Newton girls soccer always willing to compete

They may not have had the most stellar of records on the pitch, but something that the Newton High School girls soccer program never lacked was the willingness to compete fiercely and continue to learn and improve this season.

The Braves posted two well-earned wins this year over High Point (3-0 on September 14) and Boonton (1-0 on October 8).

They also advanced to the NJSIAA North1 Group 2 Sectional Tournament, where they played very well in the opening round against a high caliber River Dell team, before losing, 2-1, in overtime to River Dell.

That match in particular stands out to Newton head coach Jake Mull.

“Our State (Sectional) game against the number two seed River Dell [was memorable],’’ Mull said. “Last year we played River Dell in the first round and River Dell scored two goals in the first two minutes on the way to a dominating 8-1 win. This year we went up to River Dell again and with two freshmen playing center back we were able to shut them down.

“We were winning the game 1-0 with about four minutes left in the game when River Dell scored and eventually lost in overtime. Even though I had four girls playing hurt and we knew we were a huge underdog the team stepped up, played great and almost got the upset.’’

Leadership was a factor in favor of the Braves this fall.

“Jocelyn Reynolds (junior), Sophia May (sophomore) and Maddie Nolan (freshman) [stood out as leaders on the roster],’’ Mull said. “We had a lot of injuries this year (nine starters missed several games over the course of the season) and it was very frustrating to lose games we know we could have won if we were at full strength.

“These three players stayed positive, worked hard and would not allow the other players to get down on themselves. They would come back after every defeat with a positive attitude to work harder.’’

Improvements were seen across the board for Newton throughout the course of the season.

“The freshmen on the team [showed steady improvement],’’ Mull said. “They were thrown into impossible situations without a chance to acclimate to high school soccer. Even the ones that rarely saw the varsity field had to step up in practice to go against the varsity players.’’

The Braves have built their share of positive momentum which can very well help them in 2023 and beyond.

“In the State (Sectional) game against River Dell I was playing three freshmen and five sophomores,’’ Mull said. “My defense was two freshmen center backs, two sophomore outside backs and a sophomore keeper which held River Dell to one goal in regulation.’’