On Saturday, September 30th, Cherry Hill East took home three wins, one tie, and two losses against Cherry Hill West in their annual game against their crosstown rivalry.
The turf fields at Decou Soccer Complex were overflowing with students and parents as they came out to support their school’s varsity soccer teams in one of the most anticipated games of the season. “The crowd was filled with thousands of people and we had the opportunity to meet up with kids from the opposite side of town in a friendly competition,” said Ellie Harris (‘27).
In the early afternoon, the Cherry Hill East Girls Freshman team battled for their win against Cherry Hill West on East’s Richterman Soccer Complex field. After Amber Lanci (‘27) fought hard, crossing the ball into the box, Laavanya Viswanathan (‘26) got the final touch on the ball, putting it into the back of the net. The East freshman girls took the victory over the Cherry Hill West Freshman team, with a final score of 1-0.
“The best moment of the game was when the game ended and [everyone was] so pumped that we won because…we set the tone for the rest of the day,” said Alyssa Plevinsky (‘27). The fields were packed with excited kids and parents screaming and cheering so loud they could be heard around the complex.
While the freshman girls were fighting to win their close game, so were the freshman boys. The Boys’ Cherry Hill East Freshman team finished the game off with a 2-0 win. Jacob Tenas (‘27) had an assist to Felipe Kanacri (‘27) and Tenas also had a goal assisted by Kanacri. The team continuously worked very hard, even when they were up by two goals. “We got a big round of applause, and even Coach Mel was clapping, which was a big statement,” said Mason Petkov (‘27), recalling the proudest moment of the game.
On this soccer-filled Saturday, Richterman was full of action as the Cherry Hill East Girls Junior Varsity soccer team secured the 3rd win of the day resulting in a 2-0 win over West. Maddy Leshinski (‘25) scored the first goal from outside of the 18-yard line, and Ryan Daddis (‘25) scored the second goal off of a penalty kick.
“The best moment of the game was when…both teams were playing their hardest and the [East] defense was doing so well holding it down in the back,” said Daddis. “It was definitely the best game our team played together this season.”
Similarly, the East Boys Junior Varsity team pushed through towards the end of the game, making the final score against West 1-1, despite ending the first half with a score of 1-0, West. With only a couple of minutes left in the second half, David Petroiu (‘25) scored the goal to tie up the game. The East boys JV team put up a good fight, not giving up to get back what they lost in the first half.
As the clock hit 5:30 pm, the atmosphere was electric as the music blasted and the kids pushed their way to the front of the crowd as the Cherry Hill East Girls Soccer Varsity team faced off against Cherry Hill West. The final result was not what the fans had hoped for as East lost to a relentless West team. In the end, the final score of the game was 4-1, with a win for West. East’s lone goal was based on a penalty kick earned when Kira Fowler (‘26) got fouled in the box. Immediately, the coach called out to Julia Maher (‘26) to take the kick and the fans cheered wildly when it landed in the net. “I was very scared and nervous, not knowing if I was going to make it, but was relieved when the stressful moment was over,” said Maher.
As the night approached, the lights shone brightly at Decou for the East vs. West Varsity Boys soccer game. The boys tallied the second loss of the night as they fell 1-0 because of an own goal. Cherry Hill West had more possession throughout the game, connecting many passes consecutively. “The closest chance they had to tying the score was on a free kick, which unfortunately just missed,” said Kevin Tishey (‘24).
“The whole day was entertaining. It was fun, and the supporters made the atmosphere energetic and exciting,” said Kanacri, explaining the big win for not just East or West, but for the community.
One of the most special moments of the day was at halftime when the Cherry Hill FC and Cherry Hill SC’s youth-age soccer teams came together and scrimmaged. “This was the cutest thing ever because it was like an East-West matchup for little kids,” said Gaby Cyganik (‘25). Right before the National Anthem, each varsity player for Cherry Hill East picked a player on the Cherry Hill FC team to go on the field with them, and Cherry Hill West did the same with Cherry Hill SC soccer youth players.
The feeling of community was strong on this particular Saturday in September as the current and future soccer players of Cherry Hill competed in their annual town rivalry known as East/West Soccer Day.