Field Hockey: South Plainfield Wins, 1-0, over Metuchen in Game Dedicated to the Memory of Kylie Williams

SOUTH PLAINFIELD, NJ -- The South Plainfield field hockey team hosted Metuchen on Tuesday afternoon in a game that honored the memory of 3-year-old Kylie Williams.

Kylie lost her life last winter in a multi-vehicle accident involving an impaired driver. She was the daughter of Metuchen field hockey coach Joelle Williams, who suffered serious injuries in the crash.

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"Kylie's Crew" was established to educate teens and adults of the ramifications of driving while impaired. On game day, donations were collected in support of Kylie's Crew. South Plainfield Field Hockey magnets were sold as part of the fundraising effort.

On the field, South Plainfield came away with a 1-0 victory over Metuchen, but it was an emotional experience for many even before the first pass of the actual contest.

Coach Williams took the microphone before the game, supported by her family and with the entire rosters of both teams lined up behind her.

"This is the first time I have spoken publicly about this since it happened," Joelle Williams said. "Last January 13, three minutes from our house, we were struck by a driver going 65 mph. ... Since January 13, she has been arrested and is in jail awaiting trial."

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Williams went on to recount that, while her daughter lost her life, Joelle underwent multiple surgeries and was unable to walk for several months, and he young son was also injured in the accident and needed several procedures.

"The crash was preventable," the Metuchen coach said. The driver of the vehicle that struck Williams' car was returning from a drug purchase when the collision occurred.

And that is what Tuesday was all about -- the Metuchen and South Plainfield field hockey families coming together to not only support Metuchen's coach and her family, but to reinforce the potentially deadly outcomes of driving impaired.

"South Plainfield and Metuchen have always had a close relationship. These kids go to the same summer camps, I have coached with their staff, and I played against coach Williams in high school and in college," said South Plainfield field hockey coach Melissa Zurawiecki. "(Our players) play club with a lot of their girls. For anybody to hear coach Williams tell that story, well, the impact on the field hockey community is big. We all know each other, because the field hockey community (in this area) is small, and when the news of what happened last January came out, everybody was willing to help."

To sign the pledge "to never drive recklessly or under the influence to protect myself and others around me," click here: https://www.kylies-crew.org/pledge .

For a first-person account from Joelle Williams on the loss of her daughter, read here: https://www.kylies-crew.org/ .

In the game that followed the ceremonies, the teams battled through a scoreless first quarter before junior Megan Mehl knocked in a rebound of a shot from teammate Cecelia Cassio with 2:07 left in the second quarter for the only goal of the game.

Metuchen (6-4) bombarded South Plainfield (7-2) with multiple scoring threats down the stretch in the fourth quarter, but the Tigers' defense and goalie Laci Sikora held firm and preserved the shutout. It was South Plainfield's seventh consecutive victory, and the Tigers are unscored upon during the streak.

"To shift from the emotions of everything taking place before the game to such a competitive game for both teams was impressive," Zurawiecki said. "We graduated 16 seniors from last year's team, including most of our starters, and we have really focused on defense early this season. It's something we practice daily, and we also focus on being composed under pressure, like we were today."

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