It was a banner day for the Steinert High School girls soccer team, as four seniors signed their letters of intent to play in college. Sitting with pens and sweatshirts at the ready, and having their parents fully (and literally) behind their decision are (from left) Tori Leigh (Rutgers), Amanda Cade (LaSalle), Amanda Redden (NJIT) and Megan Black (Kutztown). (Photo by Bryan Eveland/bryaneveland.dotphoto.com)
Spartans end anxious day by signing on the dotted line

Steinert grad Jess Babice a Division III All America


Five fine soccer players make township proud: Hamilton Township was well represented at the Mercer 33 Dinner in Ewing Monday night, which honored the top 33 high school girls soccer players in Hamilton Township. Included among the honorees, who proudly display their jackets, are (from left) Steinert's Jackie Becker, Amanda Redden and Tori Leigh; Hamilton's Vicky Camera and Nottingham's Francesca Massair.    
Manalapan beats Steinert girls soccer in CJ IV semis

Clearing out: Steinert's Colleen Furbeck clears the ball from danger as Manalapan's Natalie DiLorenzo attempts to make a play during Monday's Central Jersey Group III semifinal at Steinert. Click here for story (Photo by Mike Brescio/tssphotography.com)

Spartan girls soccer completes sweep of TRN in CJ IV
Girls follow field hockey team's lead in winning quarterfinal as lower seed

Full speed ahead for Spartan girls
Amanda Redden (left) and the Steinert girls soccer team take visit Toms River North Thursday for an NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III quarterfinal game. The Spartans are gunning for a fourth straight trip to the finals. Click here for story. Photo by Dennis Symons Jr./
dennissymons.
com. 
Steinert girls soccer advances in CJ IV tournament
Dara digs in
Hamilton West's Dara Eliacin (right, No. 17) battles for possession against Hopewell Valley's Christina Benn during Monday's NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III Tournament game at Timberlane School. Click here for story.
Photo by John Keating

Interesting state matchups for Steinert, West girls soccer


Spartans look to ring victory Bells: Steinert goalie Jess Belmont (below) may be down in this photo, but she's never out as her ability to control the box and bring down high shots has made her Steinert's goalie in this year's state tournament. (Photo by Mike Brescio/tssphotography.com/mercer)Spartans visit Toms River North for CJ IV quarterfinal
By Rich Fisher
Fish4Scores.com
            Nov. 4: Aimee Turnbull figures sometimes the infamous TMI – too much info – can rear its ugly head come state tournament time.
            Besides, after seeing that 16^th-seeded Marlboro knocked off top-seeded Colts Neck in the first round of the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV girls’ soccer tournament, the Steinert High coach can already tell her team the most important thing concerning its next game.
            The opponent will be good. They all are in November.
            “It’s crazy,” Turnbull said prior to fifth-seeded Steinert’s quarterfinal game at fourth-seeded Toms River North, 1:30 p.m. Thursday. “The 16^th seed beats the number one seed?
            “Every team is gonna be good. You try to get as much info as you can, and find out the things you have to be aware of. But sometimes you tell them too much and they get freaky about it. So you might not tell them a few things just so they won’t get nervous.
            “Sometimes girls around the CVC know other girls from their travel teams and they get themselves all crazy about it, and before they even start, they’re in a bad position.”
            Turnbull could turn to senior midfielder Cait Larkin – whose summer turf is Seaside Park and who has relatives in Toms River – for a scouting report. But the coach basically wants the Spartans (11-4-2) to worry about themselves and their performance. 
            The most important thing to know about TRN is that it is 13-3 after beating Old Bridge, 4-1, in Monday’s first-round game.
          Ironically, Steinert picked up the Mariners for a game last year to stay sharp entering the states. The Spartans won, but Turnbull remembers it being a tough game.
            “I’ve looked on some websites and they have a girl who has 15 or 16 goals,” Turnbull said. “In comparison, our team has two or three girls around that total. But their goalie also seems pretty decent.”
            Steinert has several offensive weapons to turn to, as Jackie Becker, Tori Leigh and Amanda Redden have all scored in double figures. The Spartans are coming off a 3-0 first-round win over previous thorn-in-the-side Montgomery, and Turnbull is hoping they maintain that intensity Thursday.
            “The first 40 minutes against Montgomery is the best I’ve seen us play this year,” the coach said. “We came out strong, with a lot of intensity, and we had the attitude of taking control of the game. Looking at that side of things, we’re hoping to continue with that.
            “We’ve certainly had our ups and downs this season. You want to have your team try to peak at the right time.”
            At this point in the season, Turnbull feels it’s better to pull back the reins in order to move ahead.
            “We’re trying to make practices light and fun,” Turnbull said. “We’ll be out there for an hour, maybe even 45 minutes. You don’t want to put too much pressure on them. They’re under enough pressure so we try to eliminate that as much as possible.
            “I think they’re focused now. It doesn’t matter what seed we’re playing, you’re always facing powerhouses. It’s just that tough part of the season.”
            But it is a part in which Steinert thrives, having won Central Jersey two straight years before reaching the CJ finals last year and losing in overtime.
            Solid state play has become a tradition with this program.
            “As coaches we don’t make much mention of that,” Turnbull said. “We’ve had girls with us last year, we’ve had girls who played when we won it as sophomores, so they know what it’s all about.
          “They probably put a lot of pressure on themselves, so we try not to put that much more on them. Also, they have to recognize, as part of this tradition, that it doesn’t happen just putting on that uniform. You gotta work for it. They’re always reminded of that throughout the season. And the girls who have been there know about it.”
          One of the holdovers from two years ago is keeper Jess Belmont, who was named to start the tournament after sharing time with Amanda Cade.
        “It was a tough decision,” Turnbull said. “What Jess gives us, is a lot of height, so she’s great on high balls, but she also takes charge in the box. She’s a leader in the back and communicates very well.”

One in the books
Steinert's Megan Black (5) and Tori Leigh are shown celebrating earlier this season, but they both had reason to celebrate on Monday as well after Leigh's two goals helped the Spartans gain their revenge on Montgomery. Photo by Dennis Symons Jr.
dennissymons.
com.

Spartans put Cougar demons to rest in CJ IV opener      
By Justin Feil
Fish4Scores.com
         NOV. 2:  Motivation was easy to find for Brielle Penkola and the Steinert girls soccer team Monday.
         Penkola, one of 13 seniors for the Spartans, was facing the possibility of playing her final scholastic game. And the Spartans happened to be playing a Montgomery team that ended their season last year.
        In fact, Steinert was playing a Montgomery school that eliminated Spartan girls teams from the state tournament in three different seasons last year.
          “We were ready for this game,” said Penkola, a marking back. “We were so ready.”
           It didn’t take long for them to show it in the Central Jersey Group IV opener at Steinert. The fifth-seeded Spartans got an early goal from Tori Leigh and a pair of goals from Jackie Becker in the first half and sustained the lead for a 3-0 win to take their revenge on 12^th-seeded Montgomery.
           “It’s a huge difference from last year,” Penkola said. “It’s great to come back. We played really hard in this game. We went out there strong and did the best we could.”
            Steinert improved to 11-4-2 with the win and advances to play at fourth-seeded Toms River North in the CJ IV quarterfinals on Thursday.
          “As it continues, it’s going to be tougher and tougher,” said Steinert head coach Aimee Turnbull. “Hopefully we play like we did the first 40.”
             By the end of the game, Steinert held a 23-4 shot advantage. Jessica Belmont had to make just three saves for the shutout. Leigh, Megan Black and Amanda Redden finished with an assist apiece.
            “When you come out and you play strong like we did in the first five or 10 minutes, you dictate the play,” Turnbull said. “We were able to play strong the whole first 40 minutes. I think it’s probably the best I’ve seen them play all year.”
           Added Penkola: “The intensity is the most important thing. We wanted to go out there strong in the first half and keep it going. We never stopped.”
            Even with the intensity raised, Penkola was impressed to see how dominant the Spartans were. The shutout was a welcome surprise.
            “The key was to push it out and keep it going forward,” she said. “Our main problem is marking, but I think we did that pretty well this game.”
             Penkola has helped the defense. It is her first full season as a starter after coming on in the second half of last year. She helps to anchor a defense in the back with fellow senior Colleen Furbeck.
            “She’s just more experienced now,” Turnbull said of Penkola. “She has more experience playing in the back. Last year, she played stopper for us towards the end, and this year we have her as a marking back. She plays strong. She plays hard. I’ve seen an improvement all season long. She’s come along.”
             Penkola is part of a baker’s dozen of seniors that made the difference against a youthful Montgomery team. None of them wanted to see the season end Monday.
             “It’s the third part of the season,” Turnbull said. “You have to win to go forward, and we have a strong tradition so the girls know in the past how far we’ve gone and what it takes to get there.
            “It should be a lot of motivation for them,” she added. “They were around when we were very successful in the past, so they know how important that is and how great it feels to continue to go forward. It’s certainly great motivation for them. It could be their last game, so that’s why they have to play well.”
            Brielle Penkola and the Spartans were at their very best for the first 40 minutes, something that carried them through in a convincing first-round tournament win.
            “This is huge for us,” Penkola said. “The seniors, it’s our last year. We just want to do as well as we can.”

                  Click here for October 2009 girls soccer stories/photos

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