontanez and Lisette Brandão off the crossbar to keep the game scoreless.
Things looked good for the Wildcats at the start of the second half with Lady Stallions keeper Kristin Walker barely getting a foot to a breakaway chance from halftime substitute Alli D'Amico just 28 seconds in. D'Amico helped the Wildcats finally break the game open a short time later when she fed Kelly Hammond for a 22-yard shot that deflected past Walker and into the back of the net 1:50 into the half.
The Lady Stallions struck back behind Esposito in the 54th minute and in the process ended the Wildcats' season-long road shutout streak. Leah Jerome did well to keep the ball in play in the left corner before cutting the ball back to Esposito, who first-timed a shot through traffic and just inside the right post to tie the score at 1-1. The goal was the first allowed on the road this season for the Wildcats ending a 594-minute shutout run.
The Wildcats retook the lead on a great strike from defender Janine Willis three minutes later. Walker barely tipped wide a shot from St Louis and on the ensuing corner kick the ball was cleared to Willis, who cracked a first-time shot from 20 yards off the right post for her first goal of the season.
St Louis had a part in the third and fourth goals for the Wildcats as well after Brown came up with a great save stuffing Fontanez point-blank in the 64th minute. In the 67th minute, St Louis was fouled outside the left corner of the box and Makinen drove the free kick into the upper left corner of the goal. Six minutes later, St Louis took a pass from Kim Brandão on the left and carried the ball into the box before curling a right-footed shot inside the far post.
Brown kept the Lady Stallions off the board one more time in the 74th minute when she once again tipped a long free kick from Sue Flamini off the crossbar.
The Wildcats close out the regular season on Sunday when they host the New York Magic at 2 p.m. at Mercer County Community College. Tickets for both nights of the following weekend's Eastern Conference playoffs will be on sale at the game on Sunday
LINEUPS:
NEW JERSEY WILDCATS: Amanda Brown, Beth McNamara, Rochelle Willis, Kim Brandão, Janine Willis, Anne Makinen, Maura Gallagher (Tasha St Louis 45), Bonnie Young (Alli D'Amico 45), Kelly Hammond, Kate Sands (Cara Hammond 65), Marinette Pichon (Kaley Guthrie 87).
NEW JERSEY LADY STALLIONS: Kristin Walker, Dawn Dickten, Kathleen Sinram (Andrea Coukoulis 80), Sue Flamini, Dominique Esposito, Sarah Dwyer, Elizabeth Reed, Leah Jerome, Tatiana Mathelier (Lauren McDevitt 67), Lisette Brandão, Kristina Fontanez.
GOALS:
NJW – K. Hammond (D'Amico) 47th minute
NJLS – Esposito (Jerome) 54th minute
NJW – J. Willis 57th minute
NJW – Makinen 68th minute
NJW – St Louis (K. Brandão) 73rd minute
SAVES:
NJW – Brown 6
NJLS – Walker 5
SHOTS:
NJW – 11, NJLS – 9 | 
