After beating Summit 3-1 on senior night, Hillsborough girls soccer started states out on the right foot, pulling off an impressive upset in Edison. The girls came into the tournament as the No. 9 seed in the tournament, and Edison the No. 8 seed. 

Hillsborough came out extremely hot, and were ripping shots on goal all throughout the  first half. Hillsborough’s offense was just too much for the Edison’s defense, as they created opportunity after opportunity. After shots off the crossbar and some that just missed to left or right, sophomore Sophia Iovino and junior Kara Magliaro were able to score to take the lead going into the second half. 

The girls team dismantled Edison even more in the second half. Senior Shelsea Rigby scored two goals, and Magliaro got her second. Junior Ava Curtis and senior Alexa Swetz each racked up two assists as well. 

The team is peaking at the right time of the year. Not only was the offense clicking together, but the defense was answering all the questions Edison dared to ask. Edison only had 8 shots and was barley generating any scoring opportunities, and when they did, saves by senior Jill Stanton and junior Megan Wilke were made to complete the shutout. 

“Our defense worked really well together,” Wilke said. “We focused on keeping the ball on their half of the field.”  

Edison would not back down all game, but Hillsborough clearly outmatched them. The Raiders came out the first round of states with a commanding victory. Hillsborough will now face No. 5 Hunterdon Central in the quarterfinal round on Thursday, Oct. 31. The girls opened up their season with a tough loss to Hunterdon Central 3-2, and will be looking for revenge. The team will be looking to show how much they have improved over the course of the season.