Second Time is a Charm: Point Boro defeats Howell 1-0 to reach SCT Final
NEPTUNE – For the second time in three seasons, Howell and Point Pleasant Boro battled in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinal. On the same field where they battled in the 2022 SCT semifinal, Point Boro avenged that loss and beat Howell, 1-0, in overtime.
In the 92nd minute, senior Gabby Mellet scored the golden goal off a free kick by Abby Hanemann from just outside the 18-yard line to send Point Boro into the SCT Final for the first time since 1990.
Senior Gabby Mellet (29) scored the golden goal for Point Boro in the SCT semifinal. (Photo by Tom Smith)
“I was getting a little stressed out and a little stubborn towards the end,” Hanemann said. “Usually, Maddie Renna takes those balls, but I just played it like a corner kick and I knew I wanted to reach Gab’s (Mellet) head and I aimed it at her head and it was perfect. I have been playing with her my whole life and she has always been the tallest so it has always been look for Gab’s head.”
Similar to the 2022 match-up where Howell won 2-1 on two first half goals, both teams went back and forth with the defenders and goalies winning every test they faced. Mellet, the hero of Wednesday’s game, not only scored the game-winner, but kept the Panthers’ defense organized to keep Howell off the board.
“We talked about the game two years ago before the game,” Mellet said. “We were coming back for revenge and some of the freshmen didn’t completely understand how much it hurt for us to lose in the semifinals to Howell two years ago. We wanted it so bad.”
Neither team could get much going in the first half, until the final 10 minutes, when the Rebels took control and were able to create several corner kicks. Senior Ava Bjorndahl, who has been the starter in goal since her freshman season, had no issues directing traffic to keep the game scoreless going into halftime. The Monmouth University commit earned the 41st career shutout of her career.
Ava Bjorndahl makes the save on Howell’s Ashley Smith. (Photo by Tom Smith)
“I have been playing with her (Ava) my whole life and she started off as a field player,” Hanemann said. “When she hopped in the goal as a little girl she was amazing and every year she has grown so much and we have so much confidence in her.”
The Panthers came out of halftime on a mission and applied pressure on the Rebels defense for the majority of the second half. Junior Elise Viggiano was quiet in the first half, but created chances for herself and her teammates in the second half.
“I told them to calm down,” coach Mike Edolo said of his halftime message. “I think we were getting frustrated out there and we need to be able to fight through it. Elise found better pockets as the game went on and that allowed her to connect us from one side to the other. She does things others can not do.”
Hanemann, who leads the Shore Conference with 17 assists and has her name in the Player of the Year conversation, caused problems for Howell by using her speed and ball control to get by defenders. Throughout the game, she was able to beat her defenders and cross the ball into the box, but Howell’s center backs and goalkeeper Leila Shaw were able to prevent Point Boro’s forwards from capitalizing.
Senior Abby Hanemann had the game-winning assist in double overtime aginst Howell in the SCT semifinal. (Photo by Tom Smith)
“On the ball I do not know if there are too many players in this area or maybe even in the state that are better than her, beating players one-on-one and attacking with speed and pace,” said Edolo about Hanemann. “She creates a lot of the good things that we do. To have a player like that is amazing for a coach. She was there a couple of years ago with Gabby, Ava and Elise and she was determined to get it done.”
Point Boro will play Freehold Township for the SCT title on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Summerfield Elementary School in Neptune. Freehold Township defeated Lacey in the second semifinal game 2-1.
