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Who is the best women's player from South Jersey?
Let the debate begin.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states.
In July, we will showcase our list of the top 250 overall athletes in South Jersey history.
But first we are going to take a look at athletes in their individual sports.
This week, we turn out attention to women's soccer. Here are our selections for the women's soccer players who defined the South Jersey region. The 10 players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standout players at the high school level before moving on to even greater heights at the collegiate and international levels.
One of the most dynamic scorer's South Jersey has ever seen, Ali was a three-time All-American at Eastern Regional and the 2015 Courier-Post Player of the Year. Ali scored 99 goals with 51 assists in high school before moving onto Rutgers University, where she scored 44 career goals, with 19 assists.
Ali played for the United States Under-19 Women's National Team while still at Rutgers. The 22nd pick of the NWSL Draft, Ali played three seasons with the San Diego Wave. She currently plays for Pitea of Sweden's top women's soccer division, after a year playing for Valencia in Spain.
A bright young star on the South Jersey scholastic soccer scene, Hanf has already made a mark on USA Soccer's Under-17 Women's National Team. In March, the USA U-17s qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup in Morocco in October.
Hanf scored 36 goals last fall as a Northern Burlington junior, leading the Greyhounds to a 16-5-2 record and the Central Jersey Group 3 title. IN all, Hanf scored 66 times and dished out 20 assists for NBC. Upon graduation next June, Hanf will continue her athletic and academic careers at the University of North Carolina.
The all-time leading scorer in Winslow soccer history, boys or girls, King led all of South Jersey with 51 goals as an Eagles' senior. King finished her scholastic career with 105 goals and 36 assists. In her off season's, she flashed her talents on the track, winning state championships indoors and outdoors in the 4-x400-meter relay.
King scored 48 goals and 19 assists at North Carolina State, starting all 88 games of her Wolfpack career. King was the eighth pick of the NWSL Draft by the Utah Royals. She played five seasons in the NWSL, the last four with the Seattle Reign.
The 2000 Courier-Post Player of the Year, Lloyd was not content to limit her talents to South Jersey. A born midfielder, Lloyd scored 26 goals as a senior, leading Delran to an 18-3 record and a state finals appearance. At Rutgers' University, Llloyd graduated as the all-time leader with 50 points and 114 points.
Lloyd played three seasons for the Chicago Red Stars of the former Women's Professional League. She played for the Western New York Flash, Houston Dash and Sky Blue FC in nine NWSL season, plus a season on loan to Manchester City.
Llloyd made her greatest impact with the United State Women's National Team, where she won World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019 and scored the winning goals in the Gold Medal Games of the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Lloyd finished her USWNT career. The 2015 and 2016 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, Lloyd finished second in career appearances (316), third in goals and fifth in assists for the USWNT.
An all-New Jersey goalkeeper during her scholastic days at Vineland, Loyden was the 2001 Daily Journal Girls Soccer Player of the Year and a three-time All-South Jersey selection. Upon graduation, Loyden moved on to Villanova where she earned Big East Goalkeeper of the Year awards three times.
Loyden played five seasons in the Women's Professional League and was an inaugural member of Sky Blue FC, playing three seasons in the NWSL. Loyden made 10 appearances for the Unites States National Team and was a part of the 2011 USWNT World Cup roster.
A versatile three-sport star at Eastern, McGroarty made her biggest mark on the soccer pitch. Her name dominates the program’s record board, including most career goals (108) and most career points (275) as well as the top two single-season scoring marks of 40 and 37. She scored the game-winning goal in Eastern’s state championship game in 2018 and was the Courier-Post Player of the Year. McGroarty went on to star at La Salle and Iowa and is currently playing professional soccer in Australia.
A four-year starter in goal at Cherokee, Schillig set the standard for goal keepers in South Jersey, earning three Courier-Post All-South Jersey honors. A three-sport athlete for the Chiefs, Schillig graduated as the leading scorer in Cherokee history with 1,053 points and played goal for the Chiefs lacrosse team.
Schillig is a member of Villanova University's Varsity Club Hal of Fame after a career where she compiled 530 career saves and rewrote the Wildcats soccer record book. Schillig was named the 1999 Big East Goalkeeper of the Year. After college, Schillig played two seasons with the Philadelphia Charge of the Women's Professional League.
A pure goal-scorer, the Delsea star still holds the South Jersey record with 163 career goals. Stephenson helped put Delsea girls soccer on the map, scoring the tying goal in the in a come-from-behind 1993 state championship game win over Ramsey.
Stephenson should be credited as a co-author of the Campbell University women's soccer record book. Stephenson holds Camels' records with the top three single-game goal totals, the top two in single-game points and shots and tied for second in single-game assists. She led the Camels goals and points in both 1994 and 1995. She remains the Campbell leader in goals (60) and points (143) three decades after her final collegiate game.
A two-sport star, her No. 13 jersey has been retired by both the soccer and softball programs at Eastern. Tiernan was a three-time All-South Jersey selection in soccer, posting 79 goals, 45 assists and 203 points in her career. In softball, she was a two-time All-South Jersey selection, racking up 141 hits, 110 runs and 120 over her four seasons. After a standout soccer career at Rutgers (25 goals in 88 games), Tiernan played four seasons in the National Women’s Soccer League working as a midfielder with the Sky Blue FC.
A four-time South Jersey Group 4 champion at Lenape, Wright built a deserved reputation as a strong, indomitable defender. As a two-time Indians' captain and two-time South Jersey Coaches' All-South Jersey player, Wright was a part of the 2011 Lenape state championship team.
Wright started 71 of her final 72 collegiate games and 76 of her 86 Scarlet Knights' games. She had 12 assists and a goal as a freshman against Minnesota and another against Monmouth as a junior. Wright played for three seasons with Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League, making five appearances. She is currently an assistant coach at Tempe University.
Who’s the greatest South Jersey women's soccer player of all time?
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Who's South Jersey's all-time best women's soccer player? VOTE now
Continue reading...
Let the debate begin.
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY Sports will celebrate the 250 greatest American sports figures of all time. Alongside that national recognition, the USA TODAY Network will spotlight the roots of the country’s sports culture: the high school athletes and sports figures who shaped communities and defined their states.
In July, we will showcase our list of the top 250 overall athletes in South Jersey history.
But first we are going to take a look at athletes in their individual sports.
This week, we turn out attention to women's soccer. Here are our selections for the women's soccer players who defined the South Jersey region. The 10 players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standout players at the high school level before moving on to even greater heights at the collegiate and international levels.
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Amirah Ali, Eastern
One of the most dynamic scorer's South Jersey has ever seen, Ali was a three-time All-American at Eastern Regional and the 2015 Courier-Post Player of the Year. Ali scored 99 goals with 51 assists in high school before moving onto Rutgers University, where she scored 44 career goals, with 19 assists.
Ali played for the United States Under-19 Women's National Team while still at Rutgers. The 22nd pick of the NWSL Draft, Ali played three seasons with the San Diego Wave. She currently plays for Pitea of Sweden's top women's soccer division, after a year playing for Valencia in Spain.
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Gianna Hanf, Northern Burlington
A bright young star on the South Jersey scholastic soccer scene, Hanf has already made a mark on USA Soccer's Under-17 Women's National Team. In March, the USA U-17s qualified for the FIFA Women's World Cup in Morocco in October.
Hanf scored 36 goals last fall as a Northern Burlington junior, leading the Greyhounds to a 16-5-2 record and the Central Jersey Group 3 title. IN all, Hanf scored 66 times and dished out 20 assists for NBC. Upon graduation next June, Hanf will continue her athletic and academic careers at the University of North Carolina.
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Tziarra King, Winslow
The all-time leading scorer in Winslow soccer history, boys or girls, King led all of South Jersey with 51 goals as an Eagles' senior. King finished her scholastic career with 105 goals and 36 assists. In her off season's, she flashed her talents on the track, winning state championships indoors and outdoors in the 4-x400-meter relay.
King scored 48 goals and 19 assists at North Carolina State, starting all 88 games of her Wolfpack career. King was the eighth pick of the NWSL Draft by the Utah Royals. She played five seasons in the NWSL, the last four with the Seattle Reign.
Carli Lloyd, Delran
The 2000 Courier-Post Player of the Year, Lloyd was not content to limit her talents to South Jersey. A born midfielder, Lloyd scored 26 goals as a senior, leading Delran to an 18-3 record and a state finals appearance. At Rutgers' University, Llloyd graduated as the all-time leader with 50 points and 114 points.
Lloyd played three seasons for the Chicago Red Stars of the former Women's Professional League. She played for the Western New York Flash, Houston Dash and Sky Blue FC in nine NWSL season, plus a season on loan to Manchester City.
Llloyd made her greatest impact with the United State Women's National Team, where she won World Cup titles in 2015 and 2019 and scored the winning goals in the Gold Medal Games of the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games. Lloyd finished her USWNT career. The 2015 and 2016 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year, Lloyd finished second in career appearances (316), third in goals and fifth in assists for the USWNT.
Jillian Loyden, Vineland
An all-New Jersey goalkeeper during her scholastic days at Vineland, Loyden was the 2001 Daily Journal Girls Soccer Player of the Year and a three-time All-South Jersey selection. Upon graduation, Loyden moved on to Villanova where she earned Big East Goalkeeper of the Year awards three times.
Loyden played five seasons in the Women's Professional League and was an inaugural member of Sky Blue FC, playing three seasons in the NWSL. Loyden made 10 appearances for the Unites States National Team and was a part of the 2011 USWNT World Cup roster.
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Kelli McGroarty, Eastern
A versatile three-sport star at Eastern, McGroarty made her biggest mark on the soccer pitch. Her name dominates the program’s record board, including most career goals (108) and most career points (275) as well as the top two single-season scoring marks of 40 and 37. She scored the game-winning goal in Eastern’s state championship game in 2018 and was the Courier-Post Player of the Year. McGroarty went on to star at La Salle and Iowa and is currently playing professional soccer in Australia.
Janel Schillig, Cherokee
A four-year starter in goal at Cherokee, Schillig set the standard for goal keepers in South Jersey, earning three Courier-Post All-South Jersey honors. A three-sport athlete for the Chiefs, Schillig graduated as the leading scorer in Cherokee history with 1,053 points and played goal for the Chiefs lacrosse team.
Schillig is a member of Villanova University's Varsity Club Hal of Fame after a career where she compiled 530 career saves and rewrote the Wildcats soccer record book. Schillig was named the 1999 Big East Goalkeeper of the Year. After college, Schillig played two seasons with the Philadelphia Charge of the Women's Professional League.
Jenn Stephenson, Delsea
A pure goal-scorer, the Delsea star still holds the South Jersey record with 163 career goals. Stephenson helped put Delsea girls soccer on the map, scoring the tying goal in the in a come-from-behind 1993 state championship game win over Ramsey.
Stephenson should be credited as a co-author of the Campbell University women's soccer record book. Stephenson holds Camels' records with the top three single-game goal totals, the top two in single-game points and shots and tied for second in single-game assists. She led the Camels goals and points in both 1994 and 1995. She remains the Campbell leader in goals (60) and points (143) three decades after her final collegiate game.
Madison Tiernan, Eastern
A two-sport star, her No. 13 jersey has been retired by both the soccer and softball programs at Eastern. Tiernan was a three-time All-South Jersey selection in soccer, posting 79 goals, 45 assists and 203 points in her career. In softball, she was a two-time All-South Jersey selection, racking up 141 hits, 110 runs and 120 over her four seasons. After a standout soccer career at Rutgers (25 goals in 88 games), Tiernan played four seasons in the National Women’s Soccer League working as a midfielder with the Sky Blue FC.
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Kenie Wright, Lenape
A four-time South Jersey Group 4 champion at Lenape, Wright built a deserved reputation as a strong, indomitable defender. As a two-time Indians' captain and two-time South Jersey Coaches' All-South Jersey player, Wright was a part of the 2011 Lenape state championship team.
Wright started 71 of her final 72 collegiate games and 76 of her 86 Scarlet Knights' games. She had 12 assists and a goal as a freshman against Minnesota and another against Monmouth as a junior. Wright played for three seasons with Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League, making five appearances. She is currently an assistant coach at Tempe University.
Who’s the greatest South Jersey women's soccer player of all time?
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Who's South Jersey's all-time best women's soccer player? VOTE now
Continue reading...
