EWING, Nov. 21, 2009 – When senior Kathleen Jordan blew a chance to win the state championship in the 2nd minute of the first “golden goal” overtime, Haddonfield fans weren’t worried. They knew it would just make her more determined.
Jordan broke free and took a clear shot on the goal from about 15 yards out. A goal and Haddonfield wins the State Cup. But Jordan’s shot clanked off the left post and play continued. No problem. Less than five minutes later Jordan used her speed and strength to win a ball after a shot was blocked, and crossed it to sophomore Kate Johnston who was wide open in front of the net.
Johnston had plenty of time to set for the ball – and probably to check her e-mail while she was at it – and easily put it in the back of the net for a thrilling 2-1 win and Haddonfield's fourth state championship since 1997.
"I didn't know why they didn't mark me,” Johnston said to the Courier-Post, “but I had missed a shot like that beforehand. I was like, ‘This time I have to put it in.' I just did it calmly and didn't rush it. The goalie was coming at me, but I didn't want to hit it over, so I had to set myself to get it down."
“That was awful. I should have put it away,” Jordan said after the game to the Inquirer’s Marc Narducci of her first miss.
The match was played before a nice crowd on a cool night in The College of New Jerse's football stadium. Haddonfield generally had the better of the play against a good Mahwah team in the first half, but could have been on the short end of the score at half had keeper Tina Davis not tipped a long shot over the crossbar.
Just 1:26 into the second half, midfielder Sarah Dudek beat her defender and took a shot from the left that bounced off Mahwah keeper Emily Secor and Jordan took advantage to put the Bulldawgs up, 1-0. But nine minutes later the Thunderbirds followed up two corner kicks and a throw-in with a cross from the right side by Nicole Lee that Kristyn Tremblay headed in for the equalizer.
Haddonfield had one last chance to win it in regulation, but Secor fell on an Emily Grabiak corner kick from the left with 6 seconds to play before anyone could put it in the net.
Haddonfield used 14 players in winning the Cup. Mahwah went the whole way with its starting 11.
The Bulldawgs have not lost since the second game of the season when they were defeated, 2-1, by Williamstown. They have won 21 straight since a scoreless tie with Haddon Heights on Sept. 17. The program was co-champions in 1997 after a scoreless tie with Morris Catholic in Group 1, and co-champions again in 2005, this time in Group 2 with Pascack Valley. They won the title outright in Group 2 in 2007 with a 1-0 victory over Pascack Hills. In 2006 River Dell edged Haddonfield in the Group 2 final.
The championship was followed by a Haddonfield tradition – a parade through town and over Kings Highway to the high school with fire engines and a police car escorting the team bus. It sounds hokie and small-town, but having ridden in the parade two of the last three years, I can tell you it’s pure magic. I was amazed at people standing outside their homes on Warwick Road, and along Kings Highway waving to us as the sirens wailed and parents blew their horns. And I saw some young girls in soccer uniforms watching, thinking no doubt, “that will be me some day.”
Some day it will be.
Jordan broke free and took a clear shot on the goal from about 15 yards out. A goal and Haddonfield wins the State Cup. But Jordan’s shot clanked off the left post and play continued. No problem. Less than five minutes later Jordan used her speed and strength to win a ball after a shot was blocked, and crossed it to sophomore Kate Johnston who was wide open in front of the net.
Johnston had plenty of time to set for the ball – and probably to check her e-mail while she was at it – and easily put it in the back of the net for a thrilling 2-1 win and Haddonfield's fourth state championship since 1997.
"I didn't know why they didn't mark me,” Johnston said to the Courier-Post, “but I had missed a shot like that beforehand. I was like, ‘This time I have to put it in.' I just did it calmly and didn't rush it. The goalie was coming at me, but I didn't want to hit it over, so I had to set myself to get it down."
“That was awful. I should have put it away,” Jordan said after the game to the Inquirer’s Marc Narducci of her first miss.
The match was played before a nice crowd on a cool night in The College of New Jerse's football stadium. Haddonfield generally had the better of the play against a good Mahwah team in the first half, but could have been on the short end of the score at half had keeper Tina Davis not tipped a long shot over the crossbar.
Just 1:26 into the second half, midfielder Sarah Dudek beat her defender and took a shot from the left that bounced off Mahwah keeper Emily Secor and Jordan took advantage to put the Bulldawgs up, 1-0. But nine minutes later the Thunderbirds followed up two corner kicks and a throw-in with a cross from the right side by Nicole Lee that Kristyn Tremblay headed in for the equalizer.
Haddonfield had one last chance to win it in regulation, but Secor fell on an Emily Grabiak corner kick from the left with 6 seconds to play before anyone could put it in the net.
Haddonfield used 14 players in winning the Cup. Mahwah went the whole way with its starting 11.
The Bulldawgs have not lost since the second game of the season when they were defeated, 2-1, by Williamstown. They have won 21 straight since a scoreless tie with Haddon Heights on Sept. 17. The program was co-champions in 1997 after a scoreless tie with Morris Catholic in Group 1, and co-champions again in 2005, this time in Group 2 with Pascack Valley. They won the title outright in Group 2 in 2007 with a 1-0 victory over Pascack Hills. In 2006 River Dell edged Haddonfield in the Group 2 final.
The championship was followed by a Haddonfield tradition – a parade through town and over Kings Highway to the high school with fire engines and a police car escorting the team bus. It sounds hokie and small-town, but having ridden in the parade two of the last three years, I can tell you it’s pure magic. I was amazed at people standing outside their homes on Warwick Road, and along Kings Highway waving to us as the sirens wailed and parents blew their horns. And I saw some young girls in soccer uniforms watching, thinking no doubt, “that will be me some day.”
Some day it will be.
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