The Hot Shots are now in full fall soccer mode. Just a few weeks into this new season they have won the Piscataway Fall Classic Tourney for the second consecutive year and are also participating in the State Cup competition where the top teams in New Jersey try to call themselves the best the state has to offer.
As the second half began the Hot Shots showed renewed fire and came out ready to put this one away. Five minutes in another 'Shots corner kick resulted in a quality scoring chance as Carly poked it out of the air off a pretty header from Rachael and if not for a great save by the now overworked Scream goaltender our girls would be up by two. But the floodgates were beginning to show signs of weakening as Casey hooked one in from the 18 to finally score the insurance goal. Two-zip. Now the defense began to squeeze the vise to prevent even the slightest Sparta scoring chance from emerging. Allison as the right fullback only added to the Scream's offensive woes as her strong legs drove the ball upfield time after time to aid in breaking up Sparta's offensive drives. As the defense stopped them cold the offense proved too hot as Casey drove a low roller under the diving Scream goalie and yet another to the upper corner to complete the hat-trick and to seal the victory. Four-zip. One step at a time.
In the half the Hot Shots earned at least six corner kicks but were unable to capitalize on them. Howell was able to dodge every bullet the 'Shots aimed at them to end the half knotted at zero. The second half opened much like the first but Hot Shot fans everywhere know the fire the girls breathe when other teams can't breathe at all. The front line consisted of Melissa, Michelle and Caitlin while the outside halfbacks were Christine and Shannon. something was bound to happen. It had to.
Four more corner kicks and still no score. This was getting out of hand. Finger nails were being chewed down to the cuticles all along the parents' sidelines as the minutes waned. The Herricanes had only two shots all game and they were still in it! This can't be. But just as some were talking overtime Caitlin muscled her way upfield and took a hard, low shot off the goalie's fingertips and Melissa alertly punched in the rebound. Pure hustle. Two minutes later on a ball that looked as if it would roll out across the end line Casey magically passed back to Melissa yet again and there was nothing the goalie could do but watch the beautiful shot stretch the back of the net. On the other end of the field Howell managed to put a scare into the defense with a late barrage of volleys but Christine, Brittney, and Swiss along with Kourtney, Erika, Carly, and Allison realized what a shutout means to the coaches and gave everything they had in the remaining minutes. With ten minutes left and another line change Lauren and Carolina up front kept up the intense offensive pressure allowing Melissa to get free on a breakaway and this she did beautifully. At midfield she hungrily awaited the chance at another goal. The ball bounced out ahead of her and there was little the Herricane defense could do as she sprinted headlong for their unprotected goaltender. She faked right and shot left to complete the hat-trick. Three-zip.
Step two complete. Looks like we're going to Middletown.
At the start of the match the lineup remained strong defensively with Kirsten (of course) in net with Lina and Swiss as fullbacks and Caitlin as sweeper with Brittney at stopper. After them Shannon and Carly were outside halfbacks with Casey and Erika as inside ones. Michelle and Melissa finished the line off as forwards. The 'Shots put some pressure on early as Brittney cleared a loose ball in the center out to Erika who touched it by to Carly and then to Michelle but was smothered by a swarming Stars defense. On the other end Kirsten made a sweet save on a quick shot but as the rebound came out a Monmouth forward stood waiting to take the blast. Both Erika and Swiss spotted the girl and slid in front to double-team her to clear the ball out. Moments later Kirsten's number was called on again as she leaped high to save yet another shot as the pressure was mounting. The Hot Shot defense was holding on in the first half as the Stars made numerous rushes at the goal only to be turned away every time. Kourtney and Rachael make their debut near the quarter mark and immediately made their presence known. Kourtney drove to the outside edge of the right side of the 18 and made a beautiful cross to Carly in the box but the shot went wide off a lucky Stars defender. Allison and Smitty both make their way onto the field as forwards and each register a shot. Smitty with a nice lefty shot just wide left and Allison's just wide right. The half ended in a scoreless tie.
The second half saw any offensive momentum the Hot Shots had disappear as the wind became the Shooting Stars' twelfth player with gusts blowing directly into Kirsten's face. Five minutes into the half Monmouth had a free kick rocket just wide of the right side of the net. Too close! Next a corner kick was placed perfectly to the six but Kirsten alertly smothered it to prevent a shot or rebound. The pressure would surely get to our girls and they would have to make a mistake and give up a goal wouldn't they? The third quality chance in the half came as a Stars player blasted one from the middle of the field just outside the 18 that hit the crossbar and bounced straight down and eventually cleared to the side of the net. Regulation ended in a 0-0 tie with the stunned Shooting Stars wondering what it would take to beat this team.
Overtime consisted of two 10 minute halves with the teams switching sides at the end of the first, similar to regulation. The Hot Shots had the wind at their backs in the first o.t. and its effects were evident immediately. Our girls put pressure on the Stars defense with the opening whistle and unlike the second half of regulation their goaltender had to make a save. On the other end Kirsten was slammed to the ground by a Monmouth forward making her own save and came up limping. The first overtime ended deadlocked at zero. The second ten minutes were the turning point of the game. Ninety total minutes of soccer would be played on this day by these two spectacular teams but one would have to emerge victorious. Two minutes into the half the Stars had a beautiful chance and capitalized on it. Thay drove down the right side and took the quality shot which pierced two Hot Shot defenders to reach the back of the net. By now the coaches pulled out all the stops and pushed all players up to pressure the other end but the damage was done. A star offender slipped through the wall on a breakaway to score the insurance goal and to advance to round four. Without a doubt the best game the Hot Shots have played together as a team.
We'll be back!
On Saturday, September 22nd, the team met in Sparta to take on the Scream in round one of the state cup. The Hot Shots started fast and furious and within the first 5 minutes scored as a live ball off Casey's corner kick was poked in by Caitlin. The play was kept alive by some nice heads-up playing by Erika to chip a shot to the corner post from the six as Caitlin knocked it in. One-zip. It looked like the makings of a blowout with intense Hot Shot pressure offensively with Kourtney and Carly up front with the speedy Michelle and sturdy Rachael as halfbacks. The ball never crossed midfield and Kirsten touched the ball not once for the first 15 minutes. Lauren C. added to the onslaught with a nice chip shot just over the crossbar. Tough luck. With the Hot Shot defense pushing up to midfield Kathryn and Brittney were flawless as fullback and stopper respectively.
October 13th and round two of State Cup play brings the girls home to East Brunswick to take on the Herricanes of Howell. Under a virtually cloudless azure sky the whistle blew for the start of the game and the ball took off to the 'Canes end of the field and stayed there for most of the first half. With Caitlin and Kourtney as forwards and Casey, Shannon, Carly, and Rachael as halfbacks the awesome offensive pressure seemed to be too much for Howell. The Herricanes bent, however, but they did not break under the onslaught. They were able to clear the ball out or up countless times and the balls that did get through were easily gobbled up by their talented keeper much to the dismay of Hot Shots' fans. When the ball finally did cross midfield into 'Shots' territory the defense was waiting. Halfbacks Brittney and Allison muscled the ball back up and fullbacks Kathryn, Lina, and Erika very capably shielded their goal. Swiss was superb as sweeper and Kirsten, well, you'll read about her soon enough. As the Herricanes crossed midfield on the left the Hot Shot defense pushed them outside to prevent any scoring opportunity and just as the vise was squeezing the girl in she took the lofty shot from outside the corner of the '18. From the parents' sideline the ball was going in under the crossbar. Shocking! They were going to sneak one in despite being dominated by the 'Shots. Kirsten backpedalled and stretched and leaped to get her hands on the shot and deflected it up and out to make the spectacular save. Whew, thank you Kirsten!
On October 20 the girls traveled not to Middletown but to Sea Girt to take on the Shooting Stars of Monmouth Coast (formerly of Middletown) at the National Guard Training facility. The weather couldn't have been more cooperative with temperatures in the low 70's and the clearest blue sky state cup could offer. The Hot Shots were the underdog playing up to the experienced Stars team on their home field. But our girls feed on the underdog role and their parents knew they would give more than 100% to try and beat the vaunted Shooting Stars.
