Berardi, Fox help White blank Red in Mooch Game
LAWRENCEVILLE >> Courtney Fox knew she was probably going to be busy during the Mooch Senior Game, but she didn’t expect to come out with a cleansheet.
The Hightstown goalkeeper made seven saves and White shut out Red, 4-0, on Sunday afternoon at Rider University in the annual showcase for the best seniors in Mercer County.
“I knew it was going to be hard because the competition on both sides was very good,” Fox said. “It’s the best in the county, but I’m really happy with the outcome and with how everyone worked hard.”
With the Red side featuring the likes of Pennington’s Jaydin Avery, Allentown’s Emma Pascarella and Nottingham’s Ivonne Vasquez, Fox had to be on her toes.
“I knew I was going to get some action because the girls up top I know from playing for Hightstown,” Fox said. “It was going to be tough because they are really strong players.”
Lawrence’s Sarah Berardi scored White’s first three goals before Hun’s Bryonna Worthy tapped in a fourth in the final two minutes.
“Everyone on our team was really good,” said Berardi, who scored 13 goals for a Cardinals side that went 9-7-2 this season. “The passing was really nice. We played like we had been playing with each other forever.”
This was the first time many of the players worked with each other after competing against one another all season.
“It’s really fun to play with people who you always go against,” Berardi said. “You’re like, ‘oh, I don’t want to play them,’ and then you play with them and everyone is really nice and kind to each other. It was a great experience.”
Fox, who backstopped Hightstown to a 9-9-1 mark and a Central Group IV playoff upset for the second straight season, agreed with Berardi’s assessment.
“The communication and the way everything pulled together, everyone was so outgoing when you first walked up,” Fox said. “Everyone just started talking like we were friends from before. I think that really helped everyone to be a team.”
The Mooch Senior Game is played in honor of the late Glenn “Mooch” Myernick, a former Lawrence High star who was inducted into the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame posthumously in 2015.