Last year, varsity Girls Soccer enjoyed one of the team’s best seasons in years, with a record of 18-3-2. The Rams were unbeaten in the conference and made it to the Morris County Tournament finals and the State North 1, Group 3 semifinals.
The team has returned 15 players from last year, and only replaced two starters. This tight knit group will continue to build chemistry and bond throughout this season, making the team even more unstoppable than before.
“I have very high hopes for our upcoming season,” Van Wingerden said. “The returners have great chemistry after repeatedly playing together, and the newcomers have been a strong addition. Each player brings something special, and there is so much talent within our team. We hope to make this year a banner season, and I believe that we will do nothing short of that.”
The team has had a good pre-season, winning all four of their scrimmages, undeniably proving a strong return to the field following last year’s impressive season.
Here’s a look at team highlights from Week 0.
Randolph vs. Bernards, Monday, Aug. 26
Kicking off Week 0, Randolph saw a win against Bernards. Starting the game strong, senior Chelsea Renna played a ball over the defensive line for senior Rylie Van Wingerden, who slipped it past the keeper. Bernards quickly fought back with a goal, tying the game. Soon after, junior Carlie Wysocki took a free kick, putting the ball into the box. Senior Tamara Khattab finished the goal with a beautiful run into the box, heading the ball into the back of the net. Going into the second half, Van Wingerden got a penalty kick, and sophomore LuLu Wegner scored off a corner. Bernards also scored two goals. The scrimmage ended with a final score of 4-3 Randolph.
Randolph vs. North Hunterdon, Wednesday, Aug. 28
The Rams once again showed up against North Hunterdon, winning 2-0. During this game, senior Kayla Brand scored an impressive goal, along with another from Tamara Khattab. In addition, senior goalkeeper Kate Sullivan had a clean game, keeping the ball out of Randolph’s net.
Randolph vs. Immaculata, Thursday, Aug. 29
This was a game to watch, truly challenging the players’ skill. The game ended with a 2-1 score, after having a goal unaccounted for and a penalty kick, leading to the Immaculata goal.
Randolph vs. Mendham, Saturday, Aug. 31
To finish off the week, the team scrimmaged with Mendham. Randolph started off strong with Wysocki and Wegner both scoring, leading the Rams into half time with a 2-0 lead. During the second half, senior JoJo Denegri and freshman Dana Cozza added to the score, ending the game with a 4-0 lead.
Alongside these scrimmage wins, NJ.com published its preseason Top 20 State Rankings, and the Rams start out at No. 9.
The team plays its season opener against Mount Olive on Sept. 4 at DaSilva Field.
