TAA Sharknados take Division Championship, defeating Medford 5–3
Pictured above from left to right are: Abby Cutts, Cali Rose, Madison Pfeifer, Madison Kane, Alyssa Burke, Savannah Burr, Juliette Valleau, Hannah Eichman, Natalie Pesarchick, Brittany Burke, Katie Dilks, and Catie Eisenhuth.
The Tabernacle Athletic Association (TAA) Team #3 “Sharknados” defeated Medford Team #4 by a score of 5–3 to win the 2017 Fall Pinelands League Division 3 Girls Soccer Tournament Championship. The Sharknados entered the tournament with an undefeated regular season record of 9–0–1 and advanced to the championship game by beating TAA Team #4, 6–1.
The Sharknados punctuated an undefeated Pinelands League Division 3 Girls regular season with a season ending tournament championship on Sunday. The championship game played in Medford, featured the league’s top two teams from the regular season, Tabernacle Team #3 & Medford Team #4. The Sharknados started the game with a quick goal in the early minutes and by half time held a 4–1 lead. Medford #4 would fight back during the second half, but their efforts would fall short and the game ended in a 5–3 victory to secure the championship.
The Sharknados rolled through the regular season earning an overall record of 9–0–1. The team’s success was fueled by a league best offense and defense. Teamwork and ball movement allowed eight different players to score goals for the high-powered offense which scored a league leading 48 goals. On the defense side, the team was equally capable, allowing a league best of only 6 goals through ten games. All twelve girls on the team played key roles at various points during the season and were used interchangeably between defense, midfield, and offense.
During the first practice in mid-August the team goal was stated, “have fun playing soccer and get better every day”. The coaching staff challenged the team with practice schedules featuring Competition Tuesday & Fundamentals Thursday which quickly manifested into every drill turning into a fun competition for the team. Much of the team’s success was because the girl’s made the team their own, based on their personalities and followed the goal — “have fun playing soccer and get better every day”.
