Six years, 123 games later,
Diamonds still going strong
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DENVILLE - Six years ago, five young soccer players from Denville became teammates on a Denville HUB travel soccer U9 girls team called the Diamonds.
Maeve Krueger, Alexandra Rankin, Tess Feury, Ally Black and Giulia Vitolo are still teammates today and they are still playing for the Diamonds, having just completed the spring season with the Diamonds U14 girls team. Shannon Gleeson, also a Denville resident, joined the Diamonds in 2006 and has been with the team the last five years.
They have had quite a ride, indeed.
The 2010 version of the Diamonds finished with two wins, one loss and three ties for third place, one-half game behind league champs Battle of Monmouth in very competitive seven-team Premier Division of the Jersey Area Girls Soccer League (JAGS).
The Diamonds participated in three tournaments this past spring and won one championship, reached the championship finale in another tourney, and reached the semifinals in the third while compiling a 10-4 tournament record.
During the course of their 20-game 12-5-3 season, the Diamonds outscored their oppostion, 41-23.
Dina Sheira was the team's leading goal scorer with 18 goals and was followed by Krueger, who scored seven goals; Jamie Delaney, who scored five goals; Elena Figueroa, with three goals; Marissa Raia, Sarah Shirkey and Rankin, each with two goals; and Isabelle Katz and Gleeson, who finished with one goal each.
Krueger led the team in assists with 14 followed by Rankin (5), Figueroa (4), Sheira (3), Delaney and Shirkey (each with 2), and Katz, Gleeson, Marissa Raia and Katie Weber, each with one goal.
The goalie who had the most minutes in the nets for the Diamonds was Danielle Beniullis with Figueroa serving as the backup keeper.
In the past six years, the Diamonds have won seven of possible 12 flight titles, six in the Morris County Youth Soccer Association (MCYSA) and one in the JAGS league. In the MCYSA, the Diamonds U9 team won the Flight 3 spring title; the U10 team won the Flight 2 spring title; the U12 team won Flight 1 spring and fall titles; and the U13 and the U14 teams won Flight 1 spring titles. The U14 team won the JAGS Flight Blue title last fall.
In the same time span, the Diamonds captured seven tournament championships - the HUB Soccer Fall Classic in 2005 and 2006; the Roxbury Kickoff Classic in 2008; the March Into Cups Tournament in 2009 and 2010; the Parsippany Pride Tournament in 2009; and the Randolph Memorial Day Tournament in 2009.
The Diamonds also reached the quarterfinals of the State Cup Tournament in 2008 and 2009.
The regular-season record for this period of time was 84 wins, 20 losses, and 19 ties - a winning percentage of 76%.
Yes, it has been quite the ride for these Diamonds.
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Krueger-to-Shiera goal gives Diamonds 1-0 win
DENVILLE - The Denville HUB Diamonds 14U girls travel soccer team concluded play in the Jersey Area Soccer (JAGS) League with a 1-0 victory over the Randolph Lightning in a game played at Heistein's Park in Randolph Township on Monday (June 7) evening.
Dina Shiera headed in a Maeve Krueger corner kick in the first half for the game's only goal.
Diamond goalie Danielle Beniullis saved every shot she saw to earn the shutout and got plenty of help from a defense that was sparked by the play of Shannon Gleeson, who played and played well in spite of a broken finger.
The Diamonds finished their JAGS season with two wins, three ties, and a loss to finish in third place in the Premier Divison of the league.
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Beniullis, Shiera, Krueer lead Diamonds to title
DENVILLE - Danielle Beniullis allowed but one goal, Dina Sheira scored three times and Maeve Krueger added two goals when the Denville HUB Diamonds U14 girls travel team swept its three-game schedule to win the championship of the March into Cups Soccer Tournament held at Kintersville, Pa., on Sunday, June 6.
The Diamonds faced three Pennsylvania Top-30 teams from to win the title and finished the tournament with an 8-1 edge in goals for their three games.
Sheira and Marissa Raia scored the goals in the Diamonds' 2-1 championship-game victory over the Buckingham United Strykers. Sheira beat the Stryker keeper after taking a nice pass from Elane Figueroa and Raia got what proved to be the winning goal when she scored on a lefty volley after getting a cross from Dominique Fortes.
In the semifinal round, Krueger, Isabel Katz and Sarah Shirkey scored goals in a 3-0 victory over the York FC Elite. Krueger put back a deflection off a Shirkey shot; Katz scored unassisted on a breakaway; and Shirkey scored her goal off a Krueger direct kick that was deflected by the York keeper.
In the tournament opener, Sheira had two goals and Krueger one in a 3-0 victory over the Lehigh Valley Magic.
Sheira's unassisted goal gave the Diamonds a 1-0 lead and Krueger made it 2-0 when she captured a Magic clear and scored from long distance. Sheira and Krueger combined on the final goal when Sheira gathered in a rebound off a Krueger direct kick and sent it back past the Magic keeper and into the back of the net.
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Diamonds reach title game in Memorial Day tourney
DENVILLE - The girls on the Denville HUB Soccer U14 girls travel team got their fill of their favorite game this past weekend when they played five games in the Mid-Atlantic Sectional Soccer League Explosion Memorial Day Tournament at Fort Dix.
Tied at 1-1 at the end of regulation in the tournament's championship game against the East Windsor PAL Vision on Sunday, May 30, the game went into the five-shots-a team penalty-kick shootout phase and, when the tie still was not broken, it went into a one-shot-a-team penalty kick phase.
Each team missed on it's first try and each team connected on its next try. On the third try, East Windsor connected on its penalty kick and Denville was stopped on its penalty kick try and East Windsor won the tourney title.
East Windsor's winning kick ended a game that Diamonds' team manager Bob Krueger described as "... an epic struggle between two very evenly matched teams ... a very hard-fought and emotional battle."
The Diamonds struck first when Maeve Krueger drove a direct kick 60 yards upfield where it was headed by Elena Figueroa right to the feet of Jamie Delaney. Delaney quickly crossed to Dina Sheira in front of the goal and Sheira drove the ball into the back of the net for the only goal of the first half.
The Vision tied the game at 1-1 in the second half and the score remained tied through regulation.
Krueger, Alexandra Rankin and Shannon Gleeson scored in the first phase of the shootout and Sheira scored on the sixth round before West Windsor won the game on the eighth round.
Danielle Beniullis, who had two shutouts and gave up but two goals in regulation in the four games she was in goal, played the entire game in the nets for the Diamonds.
The Diamonds opened tourney play with a 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Soccer Academy Strikers on Saturday, May 29.
Sheira converted a Krueger corner kick for Denville's first goal; Sarah Shirkey scored the Diamond's second goal with an assist from Sheira; and Sheira scored again when she converted a through ball from Krueger.
Beniullis was in the nets for the Diamonds and "... did a fine job in holding the Strikers to just one goal," according to the elder Krueger.
Game 2 was a 2-0 victory over the Cortland (N.Y.) Venom, with Sheira and Delaney scoring the goals and Beniullis getting her first shutout.
Sheira scored the Diamonds' first goal when Krueger launched a long ball over the Venom defense that found Sheira on the run and Sheira took it the rest of the way and beat the Venom goalie for a 1-0 lead. Delaney made it 2-0 on a pass from Rankin.
The Diamonds assured themselves of a spot in the tourney's championship game when they beat the Seneca United Scorpions from Cape May, 4-0, in Game 3 on Sunday, May 30, as Figueroa, Delaney, Krueger and Rankin scored the goals.
Rankin, Figueroa and Isabelle Katz had assists in the game and Rankin's goal was a penalty kick awarded the Diamonds when Krueger was taken down in the penalty area.
Beniullis was in goal for the Diamonds and got her second shutout.
With a spot in the final game locked up, Diamonds head coach Paul Rankin juggled his lineup for Game 4, giving a lot of his regulars a rest to save their legs for the championship game that would follow.
Although the Diamonds lost a 2-0 decision to the Tigers from Newfield, N.Y., the strategy paid off as the Diamonds needed every ounce of energy they could find in their title game effort against the Vision.
Notes: The Diamonds outscored their opposition, 10-4, in regulation for their five games ... Sheira led the team in scoring with four goals and two assists ... Krueger had four points on a goal and three assists ... Figueroa and Rankin each had a goal and two assists ... Delaney scored two goals ... Shirkey finished with a goal ... and Katz had one assist to complete the Diamonds' scoring in regulation for the tournament ... the Diamonds take to the tournament trail again on Sunday, June 6, when they will participate in a one-day tournament at Kintersville, Pa. ...
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Sheira, Delanyey, Krueger score in 3-3 tie with Rangers
DENVILLE - Dina Shiera scored twice; Jamie Delaney had one goal; and Maeve Krueger assisted on all three goals as the Denville HUB Diamonds U14 girls travel soccer team rallied to tie the N.J. Rangers, 3-3, in a Jersey Area Girls Soccer (JAGS) game played at Knuth Fields here on Sunday, Mary 23.
The Diamonds took a 1-0 lead when Shiera headed in a Krueger corner kick.
The Rangers scored the next two goals before the Diamonds tied the score at 2-2 when Sheira took a pass from Krueger and was able to beat the defense downfield and score on a breakaway.
Once again, the Rangers took a one-goal lead and once again, the Diamonds came back to tie the game, this time at 3-3, when Delaney drove one home after taking a nice pass from Krueger.
Danielle Beniulis was in goal for the Diamonds the entire game.
The tie was the third in five games for the Diamonds who have also won once and lost once this spring. Denville is in the middle of the pack in the JAGS Premier Division standings and has one division game left to play, a game that has not yet been scheduled.
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Diamonds rally for 2-2 tie on goals by Sheira, Figueroa
DENVILLE - Dina Sheira and Elena Figueroa scored second-half goals when the Denville HUB Soccer Diamonds U14 girls travel team came back from a 2-0 deficit to tie the Rancocas Valley Blue Devils, 2-2, in a Jesey Area Girls Soccer (JAGS) game played at Mount Holly on Sunday, May 16.
The fast-breaking Blue Devils scored twice and held the Diamonds scoreless in the first half to take their 2-0 lead.
In the second half, Sheira cut the margin in half with an assist from Sarah Shirky and then Figueroa scored the final goal of the game on an asisst from Sheira.
Diamond goalie Danielle Beniulis was in goal the entire game and shut down the agressive Blue Devils offense in the second half.
The Diamonds are now 1-1-2 after playing four JAGS games.
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Diamons split four games in Pennsylvania tourney
DENVILLE - Playing four one-goal games over Mother's Day weekend, the Denville HUB Soccer Diamonds U14 girls travel team won twice and lost a pair of 1-0 games in reaching the semifinals of the Eastern Pennsylvania Invitational Classic sponsored by the Yardley Makefield Soccer Club at Yardley, Pa., on Saturday and Sunday, May 8-9.
The Diamonds opened tourney play Saturday with a 2-1 victory over the Western United Extreme Force of Connecticut, winning the game when Maeve Krueger's hard shot found the corner of the Force net from 35 yards out with 15 seconds left to play in the game.
The Diamonds had taken a 1-0 lead when Marissa Raia crossed to Krueger who fired a shot into the right corner for her first goal of the game. The Force made it 1-1 with a second-half goal to set up Krueger's winning shot with time running out.
In the second game Saturday, the Diamonds lost a 1-0 decision to Hulmeville SC Extreme.
On Sunday, the Diamonds opened play as the second-seed in their group based on Saturday's play and found themselves up against the Freehold Galaxy, a premier Jersey Girls Area Select (JAGS) team. The Diamonds won the game, 1-0, to reach the semifinal round. New Diamond Jamie Delaney scored the only goal of the game in the second half after taking a through ball from Katie Weber.
The Diamonds met the Somerset Hills Wildcats in their second game on Sunday and lost a 1-0 decision when Somerset scored on a breakaway late in the game.
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Diamonds lose first JAGS game to Hamilton rally, 3-2
DENVILLE - The Denville HUB Diamonds U14 girls travel team lost its first Jersey Area Girls Select (JAGS) Soccer League game when AC Hamilton Premier, came back from a 2-0 deficit to edge the Diamonds, 3-2, in a game played in 90-degree heat on Sunday, May 2.
The Diamonds took an early 2-0 lead on a pair of goals by Dina Sheira.
Sheira converted a pass from Alexandra Rankin for her first goal and scored her second goal when she headed in a corner kick from Maeve Krueger.
The Diamonds were unable to hold the advantage long, however, as the quickness of AC Hamilton began to wear down the Diamonds and Hamilton was able to score twice before the end of the first half to send the game into the break tied at 2-2.
AC Hamilton kept up the tempo in the second half and scored what proved to be the winning goal on a breakaway with 10 minutes left to play in the game.
The Diamonds tried to pick up the pace in an effort to score their third goal, but the AC Hamilton appeared tireless on both sides of the ball and kept the Diamonds off the scoreboard the rest of the game.
The Diamonds' coaching staff had praise for goalie Danielle Benellius, saying "... she did well to keep it a one-goal game."
The Diamonds travel to Yardley, Pa., to participate in the Yardley-Makefield Epic Soccer Tournament this coming weekend.
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Long weekend ends with a win and a tie
DENVILLE - Things were not on the bright side as the Denville HUB Soccer Diamonds U14 girls travel team opened its season in the elite Premier Division of the Jersey Area Girls Select (JAGS) League on the road the weekend of Saturday and Sunday, April 24-25.
The team faced a two-day, two-state, 170-mile weekend for starters and injuries had left the Diamonds with only 11 available players, which meant both games had to be played without any substitutes.
To top it off, their first opponent was a quick and physical team - not the type of team you want to play where your starters had to play every minute.
At the conclusion of the two-day, two-state, weekend-long season opener, however, the Diamonds stood tall but tired with a 1-1 draw and a 1-0 victory.
Dina Sheira scored both goals but the entire Diamond team stepped up in both games.
The tie game came against the Battle of Monmouth Mission on Saturday, April 24, and Diamond keeper Elena Figueroa took a lot of winds out of the sails of the speedy Monmouth girls by stopping 12 of 13 shots. Four of her saves were on breakaways where and she stopped all four one-on-ones she faced.
After a scoreless first half, the Diamonds struck first when Sheira pounded in a cross from Tess Feury after Maeve Krueger had found Feury on the flank to start the scoring play.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Monmouth came right back to make it 1-1, where the score stayed for the rest of the game.
On Sunday, April 25, the Diamonds traveled to Pennsylvania where they squared off against the Council Rock United Soccer Association (CRUSA) Elite and, once again playing with 11 players, came back with a 1-0 victory.
The Sunday game started out at a slower pace and the Diamonds had the better of it as far as possession went and also had some solid scoring attempts that were stopped, leaving the first half scoreless once again.
Council Rock picked up the pace in the second half and started to get the better of the offensive play, creating one scoring opportunity after another.
The Diamonds got the only goal of the game late in the second half when Isabel Katz got the ball and took off with it upfield toward the Council Rock net. Her shot was cleared by a defender in front of the goal but the clear hit a charging Sheira in the chest and Sheira chased the ball into the net for the game-winner.
The Diamonds, on the brink of exhaustion, went on the defensive for the final 15 minutes of the game in an effort to protect their 1-0 lead.
Denville goalkeeper Danielle Beniulis got credit for the shutout, making several spectacular saves in as the game wore down and Council Rock stepped up the attack trying to tie the game.
The Diamonds have one game this coming weekend, a Sunday, May 2, contest against the Hamilton FC Premier team at Denville's Knuth Farm Fields at 2:30 p.m.
