With the state tournament looming in the near future, the Cresskill Girls’ Varsity Soccer Team is using past games this season to shape their play for their upcoming games. Back in September, the team played in the preliminary round of the Bergen County Tournament against private school Dwight-Englewood. According to junior outside wing, Sophie Green, this game was really important to the Cresskill girls “because last year, in the first round of counties, [they] played Dwight-Englewood and … won and that was the first time in … seven years that [they] won a county game.” Now they wanted to become back-to-back champions. However, once the game began, the girls realized that beating them might not be as easy as it seemed with the heat of the 86-degree day draining their energy, and the Dwight-Englewood girls bringing their A-game to the field.

Although the intense tactics that the Dwight-Englewood players employed forced the Cresskill girls to play harder and stronger, it was still excessive at times. Senior midfielder Annie Karach came out of the game halfway with shooting pains running through her ankle after a Dwight player threw her body into Annie. Sophomore striker Elley Wells was also injured after receiving a hit from the ball directly to her face from close proximity. After playing hard for the entire 80 minutes of the game, the Cresskill girls unfortunately lost 0-1. Although they were upset from the loss, they were more frustrated by the aggression they were confronted with from “players who play[ed] disgustingly and only [won] by knocking you out” said Sophie after the game ended.

Even though the girls were disappointed with the outcome of the game, they were able to take it as motivation to work harder at practices and play tougher in other upcoming games. As States loom around the corner, the girls look back on this county game and remember the aggression the Dwight girls bought. Although the team will not play dirty like Dwight did, they want to channel that same energy in their States games.