Cougars advance to semi-finals

The Kittatinny Lady Cougars Soccer Team made it to the semi-finals of the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) Tournament for the first time in school history. They did so thanks to a true team effort, a goal by junior Lauren Wrigley and when it came down to the pivotal penalty kick decision, the tending of senior goalie Natalia Mattar.

With Kittatinny (seeded fifth) and Kinnelon (seeded fourth), the game should have been played at Kinnelon as the higher seed gets home field advantage: weather came into play. The game was rescheduled to Morris Catholic High school and was to be played on Halloween, but the torrential downpours put the field on the sideline. The schools scurried to find a venue for the next day and did at a turf complex in Madison. But yet again the weather was a factor. Madison became a temporary off-limits zone thanks to the All Hallows Eve winds which muted the power in the area. Morris Catholic graciously again offered up its field for Friday.

Despite Kittatinny losing power and having a noon dismissal, the traveled to Morris Catholic for the quarter-final game to win 4-2 in the kickoff.

Regulatio play ended in a 1-1 tie after Grace DenBleyker scored for Kinnelon and Wrigley scored for Kittatinny in the second half forcing overtime. After double overtime, it went to the penalty kicks where the Cougars prevailed.

The semi-final was held at Kittatinny on Monday, Nov. 4, and despite a gallant battle, the Cougars were defeated by Mountain Lakes. Wrigley scored and then senior Jordan Boersig hit the net tying the score 2-2 forcing double overtime. The season came to an end with a score by opposition.