John Jay pulls away in second half for homecoming victory

JIM MACLEAN PHOTOS

Clockwise from top left. John Jay girls celebrate after a goal by Sarah Mardon (second from left). Senior captain Jordan Kauftheil controls along the sideline for the Wolves. Matea Milich drills a long shot for John Jay.

By JIM MACLEAN

It happened so fast Saturday that most of the fans didn’t even know why the John Jay girls varsity soccer team was celebrating on the field.

After a tight first half, John Jay took the ball to start the second half and the Wolves’ marched straight up the field with Sarah Mardon finishing it off for a goal just 16 seconds into the half. That gave John Jay a 2-0 lead and the Wolves never looked back, taking control on their way to a 4-1 victory over Byram Hills Sept. 21.

It was a great way to celebrate homecoming for John Jay with perfect weather and a great performance on the field as the Wolves dominated for the win.

“That second goal was really a turning point, scoring 16 seconds into the second half, a fantastic goal well worked by the girls,” said John Jay coach Dave Nuttall. “That got the momentum going for us to finish the game off and get the win. We got everyone onto the field, which is nice for homecoming. They played a fantastic game.”

In the first half, Carly Mangiaracina scored to give the Wolves a 1-0 lead as the two teams battled back and forth.

Then Mardon came up with the big play to start the second half and John Jay was in control with a 2-0 lead.

John Jay kept the pressure on and earned a corner kick about five minutes later, and the Wolves played it perfectly as Lila Baker headed it into the goal off the corner kick by Matea Milich to make it 3-0.

About eight minutes later, John Jay earned another corner kick, and once again the Wolves made the Bobcats pay as Ava Cervantes booted a shot into the net off the corner kick by Jordan Kauftheil for a 4-0 lead with 23:48 left to play.

Kauftheil finished with two assists in the game, and the senior captain admitted it was a good way to celebrate homecoming with an impressive performance for the win.

“As a senior, having our last homecoming be a great team win means a lot,” said Kauftheil. “We earned this win today.”

With the commanding lead, it was up to the defense to close it out for the victory and the Wolves were up to the challenge holding on for the 4-1 victory. Mia Bourla and Brooke Epstein combined in goal for the win behind a strong defensive effort led by senior captains Audrey Oestreicher and Emmy Viders.

“We played strong, stayed really compact and played well as a unit today to get the job done and get the win,” Oestreicher said of the defense.

John Jay also scored a 5-0 win over North Salem Sept. 18, as the Wolves improved to 5-3 overall on the season.