One year after falling to Haddonfield in the South Jersey Group II championship game, the Pirates edged the Bulldawgs in overtime on Thursday to win the program’s first sectional title in five years.
There was no chance Cinnaminson High School senior Hailey Gutowski was ending her high school soccer career without a sectional championship.
The Pirates had reached at least the sectional semifinals in all four years Gutowski was on the team. However, Cinnaminson hadn’t been able to seal the deal from 2014 through 2016, with the Pirates falling just short last year in the South Jersey Group II championship game against Haddonfield Memorial High School.
With Cinnaminson facing Haddonfield again in the 2017 South Jersey Group II title game, Gutowski played the game of her life, scoring two goals, including the sudden death overtime game winner, to guide the Pirates to a 3–2 win over Haddonfield and their first sectional title since 2012.
“We’ve all been playing together for so long and all of us and our parents are so close that we said that this wasn’t going to be our last game,” Gutowski said. “We had to keep going.”
Gutowski had already put huge numbers for Cinnaminson prior to last Thursday’s championship game. She tallied one goal and one assist in Cinnaminson’s first round win over Bordentown Regional High School and then took the team on her back in the sectional semifinals against Cedar Creek High School, scoring all three goals in a tight, 3–2 win for the Pirates. Gutowski led the team with 21 goals and 19 assists this season.
“The three goals against Cedar Creek were amazing and the two goals today and her play was outstanding,” head coach Matt Digney said. “(Gutowski) has a natural ability to do great things and lead people.”
Last Thursday, Cinnaminson and Haddonfield were tied at 1–1 in the second half when Gutowski dribbled her way past a Haddonfield defender and launched a hard shot from about 20 yards out into the net for a 2–1 Pirates lead.
About 12 minutes later, the Pirates’ lost their lead after goalkeeper Maddie Ogden fouled Haddonfield’s Madison Bee, giving the Bulldawgs a penalty kick. Haddonfield’s Nic Green scored on the penalty kick to tie the game two and send it to overtime.
In the break before overtime, Digney settled his team down to get momentum back on the Pirates’ side.
“The girls did a nice job of coming back and taking advantage of the opportunities that were given to us,” Digney said.
In overtime, Cinnaminson earned a free kick from about 40 yards away from Haddonfield’s goal. Ogden came out of her goalkeeper spot to take the free kick. She launched the ball toward a group of Cinnaminson players down near the Haddonfield net. Gutowski got to the ball and lofted a header over Haddonfield goalkeeper Maya Olimpio’s head and into the net for the game winner.
“Everyone was so determined to get on the ball,” Gutowski said. “I just happened to get on it. Maddie played it right to me. It was a great ball.”
“I was hoping someone would get on the other end of it or if I got the ball up enough it would get into the goal,” Ogden said. “But Hailey headed it right in.”
Dozens of Cinnaminson parents and fans who had made the drive to Haddonfield to watch the game streamed onto the field after Gutowski scored. Seeing the crowd streaming toward her is something Gutowski will never forget.
“That was such a great feeling,” Gutowski said.
Winning the sectional championship allowed Cinnaminson to complete a goal they had set the first day of training camp in August. Digney said the team didn’t focus on the rematch with Haddonfield, but instead just playing the best game possible regardless of the opponent.
“Haddonfield and Cinnaminson are the two best teams in South Group II,” Digney said. “If we played again, it could have been a different result. It’s nice to have the win regardless of who it is.”
Gutowski and Ogden were happy their team was able to avenge last year’s loss to the Bulldawgs.
“It was a heartbreaking loss for us because we were so close to winning that game,” Ogden said.
“Last year, they were the №2 seed and we were the №1 seed and they played us on our home field in the finals,” Gutowski said. “It was the same situation this year, but we were on their home field. We all wanted that redemption. We all wanted to do what they did to us.”
