(Photo by Tim Pitts) caption: GETTING THE BOOT: Hun School senior defender Gina Fiori boots the ball up the field last Sunday in Hun’s 4-0 loss to Pennington last Sunday in the state Prep A title game. Fiori’s tough and skilled play along the back line helped Hun go 10-4-1 as it won the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) title.

Hun Girls’ Soccer Falls in Prep A Title Game but Senior Star Fiori Displays Fire to the End

Bill Alden

There were just a few minutes left in the state Prep A Championship game last Sunday and the Hun School girls’ soccer team found itself trailing perennial power Pennington by 3-0.

But that deficit didn’t keep Hun senior defender Gina Fiori from giving her all.

The scrappy and skilled Fiori was all over the turf field at Pennington, starting a run up the field one minute, making a clearance minutes later and then lobbing a free kick towards the Pennington goal.

Fiori’s last-ditch efforts were ultimately in vain as nationally-ranked Pennington pulled away to a 4-0 win and its seventh straight Prep A crown.

After a tearful post-game team huddle, a red-eyed Fiori acknowledged the uphill battle Hun had faced in trying to dethrone Pennington.

“They are just a great team; they play the right way and I think we gave it all we could,” said Fiori. “We came out here and worked so hard. A lot of their goals were scrappy; it was just a few breakdowns. I don’t think that the score reflects how hard we worked.”

The Raiders put in some great work over the fall as they went 10-4-1 and won the Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) title.

“We had a great season; it has been amazing,” asserted Fiori. “The MAPL was the first one we have ever won in program history so we made history. It is amazing to be part of something that is so much bigger than yourself. We had a great group of girls this season; we worked so well together.”

There have been plenty of highlights along the way for Fiori and her teammates.

“We beat Lawrenceville for the first time in six years and we beat Peddie for the first time in 19 years,” said Fiori. “Just being with this group of girls, we have had so many great memories. It’s been fun the whole time.”

While Hun head coach Ken Stevenson didn’t have fun watching Pennington dash his team’s championship dreams, he was proud of how his players hung in there.

“The fact that it was 1-0 at half, I thought was very indicative of the competitiveness,” maintained Stevenson.

“Even when they were up 3-0 with three minutes left, we were still fighting, still pushing forward and creating opportunities. They wear you down, they are so good and everyone is extremely strong so that it is really difficult to get it out of your own end. When they possess for that long, it’s tough.”

It will be tough for Stevenson to say goodbye to his core of seniors which includes Julia Anthony, Blake Stockton, Danielle Dileo, and Lauren Shockley in addition to Fiori.

“This is my fourth year; these seniors and I really re-started the program together,” said Stevenson.

“Even though it hurts right now, to be thinking about where we were four years ago and where we are now is exciting. The difference is the leadership of the seniors. From the first day of preseason, they came to work and started to believe that the system and the expectations were going to lead them to success. They have set the bar real high for those who are behind them.”

In Stevenson’s view, Fiori exemplifies the competitive spirit of his group of seniors.

“Gina takes all of our corner kicks; she takes our penalty kicks,” said Stevenson.

“She converted a penalty kick against Hill which was a 1-0 game and that clinched the MAPL for us. When it was clear that the girl went down, it was Gina taking it because that’s how much we rely on her. Her work ethic is ridiculous.”

Hun has relied on a special team chemistry to help produce its superb fall. “When they set goals at the beginning of the year, they said ‘we want no drama, we want to play as a team,’” said Stevenson.

“I think now that they have experienced that, it is so appealing. It makes you look forward to practice. That’s one of things that has been really nice. While the quality of our play has increased, the fact that we are having fun is a huge part of it.”

Fiori, for her part, will always remember the fun she had this fall.

“I feel a problem with some girls teams is cliques; our seniors did a big job of breaking that down,” said Fiori.

“We had no cliques; we got everyone involved in everything we do. We are all friends on and off the field. They are my best friends and I am confident we will stay friends in college and always support each other no matter what.”

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