Steinert wraps up Colonial Division title
HAMILTON » Mike Hastings is thinking about stacking the deck for Casey Grehan.
Grehan collected two goals and an assist Tuesday night to help the Steinert girls’ soccer team to a 4-1 Senior Night win over Robbinsville at Cowell Field, giving the Spartans the Colonial Valley Conference Patriot Division championship.
Grehan has six goals on the season, second on the team to Giana Pittaro’s seven, and four of them have come in Steinert’s first two night games at the newly renovated Veterans Park complex.
“We said that when she came off, that it must be this field,” said Hastings, who earned his first division crown in his fourth year as head coach. “It’s one of those things. I can’t explain it. She plays well every game, she’s finding the net here. I guess we’ll have to keep playing every game over here so she keeps scoring goals.”
Grehan was quick to point out that the lighted field inspires everybody, and everybody helps her score.
“It’s definitely the field,” she said. “It makes you feel something, I don’t know. Everyone out here watching. Us coming out here with the motivation to win, it’s just everything together.”
But not everyone scores two goals every time.
“That’s just definitely a team effort, you can’t do it by yourself,” Grehan said. “We all wanted to do it and we all did it together.”
They also wanted to finally get some kind of banner in the gym after going 19-3 last year and not having one championship to their credit.
“We’ve actually been talking about that,” Hastings said. “Last year you win 19 games and really had nothing to show for it, and that was the chip on the shoulder going into this season.”
“Nineteen and three and nothing to show for it,” Pittaro said. “We talked about it pre-game. Hastings had a check list and it’s just really satisfying. I think we deserve it with all our hard work.”
Pittaro had a goal and an assist and was one of five seniors to get a point on their special night, along with Lynzie Morgan, Ashley Navarro and Kaylie Skillman.
Grehan tallied in the 13th minute from the right flank off a feed from Pittaro, and with 2:01 left in the half Steinert (11-1-1) got a crushing goal when Pittaro converted a cross from Morgan. After intermission, Grehan assisted Navarro and then scored off Skillman’s pass.
It was the Spartans eighth straight win and keeps them unbeaten (9-01) in their last 10 games.
“I guess you can say that,” Pittaro responded when asked if Steinert was playing its best soccer. “I think it’s a big thing improving through the season as a team. When we start working better together it’s when everyone starts playing better.”
Robbinsville (6-4-1) got some late consolation when Karly Diel scored with 9:20 left, snapping Steinert’s string of shutouts at eight straight games.
“That’s a good thing, that’s a moral victory,” coach Caitlyn Curran said. “Coming out here, keeping our heads high and playing as a team. That’s been our Robbinsville’s Sara Hutt, left, and Steinert’s Kristen Pirrocco, right, look to control the ball. motto – strong alone, unstoppable together.”
The Ravens suffered a blow in their previous game when Division I goalie Jamie Skarupsky suffered a knee injury against Hopewell. The extent of the damage will be known on Friday.
“The girls have really rallied,” Curran said. “We have a very strong team camaraderie on our team. As much as we’re missing Jamie, they’re really all stepping up to rally behind our replacement goalie (Molly Aromando) and doing what they can to keep the ball out of the back of the net.”
Trying to do that against Casey Grehan on Cowell Field, however, has proven to be a pretty tough task.
Robbinsville (6-4-1) Steinert (11-1-1) Goals —
KarDiel (R). Grehan 2, Pittaro, Navarro (S).
Lake (R). Pittaro, Grehan, Morgan, Skillman (S).
7 (R). 13 (S). Aromando 9 (R). Golik 4, Inman
Assists — Shots — Saves —
2 (S).
0 1— 2 2—4
Follow Rich Fisher on twitter @Fish4scores
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