Girls soccer: Union County Tournament final preview
WHAT: Union County Girls Soccer Tournament final
WHEN/WHERE: 6 p.m. Friday at Kean University
WHO: No. 2 Scotch Plains-Fanwood (14-0-3) vs. No. 4 Oak Knoll (14-1-2)
HOW THEY GOT HERE: Scotch Plains-Fanwood blasted No.10 Elizabeth 5-0 in the quarterfinals and then shutout Cranford 3-0 in the semifinals. Oak Knoll escaped No. 5 Union 4-3 in the quarterfinals and upset top-seeded Westfield in shootouts after a 1-1 draw in the semifinals.
SCOTCH PLAINS-FANWOOD REPORT: The Raiders will play in their 12th consecutive county final game on Friday as they try to capture the program's seventh-straight county title. The six-time defending champions enter the final undefeated and have outscored opponents 28-3 in their last eight matchups. Led by an experienced midfield, which includes Providence College-commit Christina Rodgers, who leads the team in assists with 15, and James Madison University-commit Sophie Brause, who follows with 11 assists, the Raiders' offense has been the driving force behind the team’s success. Senior Kerri McNeely has benefited from the stellar midfield play as she has scored in every game this season leaving her with a team-high 16 goals. While the offense drives the ship, the Raiders' defense brings them home as the they have posted 11 shutouts this season, including their two county tournament games. Four-year varsity goalkeeper Andrea Leitner has been solid between the pipes with 64 saves. Juniors Taylor Diggs, Ashley Vincent and Sabrina DiLollo anchor the defensive line, which has surrendered just eight goals all season.
OAK KNOLL REPORT: Oak Knoll was last crowned tournament champions in 2003 when it defeated Governor Livingston 5-0. On Friday, the Royals will appear in their fourth county final since 2002 and first since 2004 when they lost to Scotch Plains-Fanwood. Although it has been over a decade since Oak Knoll last played for a county title, the Royals still are capable of posting their second -straight upset this tournament. The Royals dropped their first game of the season last week in a 1-0 loss against Summit but were able to redeem themselves as they advanced past perennial Westfield in a shootout. Led by junior goalkeeper Shannon McDermott, who has 107 saves, the Royals' defense has held its opponents to under three goals in all but one time this season. Seniors Deiradre Daly and Ashley Ferry have provided the scoring for the Royals as they have combined for 24 goals this season. In the last eight games the Royals have outscored opponents 31-7.
PREDICTION: Scotch Plains-Fanwood 2, Oak Knoll 1