Kinnelon girls soccer to play for Group I title

“It’s got to feel really good for the girls, they’ve certainly put in the work to get there and the girls soccer program in our school has a history of success, so it’s nice to be able to get it back to that level, as very few teams are able to make the state finals,” Kinnelon coach Mike Petrucelli said.

Claiming a state title isn’t going to be easy, as Shore (18-5-1) is an extremely battled-tested team that is back in the state final for the second-straight season.

Samantha McDonough leads the team with 23 goals and 19 assists and has helped lead the Blue Devils to wins over some of the best teams in the state.

Senior midfielder Casey Gray leads the Colts with 20 goals and 22 assists, while senior midfielder/forward Emily Thiem (11 goals, 10 assists), senior midfielder Sarah Rosenberg (10 goals, 10 assists) and junior midfielder/forward Julia Kleczoeski (nine goals) can also create strong scoring chances.

“If we execute and do what we’re supposed to do, both teams have a lot of great players and a lot of things both teams do well and either team has the capability of putting on a great performance,” Petrucelli said.