UNION COUNTY, NJ — Last year, as many as 10 girls soccer teams in Union County finished with winning records.
The competition went down to the wire on many occasions and then some.
Scotch Plains-Fanwood High School defeated Cranford High School on kicks from the penalty mark in one Union County Tournament semifinal.
Then, Westfield High School bested arch rival Scotch Plains-Fanwood in kicks from the penalty mark in the UCT championship match to win the event for the third straight season.
Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child, the Union County Conference’s Mountain Division champion with a perfect league record of 11-0, had the most wins of any Union County team at 17-3-1.
Watchung Division champion Westfield High School, the Blue Devils led their division at 9-0-1, finished with an overall record of 15-0-4. Westfield only lost one game the entire season.
The only regular season non-win was a 0-0 draw at home vs. division rival Scotch Plains-Fanwood on Tuesday, Sept. 20. Two weeks later, Westfield won at Scotch Plains-Fanwood in division play by the score of 2-0.
Westfield was 2-1 overall in kicks from the penalty mark, beating Scotch Plains-Fanwood at Arthur L. Johnson High School’s Nolan Field in Clark in the UCT final, winning at Hunterdon Central Regional High School in the North 2, Group 4 semifinals and then falling at Watchung Hills Regional High School in the North 2, Group 4 final.
When games go to kicks from the penalty mark, both teams are awarded a tie in their record.
Westfield was ranked No. 1 in the state when the Blue Devils fell at Watchung Hills in kicks from the penalty mark in the North 2, Group 4 final.
Jonathan Dayton High School finished 10-7 overall, but captured the UCC’s Valley Division title with a 9-1 record. In divisional play, the Bulldogs split with David Brearley High School, first winning 2-1 in Kenilworth and then falling 4-1 in Springfield. Jonathan Dayton concluded with a four-game losing streak, scoring only three goals in that span.
The first day of official girls soccer practice is now a little more than two weeks away, scheduled for Monday, Aug. 21.
The first day teams are allowed to scrimmage is the following Monday, Aug. 28.
Opening Day for the 2023 season is set for Thursday, Sept. 7.
Other important dates include the cutoff to make the state playoffs, which is Saturday, Oct. 21, and regular season competition concludes on Sunday, Nov. 12.
The state tournaments for the public schools are scheduled to commence on Thursday, Oct. 26, and continue until the state finals are contested on Sunday, Nov. 12, at a site still yet to be determined.
The state tournaments for the non-public schools are set to kick off on Friday, Oct. 27, and go all the way until the state finals on Friday, Nov. 10. A site for the state finals is still being determined.
With first-year head coach Kerry Yorkanis, who was previously the assistant to the person she succeeded, Andrew Gagliardo, Cranford continued to impress by finishing with a 14-4-3 overall record in 2022.
The Cougars, at 6-2-2, came in third in the Watchung Division, trailing only runner-up Scotch Plains-Fanwood at 6-1-3 and champion Westfield at 9-0-1.
Senior forward-midfielder Olivia Russomanno paced the Cougars in goals scored with 30 and total points with 69. She was second on the team in assists with nine. Leading with 12 was senior forward-midfielder Aileen McGovern.
Union High School placed fourth in the Mountain Division with a league record of 5-7.
The Farmers finished their 2022 season with an overall record of 6-10.
One of Union’s best wins was a 6-1 triumph at home against Roselle Park High School in the preliminary round of the UCT.
Leading Union in goals with seven, assists with four and total points with 18 was junior forward Onyeka Moneme.
Girls soccer key dates for 2023 season
• First practice: Monday, Aug. 21.
• First scrimmage: Monday, Aug. 28.
• Opening day: Thursday, Sept. 7.
• Cutoff date to make playoffs: Saturday, Oct. 21.
• Regular season competition ends: Sunday, Nov. 12.
• Public school states begin: Thursday, Oct. 26.
• Public school sectional finals: Monday, Nov. 6.
• Public school state semifinals: Thursday, Nov. 9.
• Public school state finals: Sunday, Nov. 12.
• Non-public school states begin: Friday, Oct. 27.
• Non-public school sectional finals: Tuesday, Nov. 7.
• Non-public school state finals: Friday, Nov. 10.