When your team becomes the hunted, it pays to have a Hunter of your own.
After winning the Non-Public Group A state title last year, Paul VI had to know they would have to play every single game with a target firmly on their backs. Still, the Eagles have been impossible to slow down, much less catch.
Thursday evening, the Eagles ran this year’s unbeaten string to 23 games with a 3-0 win over 2-seed Trinity Hall. Paul VI flashed their typically dominant offense, led by a pair of goals from junior sharp-shooter, Hunter Kintzing.
“They’re relentless,” Eagles coach Karen Anderson said. “I’ve been saying since Day 1 in preseason that they’re gamers. They really, really are. They’ve adapted our motto. They hate losing more than they like winning.”
Paul VI wasted no time pressing the attack. Finally, six minutes in, Kintzing found the mark. The junior took a feed from Daniela Vogel five yards outside the post at the top of the box, settled the ball as her defender flew by and rifled a shot across the goal and into the far side panel for a 1-0 lead.
“Danny sent a great ball,” Kintzing said. “I just kind of cut it back and beat the defender. I saw that that side was a little open. I just ripped it and curled it back.”
The Eagles kept the pressure on but wouldn’t score again for nearly an hour of playing time. Once again, it came down to Kintzing. After back-to-back blistering saves, Paul VI was awarded a corner. Kintzing took it upon herself.
“I saw I had space,” Kintzing said. “I was just like, oh, just take one.”
The keeper barely got a hand on the corner kick before it scraped off the far post and rolled over the line.
Junior Lyla Quinones tapped home a third goal in the final moments and the Eagles earned a return trip, and a Sunday rematch with North champion Immaculate Heart.
“This team’s really great,” Kintzing said. “We’re undefeated, with a target on our back. We won states last year> We won the Coaches Cup this year. We are so back. We go into every game with a little chip on our shoulder knowing that everyone knows how good we are. We just have to show up and perform like everyone knows we can.”
Kintzing has been an offensive force of late, but that just means it has been her turn. The (not so) secret to the Eagles success is that seemingly everyone can take a turn leading the way.
“I think we’re just really unselfish,” Kintzing said. “We just play for each other. It doesn’t matter who gets the goal, doesn’t matter who gets the assist. Just work as a team and just win as a team.”
This is no surprise. Neither are Kintzing’s recent contributions.
“Hunter is a quiet competitor,” Kintzing said. “She has her mindset and the goals that she wants to accomplish. She will go out there make sure she accomplishes her goals. She is relentless, even in soccer-tennis, which we play in practice. She’s a gamer for sure.”
Paul VI has been the hunted all season. The Eagles’ Hunter says bring it on.
“We really are welcome for the challenge,” Kintzing said. “We’re not scared of any other team. We just come in. We know that if we play our game, if we play our best, and we’re going to come out on top.”
Tom Rimback grew up reading the Burlington County Times and Courier Post sports sections and began writing for the BCT in 1996. He has covered everything from Super Bowls and Final Fours to Tri-County Swimming but hes happiest on a sideline interviewing South Jersey scholastic athletes. Follow him on twitter @Rimbacksports. Email him with story ideas at tomrimback@gmail.com and, most importantly, support local journalism with a subscription to the Courier-Post.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Paul VI blanks Trinity Hall to earn return trip to state final