WEST ORANGE, NJ — While enjoying an incredible run these past two seasons under head coach Sean Devore, the West Orange High School girls soccer team has developed a rivalry with Livingston.
The teams put on another great show in the Essex County Tournament semifinals on Tuesday night, Oct. 15, in Caldwell. In the end, third-seeded Livingston halted the second-seeded Mountaineers’ hopes for a repeat title, coming away with a 3-2 victory.
The loss ended the Mountaineers’ 10-game winning streak and moved their record to 11-3.
Livingston avenged a 4-2 loss to WOHS in a Super Essex Conference-American Division game on Oct. 2 in Livingston. That was the Mountaineers’ seventh victory during the win streak.
Despite the tough loss, Devore was anything but disappointed.
“It was a great game, one of the best I’ve ever been a part of,” wrote Devore in an email to The West Orange Chronicle. “The game was back and forth but stayed 0-0 for the first 60 minutes. Livingston scored first to go up 1-0 but our girls fought back, took the lead 2-1 on goals from Kiara Machuca and Anna Deer. Livingston, to their credit, fought back and scored twice in the last 10 minutes for a 3-2 win.
“It’s becoming quite the rivalry,” continued Devore. “Two years back, Livingston knocked us out of states. Last year we knocked them out in county and states. This year they knocked us out and it looks as if we’ll meet in states in the second round. I’m sure that game will be a battle just like all Livingston/WO games. It’s a game that I think both programs and communities look forward to.”
Montclair, seeded first, defeated fourth-seeded Mount St. Dominic, 3-1, in the other semifinal game during the semifinals doubleheader at Caldwell. Montclair and Livingston will meet in the final on Saturday, Oct. 19, at Livingston at 5 p.m. Livingston was designated as the site for the championship game prior to the start of the tournament.
“We have a ton of respect for Livingston and their program,” Devore said. “I think that Montclair/Livingston will be a great final. We will look to move forward and prepare for states. We currently are 11-3 and have a lot left to play for.”
West Orange last season won the county and North 1, Group 4 sectional titles for the first time, The Mountaineers then fell to Bridgewater-Raritan, ending their amazing 39-game unbeaten streak as they finished 19-1-2.
In 2017, West Orange lost via penalty kicks to Livingston in the North 1, Group 4 quarterfinals to finish 13-0-5. If a game ends in a tie after overtime, it is declared a tie in the record books, regardless of the outcome in the penalty-kick shootout.
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