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The Pompton Lakes field hockey team wasn't outclassed by the #1 ranked team in New Jersey in their Group I state semifinal matchup on Thursday. But the Cardinals simply had no answers for the best player in the state, as the final score of 4-0 makes all too clear.
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Michelle Cesan, the Oak Knoll senior who also plays for the United States youth national program, scored all four goals as her team advanced to the Group I field hockey final for the third straight year. The Royals won the group title in both 2006 and 2007 and are the defending Tournament of Champions winner.
Cesan put her team on the board early, scoring off a penalty corner just 91 seconds into the contest. She added a second off another corner before she really put her skills to work.
Late in the first half, Cesan took pass at the edge of the circle and moved to her left against three defenders. Suddenly, she reversed her stick and took a swipe at the ball that caught the entire Cardinals team by surprise for her third goal. Early in the second half, Cesan completed the scoring when she made another solo move and shot past the goalie to the far post.
The Cardinals had a handful of scoring opportunities but couldn't get one past Royals goalie Mary Kate Spawn. A solid Oak Knoll defense prevented Pompton Lakes from having the kind of attack they've been used to this season.
But it was really Cesan who made the difference. When she wasn't directly involved in the play, and during the brief time at the end of the game when she went to the bench, the sports teams seemed evenly matched.
"Michelle is just one of a kind," said Pompton Lakes coach Eileen Allan, who said she watched video of the Oak Knoll star the day before the game and realized her team would have a huge task. "I think we gave it our best."
The Cardinals end the field hockey season 18-2-1 and can boast of league, county and sectional titles. "We won the Triple Crown, we reached our goals and I couldn't have asked for a better season," said leading scorer Danielle Allan.
"The girls did everything I asked of them this season and we have nothing to be ashamed of," said Eileen Allan.
Expect the Cardinals to be strong again next year. The Cardinals lose just five players and will return the majority of their starting lineup in 2009. --Paul Mencher for Jersey Sports Now
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