By BRIAN TORTELLA
Correspondent
On X @tortreports
PITMAN — Madison Peek scored the game-winning goal for Pitman to lead the Panthers to a 2-1 victory over Gloucester Catholic at Alcyon Lake Park on Monday evening.
In the midst of a career year, the senior now leads the team with seven goals through nine games so far this season. Despite that, she still focused on underclassman teammate Lexi Kostiuk’s performance.
“Today’s game was a tough battle and we knew that coming into it,” Peek said. “We started off strong with our ball movement, and, of course, Lexi’s amazing goal.”
Kostiuk, a sophomore, notched the first goal for Pitman (6-3, 5-1 in Tri-County Classic) in the 30th minute. She also assisted Peek’s game-winning strike in the second half.
Said coach Carrie Schwank on Kostiuk: “She’s a Jack-of-all-trades out on the field. She’s in the right spots, she holds the ball so well, she distributes the ball even better. She knows the game and has such a high IQ.”
That’s high praise for a sophomore. It was Kostiuk’s fourth goal of the season.
Gloucester Catholic sophomore Alexa Battaglia evened up the score, 1-1, in the 71st minute, but Peek sealed the game up with less than five minutes left in regulation after Carly Razze was able to cross the ball through to Kostiuk, who passed it to Peek for the consequential score.
“We wanted to keep up the pressure in the second half because a 1-0 game is still a dangerous spot,” Peek said. “After Gloucester Catholic scored we were still able to keep our composer and our energy up.”
Schwank said she believes each game is going to be a fight, but if they play their game, the sky is the limit for the Panthers.
“I think each game is going to be a fight, but if I think that we play our game, even I was just telling them — I was so proud of them for keeping their composure after that goal (by GC). That’s a late goal to tie it up late in the game, only seven minutes left or so. To keep their composure and keep going after it, and then holding the other team (to zero goals in that frame).”
See the full post-game video interview here: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DAjruY5RBDK/?igsh=MXU1d3Y3NWdwODI3Mw==
GAME NOTES: Pitman sophomore Emery Sharpnack, who has 24 career goals, was slow to get up after getting tripped up late in the second period. She was out the rest of the game with a knee injury, but Schwank confirmed that she will be back next game.
WHAT’S NEXT: Pitman travels to Woodstown on Wednesday at 4 p.m. Gloucester Catholic (4-3, 3-2 in Tri-County Classic) travels to Penns Grove on Wednesday at 4 p.m.
Contact Brian Tortella: btortreportssj@gmail.com
