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Through all the adversity they've faced since before the season began, Livingston's players never stopped believing they could fill the final void in the girls soccer program's trophy case.
Now, the Lancers are one win away from history.
Junior midfielder Emily Fernandes scored off a setup from senior forward Dina Bojkovic in the 49th minute and junior goalkeeper Ayla Sherman made a game-saving stop in the 71st minute to propel No. 17 Livingston to a 1-0 victory over No. 4 Westfield in the NJSIAA Group 4 semifinals on Wednesday afternoon at Gary Kehler Stadium in Westfield.
Fernandes's right-footed strike into the top-right corner of the net early in the second half gave Livingston the only goal it needed. From there, junior defender Daisy Cheng led a defensive effort that secured a victory over the defending Group 4 champion and halted the Blue Devils' 33-game winning streak. Livingston advances to the Group 4 state final for the first time since 2010 and will play Cherokee at 3 p.m. on Sunday at Franklin High School when it tries to take home the program's first overall state championship. Cherokee defeated Freehold Township 1-0 in the other semifinal game.
"At this point, why stop now? We haven't made it this far in...I don't know how long," Fernandes said. "We're one game away. Half our seniors are never going to play soccer again, so why not push the limit? We know we can beat any team on a good day, and we proved that today."
"We haven't been able to get [to a state final] in all my three years here, so it feels so good," Cheng said.
After a scoreless first half in which Westfield (18-1) held a 5-2 advantage in shots, Livingston delivered the deciding goal 8:13 into the second half. Bojkovic, a Rutgers commit, gathered a pass 40 yards from the Westfield goal, cut across to the middle of the field, and hit a left-footed pass that found Fernandes on one bounce at the top of the 18. Fernandes settled it with her left foot and quickly teed up a righty blast that hit the back of the net in the upper 90 to the far post for her 15th goal of the season and a 1-0 Lancers lead.
"We had a strategy and the ball ended up at Emily's feet, and we know Emily can hit a nice shot from all over the place," Livingston head coach Brian Carr said. "She did what she's done all season."
"I tend to just see the goal and shoot it," Fernandes said. "I don't look for the perfect lane. I think I have a good enough leg where I can just hit it."
Livingston (19-3-1) had the lead. Now it was time to hold it.
Westfield's pressure increased as the time ticked off. The Blue Devils continued to make runs toward the goal but were turned aside by Cheng and fellow defenders Chloe Wright, Zoe Nightingale and Ariana Levitsky. Westfield attempted 15 shots in the second half, six of which were on frame. Sherman stopped them all, including a lead-preserving stop in the 71st minute. Westfield's Mary Lane found room near the goal line and took a shot that was headed for the net inside the far post. Sherman was able to get a hand on it and deflect it just enough to send it careening off the post and out. A minute earlier, she came off her line to punch out a corner kick that her defense then cleared back out to midfield.
"I was a little scared in the last probably 10-15 minutes, but I'm confident in our back line and our goalie," Fernandes said. "They had, I think, one good chance but we stopped most of their really good chances."
"For us, defense is about organization, and when you have players with the amount of experience they have on our back line, they know how to win games and stay organized in stressful moments," Carr said.
Among the season-ending injuries Livingston has dealt with this season was to senior defender Casey Conklin, a returning All-State Group 4 selection who is committed to Ohio State for lacrosse. With her sidelined before the season began, Carr shifted Cheng from attacking center midfielder to the back line. She made the change seamlessly to become one of the state's top defenders this season.
"I actually started playing center back for club recently, and these girls we have makes it easy to adjust," Cheng said. "We've adjusted and gotten a lot better since the beginning of the season."
Third Team All-State Group 4 selection Izzy Kilelee, a senior midfielder committed to Wagner, was also lost for the season before the first game was played. All-conference senior midfielder Hunter Lantzman suffered a season-ending injury before the Essex County Tournament. Multiple other players missed games but have since returned.
"What I'm most impressed about is that every time a girl goes down, they don't blink. They're looking forward and they haven't rattled," Carr said. "We lost two all-state players before the season even started, they don't blink. We lost a first team all-conference center midfielder in Hunter Lantzman, they didn't blink. Those moments have served as motivation. Every girl here wants to win for them."
"We play for the girls who can't play," Fernandes said. "We play for Casey. We play for Izzy. We play for Hunter. That pushes us. It motivates us."
Sunday's Group 4 state championship game will feature a pair of programs aiming to win their first state titles. Cherokee will be making its first appearance in a state final. It will be Livingston's second and first since 2010.
"It would mean absolutely everything, especially with the losses we've had this year," Fernandes said. "We've never won it and to do it this year, that would be a great turnaround. I'm confident this team can do it."