Kern’s 2 goals not enough in Lady Warriors’ 3-2 setback to TJ
Cassidy Kern did all she could to help Elizabeth Forward defeat Thomas Jefferson, but the Lady Jaguars were able to pull out a 3-2 victory on Monday in the first round of the WPIAL Class AAA playoffs at Warrior Stadium.
The senior scored two goals in her final match, and it was 2-2 at halftime, but Thomas Jefferson (16-3) scored early in the second half and held on to advance to the quarterfinals.
“It was a closely played game, but sometimes in playoff soccer, the bounces don’t go your way, and tonight they got the bounce in the second half,” Elizabeth Forward coach Brandon Gerba said.
The Lady Jaguars plays South Park (15-2-1) on Thursday at a site and time to be determined. The two play in the same section, and the Lady Eagles won both matches this season (6-0, 7-0).
Thomas Jefferson came out firing in the first 10 minutes of the second, and its hard work was rewarded when Angelina Campano scored at 30:56 for a 3-2 lead.
The Lady Jaguars were issued a yellow card at 8:58 of the second, but a red card was called roughly a minute later when Lady Warriors keeper Bailey Lindberg was penalized and had to leave the match.
Thomas Jefferson’s Liz Manning was awarded a penalty kick, but Elizabeth Forward’s freshman keeper Jordan Cochenour made the save to keep the match at 3-2.
“She (Lindberg) came out after the ball, and they claimed she came out after the player and not the ball, so that is why they gave her the red card,” Gerba said. “My freshman backup stepped in there and stopped a PK in probably the biggest moment she’s been in all season. I can’t be more proud of them.”
The Lady Jaguars held off the Lady Warriors (11-6) in the final eight minutes for the second victory over Elizabeth Forward in as many weeks. TJ picked up a 4-1 win last Tuesday in non-section play.
“We had a few players that didn’t play last time, but this was a different circumstances,” Gerba said. “They scored a few easy goals on us the last time.”
Manning got the Lady Jaguars on the scoreboard in the first at 27:29.
Kern scored on a penalty kick to tie the match at 24:09 after Thomas Jefferson was called for a foul in the box.
Kern put her team ahead, 2-1, with a tally at 10:09 of the first.
“Cassidy, Natalee (Chornake) and Julia (Balogh) are three of my four captains,” Gerba said. “They played their hearts out and their butts off, but I am not taking anything away from TJ. There is a reason they are 16-3.”
The Lady Jaguars earned a corner kick at 7:25, and tied the match when Julia Saltzman found the back of the net.
“There were two set pieces that got us,” Gerba said.
The Lady Warriors qualified for the playoffs this season for the first time since 2014, and also won the Section 2-AAA title.
“The last two years we didn’t make the playoffs at all, and the last time we made the playoffs, our seniors were freshmen,” Gerba said. “We were third place out of the section that year, and to win the section this year and host a home game in the playoffs was huge for these girls.”
Elizabeth Forward had eight shots on goal and Thomas Jefferson six. Lindberg made three saves and Cochenour one. Lady Jaguars keeper Bailey Keck had six stops. Thomas Jefferson outshot the Lady Warriors, 11-8, and had a 5-1 edge in corner kicks.