Vasquez and Girman rally Nottingham to upset of Princeton
PRINCETON » When the Nottingham High girls soccer team needed it most, one of its game-changing players delivered a spectacular goal that will go down in program lure.
Ivonne Vasquez’s scored a wonderful equalizer with nine minutes remaining and gave the 10th-seeded Northstars the momentum they needed to stun seventh-seeded Princeton, 2-1 in overtime, in the first round of the Mercer County Tournament on Thursday afternoon.
Vasquez’s strike came six minutes after the Little Tigers went in front and it was the kind of jaw-dropping effort that belongs in a highlight reel. The junior midfielder picked the ball up 40 yards from goal, took two touches to get into shooting range and belted a 25-yard strike into the top corner.
“Far shots are my shots,” Vasquez said. “It was a great feeling to get the ball in. I’ve taken a lot of shots lately and a lot haven’t gone in. I just knew this one was going to go in.”
Just how good was it? “Not this year, no, I haven’t seen a better goal,” Nottingham coach Christie Fink said.
“It was incredible,” said freshman Gia Girman. “It kind of energized everybody.”
With a belief they could pull the upset, the Northstars (9-6) went for it in overtime and Girman, the CVC’s third leading-scorer, produced a sensational solo effort to win it with 25 seconds left in the first overtime.
Girman carried the ball 50 yards, turned a pair of Princeton defenders inside-out and calmly slotted home the winning goal, her 14th of the season.
“We all wanted it,” Girman said. “We haven’t come back in a game like this in a while. It’s very big. This is the first MCT game I’ve ever won with this team. It’s great.”
Nottingham has made huge improvements under Fink, but this was the breakthrough result — against a top-half CVC opponent — it desperately needed.
“They believe in each other right now,” Fink said. “It’s fun to see. It’s fun to coach. I’m excited for them. It wasn’t our prettiest soccer, but they put it away.”
Princeton (8-5-2) had been unbeaten in six of its last eight games and looked like a potential tournament sleeper.
But as the Little Tigers found out in a 0-0 draw with Hopewell Valley on Monday, inches can often be the difference in this sport.
Had Colette Marciano’s second-minute shot rippled the back of the net instead of smashing off the crossbar, the result likely would have been drastically different.
Given that early reprieve, Nottingham found its footing in the game and began to look dangerous on the break with Girman through the middle and Giuliana Pocino wide left.
Still, Princeton had more possession and the chances started coming as Devon Lis ran wild through large spaces in the midfield.
The Georgetown-bound midfielder linked well with Marciano and a neat 1-2 created an opportunity for Lis in the 54th minute, but she dragged her shot wide.
Lis, though, made no mistake in the 65th minute after she burst past three defenders and scored with a left-footed shot.
“I was nervous because it can unfold a little bit,” Fink admitted.
This time, however, her side recovered remarkably well to equalize through Vasquez before both teams traded great chances at the end of regulation. First Girman whistled a free kick from 21 yards inches wide and Princeton had a shot cleared off the line after it came through a pile of bodies.
Emily Midura hit the post from close range for Nottingham early in the first overtime as well.
The Northstars travel to second-seeded Pennington, 8-0 winners over Hamilton, for a quarterfinal game on Saturday.
“Just play,” Fink said. “You got to want it more in the Mercer County Tournament.”
Nottingham did that on Thursday.
And got a win it won’t soon forget.
“We were underdogs today and it felt great (to win),” Vasquez said. “We’re just going to try our best and do what we can do.”
Nottingham (9-6) Princeton (8-5-2) 0 0 1 1 1 — 0 —
Vasquez, Girman (N). Lis (P). 10 (N). 16 (P).
Haas 8 (N). SMarciano 3 (P).
2 1