By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Publisher MAYS LANDING — Less than 10 seconds. That’s all it took to go from elation to heartbreak for the Oakcrest High School girls soccer team on Wednesday afternoon. Late in the first overtime period, Ashlee Conover ripped a shot from about 20 yards out that clanged off the crossbar then bounced off the end line and into the hands of Absegami goalkeeper Becca Roesch. Hearing no whistle, Roesch alertly sent the ball upfield to Delaney Sabath, who tapped a quick pass to a Julia Dolan, who was streaking toward the Falcons’ goal. Dolan drilled a shot into the lower left corner of the net to lift the visiting Braves to a thrilling 2-1, overtime win over the Falcons. 
Absegami keeper Becca Roesch helped start the sequence that led to the Braves’ game-winning goal in overtime on Wednesday against rival Oakcrest. (Glory Days Magazine photos/Dave O’Sullivan) “Everyone from Oakcrest was saying it was in, and everybody seemed to stop playing, so I just figured I would get the ball, punt it and see what happens,” Roesch said. “That happened to us in Vineland when we lost to them in overtime, so I didn’t want that to happen again. The stars aligned for us, like coach (Elizabeth) Lee said, and everything turned out well.” “I thought it was in, but when the refs didn’t say anything, Becca looked at me and signaled for me to run. So I just took off, and so did Delaney. Delaney was running with it, and I knew because she was running at such a fast pace, that either she was going to score or (there would be a rebound), so I knew I had to be there,” Dolan said. “Coach Lee had been telling us to shoot the whole game, so, honestly, I just shot it. It was amazing, especially against Oakcrest. This is big because we have three games left before the playoff cutoff, so we needed a big win.” 
Jenna Sayers scored in the first half for her school-record 51st career goal. The wild finish put a bit of a damper on a record-setting day for Oakcrest (6-2-1), as senior striker Jenna Sayers scored midway through the first half to become the Falcons’ all-time leading goal scorer. In patented Sayers fashion, she used her superior foot skills to create some space before artfully placing a shot into the upper right corner for her 51st career goal and a 1-0 Falcons lead. The Braves (4-7) answered not long after, as Emma Watkins ran onto a ball on the right side and drilled a shot into the upper left corner to knot things up at 1-1. Oakcrest kept up offensive pressure throughout much of the second half, and Sayers had another chance in the final minute of regulation. She ripped a shot from about 25 yards out, but Roesch was able to punch the ball over the net to keep the game tied. “This is our fourth win of the season, and to get it against Oakcrest, which is our biggest rival, is a great feeling, especially in overtime,” Roesch said. Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays [adsense]
Girls soccer: Absegami overcomes rival Oakcrest, Jenna Sayers’ record-setting performance, with golden goal in OT
