Lenape vs. Bridgewater-Raritan @ Soccer Group Finals
TCNJ Lion’s field Ewing, NJ – November 17th, Writen by Louis Rossi for NJSI.net, Photos by Alan Maglaque
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Set to go in the brutal cold at 9:45 Saturday morning were Lenape and Bridgewater-Raritan girls soccer teams, both eager to get underway and determined to make the right decisions that would lead to victory.
Coming out strong were the Indians, asserting control over the ball and keeping the pressure on Bridgewater-Raritan defense and goal keeper throughout the first half.
While the Lenape pushed the offensive, the Bridgewater-Raritan Panthers pushed right back. Keeping each other in check throughout the first half, leaving the coaches to sit their teams down and utilize their observations to best benefit their players in the second half.
The difference in the Lenape team coming onto the field after halftime was unmistakable. They wanted to win, and win big.
Lenape’s #12 (Senior) Lindsay Walsh would challenge a defender on a loose ball thirty yards out of the Bridgewater goal, downing her with a 
tackle and then immediately resuming control of the ball. Taking five steps to size up the net, she would score with a straight shot right into the upper left corner of the net.
Walsh would later add at the end of the game, “We noticed their defense was playing really deep.” As a result of her teams’ analysis of the defense they were up against, she wasn’t anywhere near done contributing to her teams effort to come out champions.
At 21:16 Lenape’s #12 (Senior) Lindsay Walsh would once again find herself midfield with possession of the ball, this time finding #21 (Sophmore) Jill Hampton who would place a shot in the right corner of the goal extending the Lenape lead to 2.
And finally, just over a minute later, #12 (Senior) Lindsay Walsh would serve a restart from nearly 40 yards out along the right side that would find #4 (Sophmore) Devon Betsch for a finishing header into the goal.
In spite of the numerous chances to overcome the three-goal deficit, Bridgewater-Raritan wasn’t able to capitalize on their rare but evident opportunities to settle the score and at the very least force an overtime.
“Lindsey has done [that] all year for us,” said Lenape Coach Kevin Meder, “She is an absolute workhorse and it was fitting she played so well in our biggest game. The girls had a lot of fun this season, that was a big key to her, and our, success.”
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