Sports

Mainland girls soccer beats Ocean City first time since 2021

Mainland girls soccer beats Ocean City first time since 2021

LINWOOD — Emma Preissman said her shot was lucky.
First-year Mainland Regional High School girls soccer coach Fred Napoli disagreed. He said the senior’s game-winning goal was well-deserved.
Preissman scored in the 77th minute to lead the Mustangs to a 1-0 victory over rival Ocean City in a Cape-Atlantic League American Division game Wednesday. Ocean City fell to 6-4-1.
Her shot sailed to the top of the net, propelling Mainland (6-2) to its third straight win.
“We played our hearts out this game,” Preissman said. “It was definitely one of the biggest games of our season, and Ocean City is our rival. So we played really well as a team. And that shot, that was a very, very lucky shot, and I am really proud of everyone because we played our hearts out.
“Our coaching staff got us here. We really came together today. I’ve never seen us play like this before.”
Napoli said Preissman scored a similar goal Monday in the Mustangs’ 2-0 win over Schalick.
“It felt really good for her to get that in. She worked really hard today,” Napoli said. “It was nice for her. She takes those shots. She has a nice foot, and she does a good job with them.”
The Mustangs possessed the ball for the majority of the game. Ocean City’s Madi Adams made five saves.
Preissman’s goal was very exciting for her and her teammates, she said.
“We all screamed,” Preissman said. “Came in, then we had lockdown defense to seal the deal.”
The Red Raiders beat the Mustangs 2-1 on Sept. 8. Before Wednesday, Mainland’s last win against Ocean City came in the 2021 playoffs.
“It feels really good to avenge that loss, considering they beat us the last time” Preissman said. “We were out to get them this time. We worked really hard, and it’s a great feeling to finally beat them again.”
Ocean City is 89-7-3 against CAL opponents since 2017.
“It was a good team effort today from everybody,” Napoli said. “The defense played very well. Everyone in the back played really well. I thought it was a great team effort. We moved the ball well.
“They are a good team,” Napoli said of Ocean City. “They play hard. We had to meet their challenge. It was a really, really good game. It was a nice South Jersey, hard-core rivalry soccer game. It always feels good to win. The Mainland-Ocean City rivalry is always fierce, no matter how good the teams are. It’s always a fierce match. It’s a tough match. It was fun.”
Ocean City coach Sean Matteo agreed.
“It was a great game,” he said. “Downside of this, (Mainland) is going to be like us, very competitive in Group III this year, which we love to see from the CAL. (The two games this season) have just been battles. They made the most of their opportunities today. They did.
He called Preissman’s shot “fantastic.”
“I told the girls we played great 70-plus minutes of soccer to manage the game, and they got the one opportunity and finished it,” Matteo said.
Matteo said Ocean City’s defense was “almost at full health” for one of the first times this season, and expects the unit to get even healthier Saturday when Ocean City hosts Eastern Regional (5-4-1), which is No. 7 in The Press Elite 11.
“The defense has really shown up the last couple of games,” Matteo said. “Our defense has done very well. I think they get put in some bad positions when we can’t sustain attacks or even connect a couple passes. I am proud of the defense, and Madi played great in goal.
“It’s only Oct. 1. We are hoping to play into late November, so I think we are still trying to figure things out to be more competitive late in the season.”
Preissman and Napoli said the hope is that Mainland continues to rack up wins.
“Definitely a good spot to be in,” Napoli said. “Looking forward to the rest of the season and how these girls can do it, especially if they keep playing together and as a team. That’s the most important thing. They all work really hard, and all the girls support each other. It’s really nice. A great group of kids.”
Contact Patrick Mulranen: 609-272-7217
PMulranen@pressofac.com
Twitter @ACPressMulranen
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