EHT girls soccer players Brielle VonColln, right, and Jackie Brownlee.
Patrick Mulranen
EGG HARBOR TOWNSHIP -- Egg Harbor Township High School girls soccer coach Pete Lambert knew a major career milestone was possible Wednesday.
Lambert was one win shy of his 200th career victory at the school when his Eagles opened their season against Our Lady of Mercy Academy in a Cape-Atlantic League American Division game.
What Lambert did not know was that his players made banners and were prepared to celebrate his landmark win.
Six different players scored to lead EHT to a 6-0 victory over the Villagers. The game ended in the 60th minute due to the new mercy rule.
Lambert, who was EHT's boys coach for 16 seasons and guided the girls program for the last two, now has a career record of 200-112-18. He also was the junior varsity coach for three years.
"This is great, but it's not about me," Lambert said. "It's about the work they put in. It's about the work the boys have put in for so many years. They make our job easy. I am excited for the program.
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"To be able to coach that many years at one school and be successful is great. But we are really focused on the year ahead because we knew this team could be very special and we know we could make some noise."
When the game ended, Lambert's milestone was announced on the loud speaker, and the players rushed to the bleachers to get their hidden banners.
"It's a pleasant surprise to be recognized by the team and by the fans," said Lambert, who shouted out his wife, Michelle. "I cannot do this without her support year after year.
"I had no idea. My head is in the game, and I don't really think about that until the game is over. Now we will prepare ourselves for Vineland on the road (Friday). But this is a fun start. What a heck of a way to start the year."
The push they needed
Lambert guided the boys to Cape-Atlantic League titles in 2011, 2013 and 2021. He also won three division titles and brought the Eagles to the South Jersey Group IV final in 2019, the program's first title game since 1996. He went 182-106-18 with the boys.
He took over the girls program last season, guiding the team to the CAL Tournament final, a berth in the prestigious South Jersey Soccer coaches Association Cup and the South Jersey Group IV semifinals, losing 2-0 to eventual champion Eastern Regional.
"That could have been an exciting 200th win, but a new team, new attitude, new focus, so this is a fun way to kick off the year," Lambert said. "Like I told the girls, they are a big part of every win and I hope that number increases."
Brielle VonColln scored a goal and assisted on another. Siena Jaworski, Jackie Brownlee, Kylie Lambert, Eby Brown and Cori Bird also scored. Bird, who is a defender, scored off a corner kick in the 29th minute.
Daniela Ramirez added two assists, Ava Ferrara and Abby Mathis each had one. Arianna Nguyen made two saves in the win. Peyton Widecrantz made 24 for OLMA.
"He has pushed us so much and we are just so happy for him," said VonColln, a senior forward who was a first-team Press All-Star last season.
Celebrate
EHT held a team dinner Tuesday night and made each other bag tags as well as Lambert's poster, VonColln said.
"It was a team effort from all of us. We appreciate him so much and everything he has done for our program. It really all goes to him."
Brownlee is a standout sophomore for EHT. She led the Eagles in goals (28) and points (61) and was a first-team All-Star last season. Unlike VonColln, Brownlee has played her entire career so far with Lambert, and hopes to finish with him, as well.
Brownlee and VonColln said Lambert "has many more years to go even farther."
"I am really happy for him," Brownlee said. "This is a great accomplishment for him. It really just shows how encouraging he is and how he supports us throughout this whole process. I am just so happy we get to acknowledge him for once and not just us."
Phil Maturi, Lambert's longtime assistant, was with Lambert on the boys side for multiple years and the duo made the switch to the girls together last fall.
"For the most part, we were there the whole time," said Maturi, who also coaches golf at EHT. "I couldn't ask for a better guy to coach with. He knows the game. He's one of my best friends. He makes it easy to come to work every day and putting together a program with him."
Lambert was a standout midfielder at Ocean City and Stockton University. He led the Red Raiders to the S.J Group III title in 1995. At Stockton, Lambert helped the Ospreys win the NCAA Division III championship in 2001. Lambert was inducted in the South Jersey Soccer Hall of Fame in 2020.
"There's a reason he's in the South Jersey Hall of Fame," Maturi said. "We put in a lot of hours outside of the season and outside of games and matches and just training together. It's nice to see milestones like this happen.
"But we can't do it. The players do it. First the boys and now the girls. We always tell them that we can't play for them. We can train them the right ways and put them in the right situations to make them successful, but we can't play the game. It's all on them, and Pete will be the first one to tell you that. We are blessed to have the community, the players and parents to make this program what it is."
Starting strong
Lambert was pleased with the six goal scorers Wednesday, saying that it shows his players can spread the ball. He also said preserving a shutout to start the season showed solid defense.
The goal now is to keep playing hard and win the CAL, make another deep run in the playoffs and get another berth in the SJSCA Cup.
"One game at a time. They know that. We know that," Lambert said. "They are a great group to be around and make my job a lot easier.
EHT only lost a few players to graduation and returned so much talent, especially senior leaders, so the expectations are high.
"I am just excited because we have so much potential," VonColln said. "We can really take it far, and I am really excited to see where this team goes."
EHT also has a very strong group of younger players, like Brownlee and Brown.
"It's going to be a great season, we have a lot of returning players and we still have Coach Pete. Our great coach, so we are confident," Brownlee said.
OLMA Girls Soccer At Egg Harbor Township
Contact Patrick Mulranen: 609-272-7217
Twitter @ACPressMulranen
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