Thornton sparks No. 8 Chatham girls soccer past No. 9 Morris Knolls in Group 3 semis
A season of persistence paid off for Chatham as Amanda Thornton returned from an ankle setback to power the Cougars to a 3-1 victory over Morris Knolls in the NJSIAA Group 3 semifinal round.
Thornton opened the scoring late in the first half, drilling a shot to put Chatham on the board with 34:46 remaining before the break. Her early impact didn’t stop there: the freshman Junna Sho finished off a Thornton setup to push the lead to 2-0 with 27:36 left in the first half, and Thornton wrapped up the scoring with another strike, just 6:31 remaining, sealing a 3-0 margin.
This matchup marked the fourth meeting of the season between the programs, with Morris Knolls holding a 2-1 edge entering the semifinal. Chatham seized the opportunity to flip the script and advance deeper into the postseason, following up a strong run with a win that reinforced their title ambitions.
Chatham continued its dominant run in the sectionals, capturing a fourth straight sectional crown by defeating Cranford in a penalty-kick shootout, 2-1. The win underscored the Cougars’ resilience and depth as they push toward the state final rounds.
Morris Knolls, meanwhile, had just secured its first sectional title since 2017 after pulling off upsets against Randolph and Ramapo in the earlier rounds. Their playoff run took a tough turn in the semifinals, though, as they faced a Chatham squad energized by Thornton’s return.
A key moment in Morris Knolls’ postseason came earlier when star forward Maria Tzuomas suffered a fractured ankle in the sectional semifinals, ending her postseason run. The injury altered the look of the Eagles’ attack for the remainder of the tournament.
In the goalkeeping department, both sides locked down spots through the game. Chatham’s Charlotte Nelson stopped five shots, while Morris Knolls’ Sanford Tariyana matched that total with five saves of her own, helping to keep the contest competitive after the opening goal flurries.
Scoring summary:
– Chatham: Amanda Thornton (2), Junna Sho
– Morris Knolls: Margareta Krasnomowitz
The result sends Chatham further into the state tournament, with Thornton’s multi-goal performance emblematic of the team’s depth and tenacity as they pursue the title.
