Photos courtesy of instagram: @Ch_westgirlssoccer

Cherry Hill West hosted the 4th annual soccer night on Saturday, September 24th. The girls’ varsity team played at 5:30 at the Morris Stadium, while the boys played at 7:30. This sporting event is one of the biggest sporting events in Cherry Hill. Each year, both teams compete against each other in front of a huge crowd. This year, the crowd was estimated to have over 2,000 people in attendance. That’s more than some professional sporting events!

Going into this season, both the East and West girls’ teams are bringing in a lot. The East girls varsity team lost a strong senior class in June that consisted of 17 seniors. However, they bring back 5 strong undergraduate players from last year. Their record going into Saturday’s game was 2-5 with wins over Winslow and Highland. The West girl’s team lost 5 seniors in June but brought back a strong roster full of great undergraduate players. This includes 13 seniors, 6 juniors, and 6 sophomores. The team is led by both Kennedy Erdman with a  record of 6 goals and 3 assists, and Reilly McGlinn with a record of 5 goals and 7 assists. Going into Saturday, West had a record of 4-3, with wins over Holy Cross, Camden Catholic, Hammonton, and Middle Township. 

Reilly McGlinn scored in the first half of the girls’ game, giving West the lead. However, East came back in the second half. Elizabeth Sommeling and Kira Fowler both scored for the Cougars. The girls’ game ended in a thrilling 2-1 win as East edged West.

The West boys team came into the game this year with a chip on their shoulder after a tough 4-2 loss against East last year. East lost 9 seniors last season, but, like West, brought back a strong roster. This includes a new goalie, Tom Piotrowski. Going into Saturday, East’s record was 4-2. 

West came in with new confidence this year after winning a South Group 3 championship. The team lost 5 seniors last season, including leading scorer Ethan Steinbiss and goalkeeper Jason Coburn. But, this year, they brought back two key players, junior goalkeeper Leo Orefice and leading scorer senior Peter Graffeo (4 goals). They also have 4 seniors, 6 juniors, and 5 sophomores. Going into Saturday their record is 3-2-1. 

The boys’ game ended in a suspenseful 0-0 tie, even after double overtime. Both teams had opportunities to score, but the goalkeepers were on top of their game. East’s Tom Piotrowski ended the game with 9 saves. West’s Leo Orefice ended the game with 12 saves.