Madison versus Chatham– a historic rivalry that has spanned decades, continues to intensify the competition between the two towns today. Wednesday, October 15th, Madison and Chatham will square off to play in the Morris County Girls Soccer Quarter final.
The pair of boroughs are adjacent, however their close proximity does not mean they are bonded. Although they share a border, their division is clearly seen through countless intense and emotion-evoking sports games.
Last year, in the Morris County Highschool Girls Soccer Tournament, Chatham and Madison came face to face. Just like that, an already crucial, season-making game, escalated. Madison and Chatham did not play in the regular season, so even more suspense and excitement was built on to the upcoming match. Given that both teams were highly skilled, this was a must watch game.
Both teams performed well, but Chatham secured their spot as Morris County Champions with a 5-0 victory. Both teams came out strong in the first half, but once Chatham scored their first few goals it looked as though Madison lost steam. In the second half Chatham outplayed them and was able to get advantage by transitioning quickly and beating Madison’s defense. Madison fought hard but their defense was ultimately broken down by Chatham’s highly technical and skilled set of offensive players. It was hard for any team last year to crack down on Chatham’s multiple division 1 commits.
This season, Madison looks to make their comeback ranked #4 in the county seedings, while Chatham is ranked #5. Madison is given the chance to redeem themselves in the upcoming Morris County Quarterfinals on Wednesday. They will play Chatham at Madison’s home field. According to Madison senior captain, Anna Gominiak, their loss last year is only fueling them to go out and get the win this year. Senior captain, Kate Reigle, also conveys her faith in the team by acknowledging their bad loss last year but assuring that they “will make sure they end up on top this time.”
To prepare for the impending game, Anna Gominiak shares that in practice they will be working on cross and finishing, and take time to stretch well. Not only are they physically preparing, they are mentally getting ready as well. Kate Reigle explains how it’s important that they go into the game with a positive and determined mindset, and not let last year’s game keep them down.
The two teams will kickoff at 4:00 pm at Madison’s Ted Monica Stadium. Come out to watch two rivals compete for the chance to advance to the next round of the Morris County Tournament.