BLOOMFIELD — The Joelle Bernhard era is off to a terrific start.
The new head coach saw her Bloomfield High School girls soccer team capture the West Essex summer league championship.
The Bengals went 4-0 in the league, defeating Clifton, Verona, Caldwell and Hanover Township. They were supposed to play Wayne Valley, but the game was called off due to inclement weather and was not rescheduled because of the state-mandated “black-out” period.
Bernhard was delighted with her team’s showing in the league.
“I’m really excited,” Bernhard said on Aug. 5 at Bloomfield Middle School. “We have like 93 percent returning. I’m confident we are going to have a great season. We have some great athletes, great players.”
The league was beneficial for the players’ development and team chemistry, Bernhard said.
“It was a great way for the girls to get a touch on the ball, playing and even playing with the other schools, just seeing some of the competition and really preparing for our season, working together as a team,” she said.
The Bengals finished a respectable 12-8 last fall.
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