Steinert left frustrated with season-ending loss to Colts Neck
HAMILTON >> The Steinert High girls soccer team wanted badly to be playing next week.
All season the Spartans have fought off low expectations to have another fine season. Yet, advancing past Friday’s second round of the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III Tournament would not only have proven that to everyone, but also would have allowed senior forward Brielle Flodmand to return to the lineup.
Flodmand, the team’s leading point getter with seven goals and seven assists, had missed a few games after suffering a concussion. She was finally cleared Friday, but did not suit up for third-seeded Steinert’s home game with sixth-seeded Colts Neck.
When the Spartans came up short, 1-0, against the Cougars, they missed out on both chances.
Instead, it will be 10-6-2 Colts Neck advancing to Tuesday’s sectional semifinal at second-seeded Brick Township (16-4-1), a 6-1 winner over Jackson Liberty.
“That’s been our season,” Spartans head coach Mike Hastings said. “We haven’t put away our opportunities consistently.”
Adding to Steinert’s frustration was the goal it allowed.
After 57-plus minutes of scoreless action, in which the home side had controlled chances about 85 percent of the time, Colts Neck’s Ella Cano sent a long ball from midfield toward the Spartans’ net.
Junior goalkeeper Katherine Calle came toward the high kick, only to have it short-hop away from her. Cougars senior forward Kristi Mikula was quick to pounce on the loose ball and kicked it into the vacated net with 22:18 left in the second half.
“I got an opportunity, and, in these games, you’ve got to put those away,” said Fairfield University-bound Mikula, who connected for the 13th time this season. “If the goalie loses the ball, you’ve got to smother.”
Following the goal, Steinert went back to having the better of the play, but the connections it sought never materialized.
“We tried just as hard in the second half as we did in the first,” Spartans senior back Gabby DeLisa said. “I thought this was our best effort all season.”
Besides playing strong defense, DeLisa also had two of Steinert’s best chances.
With seven minutes left in the first half, DeLisa ripped a free kick from just outside the box around the wall of defenders, and Colts Neck ‘keeper Kaitlyn Torres had to make a diving save to keep it out of net. The rebound was cranked over the net.
DeLisa took another free kick along the sideline from about 25 yards out with 6:10 left. Again the ball went right on net and off Torres’ hands, but no one could get there to tie the game.
Torres finished with 11 saves to end the Spartans’ season after a 12-7 campaign.
“Everyone was down on us this year,” DeLisa said. “But we felt, if we worked hard, we could have another phenomenal season. We did, but we got no recognition.”
“We reloaded this season,” Hastings said. “This team worked hard. The girls played with a chip on their shoulders.”
That tough play continued Friday, but without a goal to show for its effort, Steinert will miss out on a chance to continue playing next week.
ColtsNeck(10-6-2) 0 1 — 1
Steinert (12-7) 0 0 — 0
Goal: Mikula (CN); Assist: Cano (CN). Shots: 2 (CN), 11 (S); Saves: Torres 11 (CN), Calle 1 (S).