Walters saves Hopewell a spot in sectional final
HOPEWELL TWP. >> The Hopewell Valley girls soccer team is in good hands with Braylee Walters.
The sophomore goalkeeper was once again the difference between elimination and survival in the Central Jersey Group III playoffs.
Walters stopped 10 shots and the Bulldogs made Emily Cooke’s 30thminute goal stand up in a 1-0 victory over Burlington Township at Ackerson Field on Tuesday night to advance to the sectional final.
Hopewell will face either Colts Neck or Brick Township, which played later on Tuesday night.
“Braylee is our backbone,” Cooke said. “She is like the best goalie ... ever. She saves our butt so many times.”
Walters needed to be at her best with the Falcons’ speedy Jiselle Daniels buzzing around and giving Hopewell’s defense all it could handle. She denied Daniels twice from pointblank range after Burlington’s sophomore had got behind the backline.
“She’s really quick, so I knew I had to get off my line,” Walters said. “I had to go for it and lay out. Hopefully, I got something on it.”
Eighth-seeded Township was coming off a stunning upset of top-seeded Allentown, so Walters knew she was going to need to be on her toes, especially when she turned a wayward clearance around her near post to prevent an own goal early in the first half.
“They’re a great team,” Walters said, “so I knew it was going to be hard.”
Cooke put fifth-seeded Hopewell (17-5-1) on the board in typical fashion with a scrappy goal after the ball had bounced around in the box. Nicola Mosionek set the chance up with a great ball in behind that released Molly O’Brien for a dangerous cross.
Burlington goalkeeper Erin Turpin made the initial save before Cooke pounced.
“It was bouncing around a lot and it bounced out (toward me) and I just happened to get a touch on it for a goal,” Cooke said. “I was so jumbled, it was just like get it in the net. Everyone who was (in the box) contributed and that’s what made it a really great goal.”
The Falcons (11-9) threw the kitchen sink at the Bulldogs in the second half, but couldn’t find an equalizer. Daniels came closest after she bulled her way past three defenders before Walters foiled her from close range.
“Their goalkeeper is very skilled and is a great player who came up with some big saves for them,” Burlington coach Kim Lamanteer said. “We were doing everything right and we couldn’t connect in that final third. It wasn’t without trying and I’m proud of these girls. I don’t think they got it in our defensive half for long stretches of time, but I guess it wasn’t our night.”
It was Walters’ night.
“I don’t know if I would have season this coming, but what I did notice is we were tough, defended well and had a heck of a goalie,” Hopewell coach John McGinley said. “When you do that in the state tournament, you have a chance to win every game.”
Burlington Twp. (11-9) 0 0 - 0 Hopewell (17-5-1) 1 0 - 1 Goals: Cooke (HV); Shots: 11 (BT), 3 (HV); Saves: Turpin 1 (BT). Walters 10 (HV).