FC Monmouth Women's Weekend Recap
Written by Chris Dailey
FC Monmouth Women’s took center stage at Count Basie Park this past weekend, playing SJEB FC and Fever SC in their inaugural Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) home games. The Blue and Gold fell short to SJEB on Saturday night 3-0. They bounced back with a positive result on Sunday, earning a 1-0 win over Fever SC.
Saturday’s game drew great support from Monmouth County locals eager to witness history. Although FC Monmouth had a few chances, SJEB FC were able to find better clear-cut opportunities in front of the net. Goalkeepers Nelly Bianchi-Nagle and Saige Santa Cruz both made several big saves throughout the game. In addition to the stellar play of the goalkeepers, FC Monmouth’s chemistry in the midfield began to shine as they found success moving the ball.
After the game, head coach Lou Santa Cruz emphasized how the team needs to continue to gel. He was also blown away with the great support from the home crowd.
“It was awesome. It was nice to see a good crowd out here at the first home game. Super excited about the start of the season,” said Santa Cruz.
The next day proved to be more successful on the pitch for FC Monmouth. Carrying over seven starters from Saturday’s game – played less than 24 hours prior to Sunday’s match – some tired legs were visible. However, the Blue and Gold dug deep and caused chaos in the final third.
UConn’s Gabby Miller and Miami’s Allie Serlenga connected on various opportunities throughout the first half, and they finally broke through in the second half. Miller found Serelenga who fired the ball into the upper netting for the lone goal of the game.
“On the sidelines as coaches we talked about that the goal was coming,” said Santa Cruz. “Gabby and Allie combined on that goal specifically. Gabby set Allie up really nicely. We had seen that leading up to it there were two or three other instances where they were starting to combine and starting to get into a rhythm, so it was nice to see them finish on that play.”
The home fans erupted as the ball reached the back of the net. It was a well-deserved goal for FC Monmouth, who were visibly the more dangerous side in the attacking third.
A few minutes later, Fever SC’s Brooke Kane held Allie Serlenga on a breakaway. To the surprise of many, the referee issued a red card for the foul. Thereafter, the dynamics of the game were shifted, and FC Monmouth were able to cruise comfortably to victory.
The win marks FC Monmouth’s first-ever win in the Women’s Premier Soccer League – the largest women’s soccer league in the world and former home to USWNT superstars such as Rose Lavelle, Kristine Lilly, and Alex Morgan.
“It feels incredible. It feels nice to get the first one under our belt especially in front of a nice crowd. Super exciting to play in front of a nice crowd again for the second day in a row. Not easy when playing back to back games two days in a row, so it was good for the girls to see the game out and get the win,” said Santa Cruz following the win on Sunday night.
FC Monmouth will look to build upon their weekend successes as they gear up for the reverse fixtures against both opponents from the weekend. The Blue and Gold will play SJEB FC on Tuesday night at Camden Catholic High School. Kickoff is set for 7:00 PM. They’ll then travel to Bensalem, Pennsylvania on Friday for their match against Fever SC at 5:30 PM.
After the conclusion of the weekday matches, FC Monmouth will quickly turn their attention to its game against the Delaware Ospreys on Saturday at 7:30 PM. The match will be the second leg of FC Monmouth’s historic home double-header, as the men’s team will play Kensington SC at 4:30 PM.
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