The girls soccer team at Cherry Hill West had a historic season that saw success like no other. They won the NJSIAA Group 3 South title and made it all the way to the state championship. This was the first time the girls had achieved a Group 3 title in West’s history and was achieved by a penalty kick win to a strong Shawnee High School team who had defeated West twice already this season. This was a huge contrast to the previous season, where the girls made it to playoffs but were knocked out in the first round by Mainland Regional High School, who they beat on their way to the Group 3 South title this season. 

Coach Katina Anthony stood out this year among her fellow South Jersey coaches. Not only because of the success of her team this season but also because of the growth the team demonstrated, much in part to her coaching and guidance. West had a record of 13-7-4, which is not remarkable at first glance. When more closely inspected, the Lions showed promise in the beginning of the season with close losses to Cherokee and Shawnee high schools, wins against rival Camden Catholic, but also a seemingly unexpected win versus a strong Holy Cross side. This showed a glimpse of the potential the team had. 

This potential came to fruition towards the end of the season as the Lions went to the semi-finals of the Coaches Cup and 7-3 in their last 10 games. A 5-game winning streak then brought them all the way to the state championship game at Kean University. Despite losing in penalty kicks after a 3-3 tie versus a strong Ramapo high school team, the girls, led by coach Katina Anthony, had a season unlike any other in program history. 

This success was recognized at the All South Jersey banquet, hosted by the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association (SJSCA) on January 9 at Adelphia’s in Deptford. Coach Katina Anthony was awarded the South Jersey Coach of the year award and three of the girls players, Kennedy Erdman, Reilly McGlinn, and Jillian Shapiro, were awarded First Team All-South Jersey. In her speech Coach Anthony thanked her fellow coaches and her players for helping make this historic season possible.