Glen Ridge HS girls’ soccer team wins fourth straight sectional championship

GLEN RIDGE – The top-seeded Glen Ridge High School girls’ varsity soccer team defeated second-seeded Hasbrouck Heights, 4-1, to win its fourth consecutive state North Jersey Section 2, Group 1 tournament championship on Thursday, Nov. 12, at Watsessing Park field in Bloomfield.

Senior forward and Princeton University-bound Tomison Kennedy scored two goals; junior forward Katie Liu had one goal and one assist and junior defender Galen Lew had one goal for the Ridgers, who broke a 1-1 halftime tie with three second-half goals.

Junior midfielder Colleen Grady and freshman midfielder Jessica Muney each had one assist and senior goalkeeper Ryanne Ege made two saves for the Ridgers, who improved to a 16-5-1 record.

GRHS, under 15th-year head coach Oscar Viteri, advanced to the state Group 1 semifinal on Tuesday, Nov. 17, against Section 1 champion Kinnelon in a rematch of last year’s state Group 1 semifinal game won by Kinnelon.

The other state semifinal game pitted Central Jersey champion Shore Regional against South Jersey champion Haddon Heights.

The state Group 1 championship game will be held Saturday, Nov. 21, at Kean University in Union at 10 a.m.

The Ridgers won the state Group 1 title in 2012 and 2013. In both years, GRHS faced Shore Regional in the final. In 2012, GRHS won, 2-0. In 2013, the teams played to a tie to share the title.