Shore tops Haddon Heights in girls' soccer state semifinal
The sisters will remember the cries of "twin telepathy" from fans and friends - a nod to obvious closeness that others saw in twins Alex and Kiersten Pease on and off the soccer field.
The sisters will remember the cries of "twin telepathy" from fans and friends - a nod to obvious closeness that others saw in twins Alex and Kiersten Pease on and off the soccer field.
"It was always like we could read each others' minds," Kiersten said. "We never got down on each other. We always stayed together, kept working as hard as we could."
In the end, the attitude of the two star seniors was something of a rallying cry for their Haddon Heights girls' soccer team.
The Garnets fell to Shore, 3-1, Tuesday night in the Group 1 state semifinals at Haddonfield.
It was the third time they had met in this game since 2012, with the vaunted Blue Devils walking away with a victory each time.
The Garnets were a heavy underdog Tuesday. They knew it. They just didn't play like it.
"We knew what Shore had. They're just so talented at every position," said Haddon Heights coach Brad Kent, whose team won its second straight South Jersey Group 1 championship last week in a 2-1 win over Gateway. "I couldn't have asked for more from this team tonight."
Haddon Heights (16-8-1) emerged in the playoffs after a rocky regular season, including a stretch in which it lost five games in eight contests in October.
"We were a really close team, and we grew as the year went on," said Alex Pease, who finished with a team-leading 22 goals. "It's just been an unforgettable four years."
Shore (19-4-1) scored the go-ahead goal with 22 minutes left when Julia Eichenbaum lofted a shot from 25 yards out into an unreachable spot in the upper right corner of the net.
Before that, backup goalie Morgan Hearn, a freshman, had done an admirable job of filling in for starter Rachel Irish, who was forced to sit for a spell in the second half with a leg injury.
The two goalies combined for 22 saves as they faced heavy pressure.
It was to Irish's credit that the game was tied at halftime. The sophomore made eight of her 12 saves in the first 40 minutes, knocking away open looks for most of the half, including at least three in which she had to leave her feet.
Both teams had clean looks early in the match, but Shore established possession within the first 10 minutes and dominated play until the break.
The Blue Devils scored first on a goal by Hannah Birdsall with 23:48 left in the first half. After a corner kick by Kelly Bolsch hit the turf, Birdsall gained possession and knocked in a clean look from just in front of the net.
Later in the first half, against the run of play, Delaney McGlade - another freshman - booted a ball from 30 yards out to beat Shore keeper Julia Valinotti and tie the game.
The goal from McGlade, who finished the season with 10 goals and 10 assists, is a sign of things to come for the Garnets.
The game was a farewell to a group of seniors who won two South Jersey titles in four years. But it was also a showcase for one of South Jersey's strongest young cores, a group of players that looked as if they haven't made their last appearance in the state semifinals.
"We're certainly going to miss our seniors," Kent said. "But we have some talent coming up through the ranks."
Shore 1 2 - 3
Haddon Heights 1 0 - 1
Goals: S- Hannah Birdsall, Julia Eichenbaum 2; HH- Delaney McGlade.
Saves: S- Julia Valinotti 4; HH- Rachel Irish 12, Morgan Hearn 10.