The Verona High School girls soccer team continued its storybook march through the North 2 Group 1 playoffs with a 3-2 upset of Jonathan Dayton High School on Monday afternoon.
Playing in Springfield, Lara Tole made two shots on goal in the first half for Verona that both missed their mark. Teammate Anna Rosinski, meanwhile, frustrated Dayton with two epic saves that kept the game at 0-0 at the half.
Verona came back from the break with a renewed sense of purpose and Tole finally got the maroon-and-white on the scoreboard. Ten minutes later, Sarah Carlucci made the game 2-0 Verona. Dayton wasn’t done, however, as Carina Servello scored two goals for the Bulldogs in quick succession.
Verona, which had gone into the playoffs as the number 11 seed, seemed to be facing the stiffest test of the late season. Then, with less than eight minutes to go to the final buzzer, Ally Madigan fired off a direct kick from 25 yards out, putting Verona ahead 3-2. Madison Gallagher and Maria Gabriele were both credited with assists on the afternoon.
The N2G1 finals will pit Verona against Glen Ridge, in a game that could be a demonstration of how far Verona has come this season. Verona lost to the Ridgers 0-3 in only its second game in September. Glen Ridge is now 13-3-1 overall to Verona’s 10-10. The finals will be held at Bloomfield’s Watsessing Park on Thursday, with a 2 p.m. start. The field is close to the intersection of Bloomfield Avenue and John F. Kennedy Drive South.
Photos copyright Kathleen Seubert. Used by permission.
