RANDOLPH – The Randolph Rams girls soccer team solidly defeated the Cranford Cougars on November 11, 3-1, in the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 semifinals.
The Rams scored their first goal in the first period. In the second period, the Cougars scored their lone goal, leading the Rams to respond with two more goals.
The Rams came into this game as the two seed, having previously won games against North Plainfield, a 6-0 shutout in favor of the Rams, and another 5-0 shutout in favor of the Rams over Middletown North, both at home.
Unlike previous games, this game was not a shutout for the Rams, but it served as a solid win to add to their now 15-2-2 record. The Rams are currently ranked second in the conference, and tenth in the state, with the West Morris Central Wolfpack being ranked just ahead of them in the top spot. The Rams play in the NJAC American Division, where they now have a 5-2-1 record on the season.
Prior to their game against the Rams, the Cougars had a seven-nothing shutout in their game against Ferris, and then a one-nothing shutout against 11-seed Nutley in the quarterfinals. Both games gave them the well-desired home field advantage, but this game proved to be quite a tough environment for the Cougars, resulting in a loss for them.
Senior Lulu Wenger was one of the key players for Randolph, scoring two of the three goals. The pair of goals tied her totals for both the season opener and home opener against Sparta, where she contributed both goals for a two-nothing shutout, along with a road game against Hillsborough, where she contributed two of the four goals for a four-nothing shutout.
For the Rams, their other scorer was freshman Joslyn Minde. Minde is one of the most consistent scorers for the Rams, scoring at least one goal per game, and she scored two goals in a three-nothing shutout against Sparta and two goals in a six-nothing shutout against North Plainfield.
For the Cougars, senior midfielder Ariana Shaw was the lone scorer. Assisted by senior midfielder Ava Cao, she was able to score the lone goal on a penalty kick, resulting in a game that was not a complete shutout for the Cougars.
However, it was their goalie that set a personal season high. Senior goalie Ava Grace Williams made seven saves during the game, marking a season high for her and bringing her season save total to 62 saves.
Looking ahead for the Rams, they are set to take on the one-seeded, and long-time rivals, Chatham Cougars on Friday, November 13. For the Rams, this is their chance to play against the Cougars for the first time. They are looking for a second win after their five-nothing shutout in their previous meeting, along with another conference win to add to their record.
For the Cougars, they are looking to beat the Rams. Their previous matchup resulted in a shutout, and the matchup before that resulted in a tie for the Cougars. However, both teams are looking for one thing: the right to call themselves the North 2, Group 3 sectional champions on Friday night.
