Marciano’s second-half hat trick powers Princeton
PRINCETON >> Val Rodriguez asked her Princeton High girls soccer team to make one simple halftime adjustment.
She told them they needed to finish.
Colette Marciano acted on the message.
The junior midfielder scored a hat trick in a 14-minute span of the second half and the Little Tigers surged past Robbinsville, 3-1, on Thursday afternoon.
“I had a breakaway in the first half that I wasn’t able to finish, so when I got another chance, I wanted to be able to finish that for my team,” Marciano said. “In the second half, we came out stronger, and I obviously, couldn’t have scored without some amazing assists.”
Marciano never doubted chances would fall her side’s way since there were several in the first half and the Ravens were so open at the back.
“We always create chances, it’s just a matter of finishing them or not,” she said. “In the second half, we came out stronger and with a will to win. It was helpful to put the ball in the back of the net.” Her coach agreed. “This was the best feeling halftime talk we had this season, Rodriguez said. “To know that we were doing everything that we need to be doing, it was just a matter of making that net move. Everything was positive.”
Trailing 1-0 to Kellie Hoffman’s 17th-minute opener, Marciano equalized for the Little Tigers (2-3) six minutes after the restart. She walked in one-on-one against goalkeeper Jamie Skarupsky and slotted home after a simple through ball by Sabine Waldeck split the Ravens’ defense wide open.
Seven minutes later, Marciano chased down Devon Lis’ longball and put a toe on it just before a sliding Skarupsky could reach out and grab it. Princeton’s Colette Marciano, left, scored a hat trick in Thursday’s win over Robbinsville.
She completed her hat trick in the 60th minute with a cool firsttime finish after Shannon Romaine dug out a loose ball and squared it back across the center of the box.
Rodriguez, of course, was asked about her goal scorer, and said she prefers to deploy Marciano as a holding midfielder, but gives her the license to get forward, especially when senior sweeper Zoe Tesone has the defense locked down the way shed did in the second half.
“She’s technically and tactically sound,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve got confidence in her when she’s got the ball at her feet and I like when she’s getting into the attack. When we have that support of our stopper stepping into the attack, that frees her to go up.”
But Robbinsville (3-2) is a decent attacking side, something Rodriguez was quick to point out, and the Ravens still had chances.
Hoffman, who put Robbinsville in front with her ninth of the season, directed a shot from the center of the box wide two minutes after Marciano
gave Princeton the lead, then set up Riane Walsh for an opportunity that goalkeeper Shaylah Marciano (nine saves) parried away at her near-post.
“We made mistakes,” Ravens coach Karen DeRossett said, “and we paid for the mistakes. Hopefully, we learn from this as the season goes on and we can build from here.”
The Little Tigers, meanwhile, are much-improved from the openingday 6-1 thrashing they received from Hopewell.
“I said to you guys that night, we have the talent, but they’re young, they’re immature, they’re nervous and we needed to figure out how to play as a team,” Rodriguez said. “Today was the first day I felt really strong about building the attack, getting numbers up, getting the ball at our feet ... the hesitation is leaving us and we’re getting people involved all over the field.” Obst, Schrader, Nilsson (HV), Mastropasqua (H). Nilsson (HV). 19 (H), 5 (H). Ouslander 4 (HV), Huntzinger 16 (H).
ALLENTOWN 6, HAMILTON 0 ALLENTOWN >> Vanessa Rodriguez finished with a hat trick while Emma Pascarella, Sydney Regina and Carly Roche all scored once.
WW-P SOUTH 4, TRENTON 0 PRINCETON JCT. >> The Pirates snapped a five game losing skid on two goals from Haley Grecsek, while Jennifer Clancey and Amanda Guest chipped in one goal each. PDS 3, PEDDIE 2 HIGHTSTOWN >> The Panthers’ Madison Coyne, Brie Astbury and Ariana Jones all scored in the final 17 minutes of the game to give the team a six game unbeaten streak.
Julia Gorajek and Hana Nguyen both had a tally in the loss.
BORDENTOWN 3, PEMBERTON 2 BORDENTOWN >> Annette Ditolvo scored the winning goal with eight minutes left in the second half ending the Hornets four game unbeaten streak to start the season.
Emma Moore and Morgan Papp scored the Scotties first two goals while Amaiya Giddings and Abby Todd scored for Pemberton in the first half, which ended tied at two. Moore and Devon Fitzpatrick had assists for Bordentown.
Chloe Wieczkowski had 11 saves for Bordentown and Madison Garcia had 10 for Pemberton.
CINNAMINSON 1, BURLINGTON TWP. 0 BURLINGTON >> Hailey Gutowski sank the only goal scored in the game in the second half.
Maddie Ogden’s seven saves were enough to earn her a shutout and keep the Pirates unbeaten.