Peter Fifoot
ALLENDALE, NJâ The Immaculate Heart Blue Eagles (7-7) eliminated Northern Highlands (8-6) in a rematch of the last three semifinal games, where the Eagles have gone 1â2 including losing in the last two years in Allendale. The winner would advance to the final on Saturday to take on three straight champion Ridgewood.
Immaculate Heart came out swinging, with an amazing amount of possession advantages over the Highlanders as well as collecting an exorbitant amount of ground balls. Alex Kucharz had two goals and an assist in the first quarter. The Eagles were enjoying a four-one lead, but Northern Highlands started to pressure, and thought they had the momentum going into the second quarter. However, Riley Knepper would score 2 goals in this quarter including one with no time left on the clock to beat the buzzer and sent the Immaculate Heart fans into a frenzy.
Defensively, Immaculate Heart played very well and denied lanes to shoot for Northern Highlands. Ele Hollander had a great game for the Highlanders and scored a goal, but she was not able to get as much space as she usually does and a red hot offense was stymied by the physical defending of the Eagles. There was a bit of a comeback for the Highlanders, but a stick save by Reagan Larson denied the comeback and essentially won the semifinal for Immaculate Heart, sending them to the Bergen County championship for the first time since 2021.
âOur goaltender is amazing, she saves all those shots and practice, our defense has really worked hard to get to this point and make sure we get all the cutters and working inside and out.â Said Knepper when asked about how Immaculate Heart has played defensively and offensively, and how it is translated to these games. The Blue Eagles advance to the Bergen County championship, where they will meet the team they lost to back in 2021, when they made the final, the three defending champions, Ridgewood.
IMMACULATE HEART ACADEMY NEXT GAME- @ RIDGEWOOD BERGEN COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, 5/11/24, TBD
NORTHERN HIGHLANDS NEXT GAME- @ ROXBURY 5/9/24, 4 PM EST
