New year, New Milford
Of all the teams that started 3-0, none were more unlikely than New Milford. The Knights finished 1-14 last season, scored a total of five goals all year and graduated both players who received divisional accolades.
That seems like ancient history now for new coach Connor O’Sullivan, whose team has scored 17 goals and allowed only three. O’Sullivan said his players’ ability to handle different positions has contributed to the hot start.
Freshman goalie Kendahl Hibinski (two shutouts) is one of several underclassmen spurring the turnaround.
“So far it’s been a blast working with the girls,” O’Sullivan said. “Having a young team with the balance of our four seniors really creates a good dynamic at practice and during games. We’re just trying to get better every day and build on what works and go from there.”
Youth is served at North Arlington
It hasn’t taken long for the freshman class to make its presence felt at North Arlington. Four to six rookies have cracked the starting lineup for the Vikings, who climbed into the North Jersey rankings this week with a win over preseason No. 17 Bergen Tech.
“They are a talented group,” Vivino said. “We still have certain things we need to fix but they are bringing a lot of new energy and competing hard. This experience and the leaders on the team will definitely help them understand the system and our demands.”
Eastern Christian flies to new heights
Over the last decade, Eastern Christian and Hawthorne have been close in proximity but far apart on the soccer field.
Hawthorne came into this season with a 17-game win streak over the small private school and an 81-10 advantage in goals over that time. That streak came to a end last Tuesday when the Eagles went on the road to beat Hawthorne, 4-3, behind two goals from Kirsten Braunius and one apiece from Caroline Pringle and Hannah Nashold.
Subsequent wins over Leonia and Pompton Lakes helped Eastern Christian clinch the program’s first 3-0 start since 2013.
