Ramapo girls soccer knocks off rival in OT on sophomore's first career goal

FRANKLIN LAKES – Scoring in overtime is special.

Scoring one for your first varsity goal against your team's biggest rival makes it even better.

"That was fun," Ramapo sophomore Bridget Cannon said. "I had a lot of fun."

Cannon sent Ramapo home happy in the latest chapter of a rivalry that never seems to disappoint. The Raiders took the lead twice in regulation and finished the job about seven minutes into OT to defeat Northern Highlands, 3-2, on Monday under the lights and a full late-summer moon.

It was a game full of plot twists, physical action and timely (or untimely) posts. At one point, there were four goals in 13 minutes.

"There's nothing like a Highlands-Ramapo game at night," Raiders coach Maddie Gibbs said. "I have to always brace myself for these games with the intensity and the back-and-forth. I think it was a very evenly matched game. Both teams brought it all out and left it all out there."

The final sequence was all a blur to Cannon, who dealt with a calf cramp toward the end of regulation. Mary Grusser swooped in on a loose ball in the box and headed a pass to the left side before anyone from Northern Highlands could intervene.

With no one around her and the net wide open, Cannon had time to let the ball bounce once before ripping a volley with her left foot.

"I've never really experienced this before so I was just trying to listen to what my coach was saying," Cannon said. "I didn't really know what I was doing out there but then I got the hang of it."

What it means

The win came at a good time for Ramapo (3-1), who's ranked second in North Jersey and one spot ahead of Northern Highlands. This was the Raiders' first game since an upset loss to Ramsey, where Gibbs felt like her team didn't play its best soccer.

Adding more drama was the fact that Northern Highlands beat Ramapo three times last season, including one in the North 1, Group 3 championship.

"Of course it's on my mind," Gibbs said. "We've had some injuries this year leading up to this game and you just want everyone to be healthy for the longevity of the season but you want to do what you can against Highlands."

Turning points

The intensity picked up midway through the second half when Ramapo and Northern Highlands both came to life on offense. It all started in the 47th minute when Raiders senior Gabriela Stephens scored her first career goal by nailing a free kick from well outside the box.

Northern Highlands didn't need long to respond, though. Columbia commit Lyla Geller stole the ball near the right sideline and ripped a low shot inside the near post about three minutes later.

Ramapo went back up on a counter-attack by Amelia Rubenacker, but Northern Highlands answered again in the 60th minute on Julia Buono's goal from close-range.

That set the stage for an overtime period where both teams had their chances. The best one for Northern Highlands came four minutes in when its first shot ricocheted off the post and the follow-up was turned away seconds left by Annie Landers. Landers had to range far to her left to keep Ramapo alive in her first start in this rivalry.

"It was just pure adrenaline," Landers said. "I thought it went in and then to just to get up and make a save felt awesome. I wasn't really thinking. I just dove."

Her save bought enough time for Cannon, who said her nerves were just fine in overtime. It was spending the first 20 minutes on the bench waiting to check in that caused jitters.

"She's a little bit of a goofball in the best way," Gibbs said. "She's super coachable and super fast. Sometimes it's hard to see on the soccer field, but she's a phenomenal track athlete."

Next up

Ramapo will hit the road Thursday to face defending Bergen County champion Immaculate Heart.

Northern Highlands (3-1) will host Paramus on Thursday in a Big North Freedom match.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Ramapo girls soccer knocks off rival in OT on sophomore's first career goal