Undefeated Brookdale women’s soccer captures league title

Brookdale Community College’s Madison Doria chipped the ball over the heads of the defenders and into the offensive third.

Her Brookdale teammate, Lauren Karabin, out ran the defenders to the ball and dribbled toward the goal.

Union County College goalkeeper Lauren Buchanan raced out of the goal to cut off Karabin’s angles and block the ball.

But just as Karabin sprinted into the box, she spotted an angle to the left of Buchanan.

Karabin kicked the ball past the diving keeper and into the net. Then, Karabin’s teammates hugged her as they all shouted for joy.

Karabin’s overtime goal provided Brookdale with a 2-1 victory over Union on Oct. 9 at the Manalapan Park and Recreation Center.

The result enabled Brookdale to remain undefeated and clinch the Garden State Athletic Conference championship. Brookdale is 13-0 overall and 7-0 in conference play in 2018.

“The conference title is just a step in the right direction,” said Brookdale defender Devon Moreno.

“We really want to go to nationals, so this is just a confidence booster,” said Brookdale midfielder Haley Dalonzo.

“It feels good but we have bigger goals to accomplish,” added Karabin.

Brookdale’s biggest goal is to win the National Junior College Athletic Association Division 3 national championship.

The Jersey Blues have to finish in the top two in the Region XIX tournament to qualify for the NJCAA tournament. They should be the top seed in the one-day Region XIX tournament, which is scheduled for Oct. 26 in .

They have also outscored opponents, 62-10 ,this year, and defeated a Division I NJCAA program, Rowan College at Burlington County, on Oct. 6. So, no team is going to scare the Jersey Blues.

Eighth-year coach Katie Amundsen has guided three other Brookdale teams to national championships, in 2013, 2014 and 2015. Amundsen sees the same potential in this team.

“As long as we stay grounded and continue to do those little things, the opportunity is there. It’s a matter of whether or not we want to take it,” Amundsen said. “I see the fight in them. When things aren’t working, they still have the chemistry. They are still talking and finding feet.”

On that Oct. 9 day, Brookdale dominated the game, out shooting  the college from Cranford, 23-11, on the field in Manalapan that the school used as a home site. Brookdale’s field in Lincroft was not in playing shape at the time of this game.

But the Jersey Blues did not score until late in the second half, when Dominique Lovallo, an Old Bridge High School graduate, passed the ball to Dalonzo, a Middletown High School South grad, on the right post. Dalonzo pushed the ball into the net with her stomach, giving Brookdale a 1-0 lead.

The goal showed that Brookdale could work the ball into the box against a stout back line. Union had only allowed two goals in 11 games before Oct. 9.

“It says a lot about heart and character,” Dalonzo said. “We never gave up. We kept pushing.”

“It was about playing our game. They are obviously good defenders, but we just need to do what we do,” Karabin said. “Just finish.”

But then, with about a minute left in the game, Union scored the equalizer, sending the game to overtime. It was a deflating goal that could have sank the Jersey Blues.

Instead, though, they did what championship teams do: rose to the occasion and took control of the overtime session. Brookdale out shot Union, 4-0, in overtime, and on the fourth shot, they closed out a tough opponent. The first of many during this stretch run.

“We had a nice chat before the overtime, and it came down to us knowing what was on the line,” Amundsen said. “It’s just staying grounded, even when a situation presents itself where we aren’t playing our best soccer.”

“It’s all heart. Right before overtime, it comes back to the heart,” said Brookdale goalkeeper Sheridan Casserly, another Old Bridge High grad. “I already forgot about this game. This game’s done. On to the next.”