Wall girls soccer shakes off losing streak to return to sectional final
MANASQUAN – Wall is a proud program. The Crimson Knights have consistently found great success in the postseason.
So when Wall lost six of seven games in the middle of the season, including a Shore Conference Tournament first round exit, it came as a big surprise to those inside the program and outside.
The losses earned the Crimson Knights the No. 9 seed in the sectional tournament. It appeared their dominant run could be over.
That’s exactly when Wall hit its stride.
The Crimson Knights most recently defeated Manasquan 1-0 in the Central Group 2 semifinals on Tuesday afternoon to advance to the sectional final. It’s Wall’s eighth appearance in a sectional final over the last 10 years.
Wall (11-7) will take on the winner of second-seeded Point Boro and sixth-seeded Rumson-Fair Haven in Saturday’s final. While its not a typical juggernaut Wall team, it's made it back to a sectional final nonetheless.
“You’re almost even more proud of a team like this because they never gave up,” Wall head coach Michael Juska said. “We were willing to adapt and make changes. They bought in.”
Turning the tide
After starting 6-1, Wall lost its next five games. The Crimson Knights earned the 12th seed in the Shore Conference Tournament but was upset by No. 21 Trinity Hall 1-0 in the first round. Wall followed that loss with shutout losses to Monroe and Rumson-Fair Haven.
Vote:Who is the top Shore Conference boys, girls soccer freshman?
The losing streak ended with a win against Colts Neck, but Wall dropped another game, this time to Brick Memorial. The Crimson Knights were looking shaky heading into the state tournament.
Then came a match up against rival Manasquan, a 2-1 victory. That seemed to turn things around.
“Those games leading up to states, I think we really turned the switch,” Wall senior Kaitlyn Pettit said. “We played really aggressively in the midfield. Leading into states, we felt confident with those good wins, especially playing against Manasquan.”
Since then, Wall rattled off a 4-2 win against a talented Gov. Livingston team in the sectional first round and a 7-1 rout of top-seeded Metuchen in the quarterfinals.
“We knew we could never give up and never give up on each other,” Wall senior Hannah Kernis said. “I think that was the biggest thing. Those setbacks that we had, we knew we had to keep working and put it all out there.”
'If we lose, it's over'
Wall is playing with an urgency it wasn’t playing with earlier in the season. The Crimson Knights are going after 50-50 balls and putting their bodies on the line, and that was evident against a big rival on Tuesday.
There were surely some tactical changes, but the improved play has largely been due to Wall’s season being on the line.
“The girls are peaking at the right time,” Juska said. “They’re playing really well, and they’re playing at a different level, knowing that if we lose, it’s over.”
Wall’s urgency was on display early in the game. In the 15th minute, Wall scored the only goal of the game. Pettit headed in a perfect corner kick from Erynn Richey.
Wall quickly exploited a Manasquan weakness with the goal. Rylie Rampone, the daughter of national soccer legend Christie Pearce Rampone, was sidelined due to an injury. Had Rampone been in, Manasquan would have had a greater chance of harmlessly clearing the ball away.
“It was important for us to get a goal early,” Pettit said. “IT set the tone and kept the pace for the rest of the game. It was a great ball by Erynn.”
It was great to return to the sectional final, especially given how the season unfolded this year. While Wall has also made four consecutive finals, it hasn't won a title since 2017, a year in which the Crimson Knights captured a state title.
Expectations are always high at Wall given the deep history in the town. Just because this team is thrilled to have salvaged its season with a title game appearance, it will not be satisfied with just that.
“I think we grew up with the knowledge that Wall soccer is Wall soccer,” Kernis said. “We have that reputation, and we know going into it that we need everything we can to get where we can.”
Danny LoGiudice has covered local sports across New Jersey since 2014. Contact him at dlogiudice@gannettnj.com or @danny_logiudice on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Wall NJ girls soccer downs Manasquan, returns to sectional final
