West Windsor South bows out of states

MONROE >> The magnitude of the moment got the best of Leah Churinskas.

It wasn’t the 2-1 loss she and her West Windsor-Plainsboro South teammates suffered at the hands of Monroe and it wasn’t about the wins the Pirates might have left on the field this year.

No, it was about a great group of teammates that became friends, it was about the chemistry they developed on and off the field and most of all it was about being a senior.

“I know our record might not show it, but we played hard every game and this one is tough because it’s one of the last games,’’ said Churinskas, fighting tears, after No. 8 Monroe ended the No. 9 Pirates’ state tourney hopes Monday in the opening round of the Central Jersey Group IV tournament played on the turf at Monroe.

The Pirates (3-9-1) still have an MCT consolation game to play, and for Monroe (3-12-1), it’s on to Princeton face the top-seeded Little Tigers in the second round.

“This senior class is very strong, and they have been great all year,’’ said South coach Laura McCormick. “They play so well together, and they are a great example to the younger players. They are a special group and they will fight until the end.’’

When the Falcons scored just over three minutes into the game it put the Pirates quickly in a hole. It was Kaley Battoglia that caged the goal off a Camryn Dalton pass.

South answered 10 minutes later at the 16:33 mark of the first half when Prerana Kote converted a pass from Akanksha Pandey to knot the score at 1-1.

“That first goal they got kind of put us back a little,’’ said McCormick. “We had control of the game at that time and even though we tied the game we just couldn’t get that same control.’’

The deciding goal came with 12 minutes left in the first half when Monroe’s Melissa Tan found a ball sent in front by Dalton and found a crease to deliver the game winner.

The two teams traded chances in the second half, and if there was some frustration for the Pirates it was the five second-half penalty corners it couldn’t convert.

“We would’ve liked to have capitalized on some of our chances,’’ said McCormick. “But, this group has given us everything they have every day and we can’t ask for more than that.’’

It is a large senior class that will be leaving, and it’s going to be a group remembered for their grit, their heart and the teamwork they displayed every time they took the field.

“We are a really close team,’’ said Churinskas. “It really has been great to play with a group of girls like this that fight so hard and always work through everything.’’

Churinskas and her teammates are a group that will be remembered not for what they did, but for what they gave: Every ounce of heart they had, and they did it for each other.

WW-P South (3-9-1) 1 0 – 1 Monroe (4-12-1) 2 0 – 2

Goals: WWPS: Kote. M: Battoglia, Tan. Assists: WWPS: Pandey. M: Dalton 2 Shots: WWPS: 5, M: 7. Saves: WWPS: Chavva 5, M: Romano 4.