Ridge Girls Soccer To Meet Pingry in County Semis on Saturday

Information courtesy of Jessica Musumeci

Even after a hard-fought win against Somerville High School in last Saturday's county quarterfinal tournament game, the road to a Somerset County Championship title will not be easy for this year's Ridge High School girls soccer team. 

Ridge, last year's Group 4 State Tournament finalist team, is looking to upset top-seeded Pingry in the semifinal round of Somerset County Tournament on this Saturday at Pingry off Martinsville Road in Bernards Township. The game begins at 1:30 p.m.

Starting a season 0-2 can rattle any team’s confidence — yet, the members of Ridge High School’s Varsity Girls Soccer team did not panic.  Rather, the team rallied with a seven game unbeaten streak, and currently holds a record of 9-3-2, giving up only 1 goal in the last seven games. 

The team’s biggest win came Saturday with a late-game goal to edge out Somerville High School in the Somerset County quarterfinals. Tied 0-0 for most of the game, with dangerous chances by both teams, it looked as though the quarterfinal game between 4th seeded Ridge and 5th seeded Somerville, would be heading into overtime.

However, with 43 seconds left in regulation, Ridge sophomore Erin Convery deflected a throw in by senior Gigi Cifelli into the back of the net, securing the win for the Red Devils.

The Ridge Girls soccer team is no stranger to the tough competition of Somerset County and Skylands Conference play. Ridge boasts a solid core of veteran senior players, all of whom have been members of the 2011 and 2012 Group 4 State Finalist teams. These seniors have already made invaluable contributions to this current season’s success.  

Forward Kelly McWhorter, midfielders Kaitlin Ardiff, Paige Anderson and Lucy Aaron, and defender Brittany Sheehan, have collectively contributed three goals and six assists for the team. The team's senior captains, Weyrauch and Cifelli, have stepped into their leadership roles on the field in impressive fashion, leading the team in offensive points: Weyrauch with six goals and three assists and Cifelli with four goals and two assists, including her assist in Saturday’s must win over Somerville.

Seniors new to the team, Claire Herndon, Erica Lindsey and Amanda Reimer, have also contributed to the team’s success this season. Most notably, Lindsey, normally a field player, stepping in as backup goalkeeper for over half the game at North Hunterdon and securing one of the nine shutouts Ridge has earned this season.