Robinson’s Hat Trick Fuels Point Beach’s Comeback Win Over St. Rose

POINT PLEASANT — Falling behind by two goals in the first half is hardly an ideal position for a team fighting for a spot in the Shore Conference Tournament, but Point Beach responded when its season demanded it.

The Garnet Gulls erupted for four unanswered goals in the second half, including three in a seven-minute span, to rally past St. Rose, 4-2, and keep their SCT hopes alive.

Point Beach turned a 2-0 halftime deficit into a 3-2 lead by the 65th minute before adding an insurance goal with two minutes remaining. The victory gave the Garnet Gulls three more points in SCT Group 7 and moved them into third place in the standings.

“I told them the work needs to be better,” Point Beach head coach Adam Curtis said. “Our work rate needed to be better. They were beating us to every ball. We were second best at everything and not that we didn’t have the desire; we just didn’t commit. I told them in the second half it’s up to you guys. You guys have to show them that it’s your field and go out and put your foot down.”

Point Beach did exactly that, with its young core helping ignite the comeback. Freshman Blake Robinson recorded a hat trick, while fellow freshmen Coakley Curtis and Allison Leinen combined for three assists. Curtis set up two of Robinson’s goals, while Leinen assisted senior Katie Kirchner on the eventual game-winner.

Robinson started the comeback in the 58th minute, finishing off a corner kick from Kirchner to cut St. Rose’s lead to 2-1. The assist was the 45th of Kirchner’s career, making her Point Beach’s all-time leader in the category.

Two minutes later, Robinson struck again off an assist from Curtis to pull the Garnet Gulls even.

“She (Robinson) has always had a knack for scoring,” Curtis said. “Her energy and her physicality are huge. Her eye for the goal is second to none. I have been coaching her since she was about eight, and she is only getting better and better, and I love to watch her grow.”

The comeback was aided by a tactical adjustment at halftime. Point Beach moved Kirchner from the back line to the wing, giving the Garnet Gulls another attacking threat and allowing them to stretch a St. Rose defense that had congested the middle of the field.

The move paid off in the 65th minute. Point Beach connected on two quick passes inside the box before Leinen found an open Kirchner just inside the 18, and the senior finished to give the Garnet Gulls a 3-2 lead.

“Once they went up a goal, they (St. Rose) were basically putting six behind our front line,” Curtis said. “They were waiting for us to come and funnel us into the middle. We had to open them up and try to spread it out. Having Katie out there and taking it down the end line at will and being able to whip it in just opened up their back line.”

Kirchner is one of only two seniors on a Point Beach roster featuring six freshmen, making her experience particularly valuable for a young team navigating meaningful late-season games. Along with her ability on the field, Kirchner brings the experience of having been part of two sectional championship teams.

“It was nice getting Katie (Kirchner) out of the back,” Curtis said. “She’s been locked down since I moved her to the back, and she is the reason we’re on this run right now. To have that option to throw her in is dangerous when we need the goals. She has never been a vocal leader, but she leads with her work rate, effort, and desire. The girls feed off of that.”

Point Beach’s second-half surge was a complete reversal from the opening 40 minutes.

The Garnet Gulls generated some early pressure, but St. Rose struck on the counterattack in the eighth minute. Junior Kelsey Nitche scored her 10th goal of the season from approximately 25 yards out, sending a shot over goalkeeper Alex Kuzloski to give the Purple Roses a 1-0 lead.

St. Rose doubled its advantage eight minutes later when Nitche delivered a cross that Alexis Waitzel finished in front of goal.

Rather than allowing the deficit to deflate them, the Garnet Gulls entered the second half determined to turn the game around on their home field on Senior Night.

“We had to keep our heads up,” Kirchner said. “We have been in these situations before. We need to keep going, and the score does not mean anything. We were on our own turf on our Senior Night, so we used that as motivation.”

After Robinson and Kirchner combined to turn the two-goal deficit into a one-goal lead, Robinson put the game away in the 78th minute. Curtis recorded her second assist of the night on Robinson’s third goal, completing the freshman’s hat trick and giving her 22 goals on the season.

The comeback continued a dramatic turnaround for a Point Beach team that endured a slow start while integrating six freshmen and several new faces into the starting lineup. The Garnet Gulls have now won four straight games to climb back to .500, with contributions coming throughout the roster.

Leinen has recorded five goals and six assists during the four-game winning streak, while junior Nikki Meyer has collected four of her five assists this season during the same stretch.

“I think they are starting to get the urgency,” Curtis said. “High school is only four years, and it is not club ball where you have another game next week. Everything means something, and you are playing for your school. You’re playing for the girls you grow up with. I think they are starting to understand this is a special moment.”

Point Beach has done what it can for now. Its Shore Conference Tournament fate will be determined by the result of St. Rose’s game against Wall.

Point Beach and Wall each have six points in Group 7, with Wall owning the head-to-head tiebreaker. If St. Rose defeats Wall, the three teams will finish tied for the final two spots, sending the tiebreaker to goal differential.

The Garnet Gulls (6-6-1) will travel to Brick on Friday.

The Purple Roses (9-3) host Monmouth on Wednesday.