Notre Dame reaches 6th straight semifinal
LAWRENCE » Many times over the last two years the catalyst for the Notre Dame attack hasn’t be a great draw control or perfect pass, it has been a save by Nicole Burney.
Pennington had possession in the beginning of the game and it was a save by Burney five minutes into the game that set the tone.
The Irish sophomore was brilliant along with the defense in front of her and attack rewarded them with a 12-0 win over the No. 6 Red Raiders in a Mercer County Tournament quarterfinal game played on ND’s Msgr. Nolan Field.
The win sends No. 3 Notre Dame (11-1) into the semifinals for the sixth straight year. The foe for the Irish will be a familiar one in No. 2 Allentown, which advanced with a 15-2 win over No. 7 Hightstown.
This will be the third semifinal meeting of ND and Allentown and the second time around this season. The Redbirds won the regular season meeting 7-3 in Allentown, the semifinals are at Notre Dame.
While the Irish are headed back to the semifinals Pennington (8-5) will focus on a Prep B semifinal game on Monday with Princeton Day.
“This is a good game to get us ready for Monday,” said Pennington coach Wendy Morris. “Notre Dame is a good team and their goalie was amazing.”
If the Red Raiders might’ve been looking past the Irish to PDS, Burney made them pay for it.
“We are all growing as a defense,” said Burney, who notched nine saves in the first shutout of her career. “The defense did a really good job and held Pennington off in the beginning and it gave me an easier shot to handle.”
Talented and humble, because the Red Raiders had some good chances and Burney came up big every time.
“It’s great to get a shutout,” said ND coach Bryan Fisher. “I think Burney and the defense deserve it. Nicole is a bundle of energy and she wants to be involved. She made the big save early and she thrives off that.”
Once Burney set the tempo the attack prospered.
The ND offense was led by Danielle Losier with four goals and an assist, Gabby Skowronski had three and two, one of the Irish’s senior leaders Maddie Rizzuto had a pair of goals and a pair of assists.
ND got single scores from Julia DellAngelo, Julia Rossi and Jess Pisani, who also had an assist.
“The attack was really working well together,” said Skowronski, who is just a freshman and now has 18 goals on the season. “We were being patient and really looking for each other.
Pennington got an eight save game from Amanda Kendrick in the cage. Her play kept things close early, but a ND three-goal spurt midway in the first half broke things open.
It was 4-0 at the 10:27 mark and then just 72 seconds later the Irish had a convincing 7-0 lead with 9:15 left before intermission.
ND took a 9-0 lead into the second half and then controlled the ball mostly in the second half.
Having Burney in the cage made it look easy.
“She makes the defense and the whole team better,” said Fisher, of the goalie. “I’m excited for her.” Pennington (8-5) 0 0—0 Notre Dame (11-1) 9 2 — 11
Losier 4, GSkowronski 2, Rizzuto 2, DellAngelo, Rossi, Pisani (ND).
Rizzuto 2, Losier, Pisani (ND). 12 (P). 23 (ND).
Goals — Assists — Shots —