(Central New Jersey) Friday, May 24, 2024—Real Central NJ (RCNJ) beat the Delaware Ospreys (DEL), at Rider University’s Ben Cohen Field, 3-1, for their first win of the season. With the first half ending at 0-0, RCNJ capitalized on the break to adjust tactics and set a plan. Whether it was Coach Thomsen's motivating half-time talk or the excitement of the Duncraven half-time horse race, RCNJ came out blazing and looking to score.
“Delaware is a very organized team, and it took us some time to respond to their attacking style,” said Head Coach Brian Thomsen. “We used the break to adjust player responsibilities, and I encouraged the players to focus on possession and utilize the wide space to attack. It was great to see Nicola play so poised and set up both goals for Bella.”
“Another exciting night of Central Jersey soccer,” commented Coach Ben Chrnelich. “It was a fantastic playing environment for the team and we appreciate all the fans coming out to support them. It’s a great opportunity for aspiring youth players to see the speed and tactics at this level”.
GOAL SCORING RUNDOWN
RCNJ﹘Bella Miller (Nicola Mosionek) 50th minute: Mosionek recognized the space between Delaware’s back line and calmly split the defenders with a great pass for Bella to receive. With a few crafty moves, Bella went straight to goal and cleanly converted. RCNJ 1, DEL 0
RCNJ﹘Bella Miller (Nicola Mosionek) 55th minute: The duo linked up again, with Mosionek holding the ball out-wide, watching Bella sprint into the box, and again playing the perfect ball for Bella to knock in. RCNJ 2, DEL 0
DEL - Maddie Schepers (Ashlee Brentlinger) 60th minute: Brentlinger served a long pass from the middle third up to Schepers, who found the goal with a banger from outside the 18. RCNJ 2, DEL 1
RCNJ - Ava Curtis 75th minute: Curtis, playing deep in the mid-field, intercepted a Delaware pass, dribbled forward into space, and launched an impressive shot, quickly finding the back of the net. With her sister, former RCNJ starter Amelia Curtis, watching from the stands, it was a patented Curtis family type of goal that brought the crowd to their feet. RCNJ 3, DEL 1
MATCH RECAP
The player of the match was midfielder Bella Miller.
“It was great,” Coach Kim Maurer said regarding the play of Bella Miller. “I’ve been trying to give her the confidence to take a girl on, and when she got that confidence, she was pretty much unstoppable in the second half. She’s energy, she’s speed, she can finish, she’s got the whole package.”
To start the game, Delaware came out strong and put together a quick attack that ended in a low shot on target which was easily saved by Real Central NJ’s keeper Rachel Quigley within the first minute of the game.
The game went quiet with a bit of back-and-forth, but in the eighteenth minute, Delaware found a moment in the middle of the box, where they put a shot on that was saved by RCNJ keeper Rachel Quigley. They also found another opportunity in the twenty-second, but the shot was over the crossbar.
Real Central NJ got their first shot of the game as Kaylin Johnston received a field-switching ball that she controlled and squared up for a shot but was saved by Delaware in the twenty-eighth minute.
RCNJ was able to get right back to attacking as Ava Curtis took a nice low-driven shot from a distance that was saved by the Ospreys in the thirty-first minute.
Delaware took a shot in the thirty-sixth after moving the ball around well in RCNJ’s final third. The attack resulted in an easy save for RCNJ.
To end the half, Real Central NJ found two more chances that didn’t find their desired target. In the thirty-ninth, Phoebe Merrigan took a shot within the box off a long rebounded cross attempt that was saved by Delaware. Two minutes later, in the forty-first, Bella Miller found a shot from a counterattack after a big push up the midfield that was also saved.
Coming out of the second half, the Ospreys found themselves in the back line of the Real Central NJ. The attack ended in a shot around the top of the eighteen-yard box that was saved by RCNJ in the forty-eighth minute.
The Real Central NJ women found themselves on the board first as Nicola Mosionek delivered a beautiful pass from the midfield to the sideline that reached Bella Miller. Miller controlled the ball, dribbled past two defenders, cut into the box, and unleashed a powerful shot that blew past the Delaware keeper in the fiftieth minute to put RCNJ up 1-0.
The Ospreys tried to answer back with two quick attacks. The first came in the fifty-first minute, off a pass from inside the box that was put high but caught by Quigley. The second shot in the fifty-fourth had the same fate as the first, as Delaware’s attempt was also batted down and controlled.
The Mosionek and Miller combo struck again to put RCNJ up by two. Mosionek delivered a cross from the right side of the field to find Miller in the middle of the box. Miller controlled the ball and buried a shot into the back of the net in the fifty-fifth minute, raising Real Central NJ to 2-0.
Delaware quickly answered and scored their first goal in the sixtieth minute. Ashlee Brentlinger delivered a long pass to Maddie Schepers, who turned inside and sent a rocket shot past the keeper yards outside the eighteen-yard box. The Ospreys got on the board and closed the gap to 2-1.
Real Central NJ kept their pressure on with two fruitless attacks. In the sixty-second minute, Ava Curtis took a half-volley and launched a shot well past the penalty box, which was saved by the Ospreys. After that, in the seventy-fourth minute, Kalyn Byrd took a shot after receiving a through ball into the box that was saved by the Delaware keeper as well.
RCNJ put the final nail in the coffin with a goal in the seventy-fifth minute. Ava Curtis continued her constant attacking aggression and stole the ball off of a defensive touch by Delaware. She gained possession of the ball, took an extra touch, and blasted the ball through the back of the net from about twenty-five yards out to put the RCNJ up 3-1.
Delaware attempted to gain a goal back by taking a shot off a long shot from a free kick; however, it was easily saved in the eighty-sixth.
Real Central NJ nearly did it again, as Sydney Ragland went on an amazing run in the middle of the field and found herself in a one-on-one situation with the Delaware keeper. In an unlucky turn of events, Ragland’s shot bounced off the post in the eighty-eighth.
The Ospreys' last chance came off a cross from the right side of the field and took a shot on a half volley that went wide in the eighty-ninth.
“It was an impressive outing,” Coach Brian Thomsen said. “The players were all excited for another home game and were set on getting a win heading into the long weekend. We figured out how to handle them at half tactically, and the girls did a really good job taking advantage of the opportunities given to us throughout the game.”
The RCNJ Men play next against the Ocean City Nor’Easters at home on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at Ben Cohen Field at Rider University. Purchase Match-day tickets and season passes on the Real Central NJ Soccer website.
The next women’s home match will be on Thursday, May 30, 2024, when they take on the Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals—Liberty. Tickets are available on the Real Central NJ website. With this game being NLSA Girl’s Night, we are looking forward to a loud and proud crowd!
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