After a tough 3-10-3 season for the Hillsborough High School Girls Soccer team last year, the Raiders look to bounce back with a winning season in their 2019 campaign.  Led by senior captains Allison Watson, Olivia Rutigliano, and Erin Steiner, the team hopes to improve upon its record from last year. 

The team is taking a different approach this season and is trying to work on weaknesses. 

“We want to try and improve more on attacking the net and finishing our shots,” Steiner said. “We’ve been trying new formations in order to have more opportunities on the net. Also, we are always striving to be a close knit team.” 

The Raiders had a challenging start to the season, opening with Hunterdon Central.  Unfortunately, the scoring efforts from sophomore Sophia Iovino and senior Shelsea Rigby were not enough, as they fell to the undefeated Red Devils, taking their first loss of the season.  

The following game, the Raiders took on a competitive Ridge team at home.  The game was a defensive battle, as senior goalkeeper Jillian Stanton saved 7 of 8 shots on goal.  The only score was in the 2nd half, which gave Ridge the tight win over Hillsborough, in a heart crushing loss.

Despite the two early losses, the team kept a positive attitude. In their first road game of the year, they bounced back with a win versus Piscataway. Their winning efforts were led by Rigby’s goal and assist, with juniors Kara Magliaro, and Ava Curtis and senior Alexa Swetz also scoring, pushing them to a 4-3 win.  

“We have a lot of potential and talent as a whole, so as we grow together, hopefully we can go as far as states and counties and maybe pull out a win,” sophomore Mady McGowan said.  

With their confidence and teamwork, the Raiders are destined to make a run this season. The Raiders continue their road trip with Old Bridge on Thursday, Sept. 12.