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The Lakeland girls’ soccer team had to fend off numerous scoring chances for DePaul during their Passaic County tournament semi-final match. But the Lancers' goalie saved her best work for the end of the contest, lifting Lakeland into the county final next weekend.
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In their second meeting of the year and with much more at stake, Lakeland and DePaul gave the fans match they will not soon forget. From the start the two squads came out extremely aggressive. Equal to their first meeting, the game didn’t yield any scoring in regulation. The 2 overtime sessions also went scoreless and the game had to be decided in a penalty kick shootout.
The shootout went back and forth with Lakeland missing on their first penalty kick and later DePaul giving it right back. With the Spartans poised to win the match on the final shot, goalie Jessica Janosz made a huge save to push the shootout into extra rounds.
The Lancers finally won the soccer game in the 8th round when Janosz made another save. The seniors goalie stopped four shots in total during the shootout.
The game, as expected, was a very tight matched defensively throughout. Lakeland and DePaul’s first meeting was just as exciting and also a defensive gem. The competitiveness displayed between these teams is attributed to players from both teams being members of the same club team. It’s evident that the history between these teams on the field does not overshadow the great respect and admiration for one another. Janosz made her way over to DePaul’s goalkeeper to console her in a show of true sportsmanship.
Coach Paul Wood is very proud of his undefeated team for its hard work at practice that is now paying dividends when it matters most. “I will enjoy this win tonight,” he said, before thinking about the matchup next weekend in the county girls' soccer finals against Wayne Valley.
The best part of all, these two teams get to do it all over again. Part III of this awesome rivalry will be played this upcoming Tuesday, October 21st. If the first two games are any indication of what’s to come, this next match will be another thriller, and a must see. -- Emir Liguori for Jersey Sports Now
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