Girls Soccer: Roca, Forsythe lift Edison in GMC tourney

EDISON - The first 20 minutes of Wednesday’s Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament preliminary round didn’t go as planned for the Edison High School girls soccer team. The contest was a heated affair, with both sides taking jabs at their opponent.

Sophomore Monica Roca took matters into her own hands when she slammed home a flawless pass from Elena Elias with 19:16 left in the first half. Roca’s goal was the spark the 13th-seeded Eagles needed for a 2-1 victory over No. 20 Dunellen.

“We definitely turned it on after that goal,” Roca said. “They became more hungry, so that was when we became more hungry. We stepped it up when we needed to. I definitely enjoyed this. I’ve been playing soccer my whole life, so this is definitely a good position for me.”

Roca is typically known for her superb passing. Her clear vision and stellar passes make her a perfect match for one of the top scoring threats in the GMC, Felicia Forsythe.

Roca flashed her ability to put the ball in the net during the first strike of the game but showed her multidimensional game five minutes later to help expand Edison’s lead. Roca was able to find Forsythe in open field with a pass through the seam of the opposition. The junior did the rest of the work by using her speed to beat the last line of defense for a 2-0 lead.

“Monica is the heart and soul of the team,” Edison coach Leanne Rubiano said. “This connection, it’s no accident that it was a ball from Monica to Felicia for the second score. They are tactical and smart players.

“Felicia has grown so much during the three years I have known her. I already see that so much with Monica. They are both so intelligent. Monica talks so well; Felicia is so good with her feet. A lot of times we look at these two players to make something happen.”

Forsythe has been starting since she set foot in the hallways of Edison High School. She made her presence felt on the field as a freshman when she scored 11 goals. Forsythe continued to make a name for herself as a sophomore by scoring 19 goals.

Forsythe has once again turned the intensity level up a notch. This season she has put her name in the same conversation as the top scoring threats in the GMC as she now sits at 25 goals on the season.

But it’s not only her capability to place the ball past the goalkeeper; what catches the eye is her newfound leadership. She is no longer an underclassman, which means the younger players on the team rally behind the energy she displays on the field.

“Since freshman year I have definitely grown a lot,” Forsythe said. “I’ve scored more goals obviously, but I also became more of a leader out there.”

The Eagles were able to put away Dunellen in the second half, but not before a scare. Jackie Von Itter sent a rope to the corner of the net to get the Destroyers on the board with 9:40 remaining in the game. Dunellen followed up that act by creating chances to tie the game, but the Edison defense was able to prevail.

Edison has seen adversity come its way throughout the season. The Eagles were stuck in a slump during the early portion of the schedule, losing five consecutive games. They were able to snap out of their funk with a win over Sayreville on Sept. 26.

“We have rallied since that point,” Rubiano said. “Our whole team supports each other, and we all believe in our own success. Losing five games motivated us to show up to every single game and play the way we know we can.”

Now, Edison believes it can make a run at the title game. It will now have to survive a difficult test from a Red Division foe, as fourth-seeded South Brunswick awaits the Eagles for a first-round clash on Friday.

“Everybody needs to be in the game,” Forsythe said about Friday. “I expect them to be a really good team, so in order to beat them we have to believe that we can win.”

We always talk about how the GMC is up in the air,” Rubiano said. “It’s anybody’s game on any day. That’s how we are treating the tournament. We are going to go in and play smart soccer.”

Staff Writer Steven Macri: smacri@gannettnj.com