Girls Soccer has had their ups and downs this season, but has come through these past few games. Bernards recently beat Somerville 2-0 who was undefeated in their season, and was ranked 18th in New Jersey. This win now made Bernards 6-5 overall, putting them in 10th seed for the state tournament. Girls Soccer is in fourth place in the Skyland group 2 conference with a record of 4-3, putting them right below Warren Hills. Also, Bernards Girls Soccer had their first home county game against Immaculata, in which they won 5-1 with goals from senior, Claudia Prandoni, sophomores, Elizabeth Coury and Makenna Davis, and junior, Annie Gillis. Bernards encountered Immaculata for the third and final time last Monday, where they won 4-0 on the Olcott Turf. Prandoni is at the top of the charts with five goals, and Coury and Davis right behind her with three goals each. Additionally, new to the team, goalkeeper and freshman Susan Oberschmidt, has made 48 saves for Bernards in the 11 games played so far. Bernards’ soccer motto is not only about winning or losing, but it is about tradition. Pasta parties are a major key to girls soccer’s success, where they get to talk, laugh, have fun, and eat. At every pasta party each person contributes in making and bringing their own meal, whether it’s drinks, pasta, plates, salad, and even buffalo chicken dip. “Buffalo Chicken Dip motivates our team,” said Prandoni. According to the team, For every pasta party, junior, Jenna Whelan makes the BCD, and junior, Ellie Taylor makes the corn dip, “which are gone in under five minutes.”
The Mountaineers are getting prepared for their upcoming matches, and the closest one being a county game against Mount Saint Mary’s on Saturday. The second round of county’s isn’t going to be easy for Bernards because Mount has seven wins, one tie, and only one loss. Bernards lost to Mount the first time 2-0, hoping to come back with a win to advance to the third round of counties against Bridgewater-Raritan. Bernards have played teams such as, Watchung Hills and Chatham, who are not in the Skyland Conference. As indicated by the Bernardsville News, Coach Habermas said, “We play good teams because we need to know what it takes to go further. This was just practice for the state tournament; that’s the way we look at it.” Habermas and the team have high expectations for this years’ states, and hope to advance further than the second round, as they did last year.