Players to Watch: South Jersey Girls Sectional Finals

South Jersey will crown champions for girls on Thursday with finals in all four Groups and two Non-Public divisions. Fourth seed Haddon Township will take on sixth seed Palmyra in Group 1, fourth seed Sterling will play 2 seed Haddonfield in Group 2, top seed Shawnee will play third seed Ocean City in Group 3 and top seed Central Regional will play two seed Eastern in Group 4. Top seed Paul VI will play two seed Immaculata in Non-Public A and top seed Rutgers Prep plays third seed Holy Cross in Non-Public B.   Below is a look at some players to watch in Friday's sectional finals.    Draham has been the statistical leader offensively for Sterling this season but also contributes in plenty of areas that don't show up in the scoresheet. Her IQ, work rate and technical ability make her a threat all over the field. It was her corner kick that led to the lone goal in Sterling's upset of top seed West Deptford and she'll look to lead the Silver Knights to another upset on Thursday.     Sadusky has had another stellar season leader the undefeated Renegades but perhaps the best trait of Shawnee's team this year is how much talent she is surrounded by. She is the type of player that makes other players better and the attention she draws and her ability to find ways to beat double teams is part of what makes her special.     Olkowski has had a breakout sophomore season not unlike Sadusky had last year, contributing to the attack with three goals through the playoffs, including a brace in their semifinal win over Moorestown.     Martin has put up big numbers as a freshman and has four goals through the playoffs with a pair of braces. While seniors Emerson McDonald and Sammy Farnham get the bulk of the attention, Martin's addition to the squad this year has added another weapon to help strengthen this deep postseason.     While Haddonfield is the higher seed, Sterling's potent attack will test their defensive shape, particularly on counter attacks leaving Carthy with an important role in helping lead her team to a sectional title. Penalties as always would loom large in this one as well.     It's not just her name that makes Tuesday unique. Her craftiness on the ball, movement and vision creates a lot of bright attacking moments for her side, which has struggled at times this season to score, particularly against Sterling which they lost to 2-0 to start the season and also played to a scoreless draw.     DiCillo's double overtime winner led to a 2-1 win over a very strong Kingsway team and has Central Regional back looking to repeat as sectional champions. As she did with her golden goal winner, DiCillo can be clinical in front of goal and does a lot with and without the ball to set up chances in the final third.     Paul VI is known for having an incredible sophomore class but McCarthy as a junior has been one of the leaders of the attack and has stepped up especially in the postseason, recording a brace in Paul VI 2-1 overtime win over Red Bank Catholic in the Non-Public South A semifinal. They'll have a tough test against No. 2 Immaculata in the final and will need McCarthy to do some of the heavy lifting again.     Ocean City's attack is led by prolific forward Naomi Nnewihe but the sophomore Vince has stepped up as a vital weapon in their attack this season. Breaking down the talented and stingy Shawnee defense will be hard work so Ocean City is going to need players like Vince to be at their best, particularly in pressing without the ball and winning second balls.     DeFulvio has been terrorizing teams this season, nearly doubling her goal output. She had both goals in Holy Cross's 2-0 win over a talented Bishop Eustace but will no doubt draw plenty of attention from Rutgers Prep in the Non-Public B South Jersey final.     Goalkeepers are so often the X factor in tightly contested finals and O'Connell's experience - she was part of the 2022 team that won the sectional - will be key in helping lead Palmyra back to another South Jersey championship against a Haddon Township team with 16 goals in their three playoff games.     Eastern has bounced back nicely after their disappointing exit from the South Jersey Coaches Cup semifinals and their senior goalkeeper has been a leader in that charge to the playoffs. The Vikings have conceded just once in the postseason and will count on their defense to lead them to another South Jersey crown against Central.     While DiCillo had the winner to beat Kingsway, Christensen had the play of the game with a goal line clearance to deny what would've been a golden goal winner for Kingsway in the semifinal. Her play in the back line will be critical for Central Regional to repeat as South Jersey champions.     For a team that likes to defend and has had success keeping teams off the board in their playoff run, the Vikings will need to score and they're most likely path is through Roark, a senior with pace who can create havoc on counter attacks and can break down defenders on the dribble. She was involved in both goals in the semifinal win with a goal and an assist in the contest.

South Jersey will crown champions for girls on Thursday with finals in all four Groups and two Non-Public divisions. Fourth seed Haddon Township will take on sixth seed Palmyra in Group 1, fourth seed Sterling will play 2 seed Haddonfield in Group 2, top seed Shawnee will play third seed Ocean City in Group 3 and top seed Central Regional will play two seed Eastern in Group 4. Top seed Paul VI will play two seed Immaculata in Non-Public A and top seed Rutgers Prep plays third seed Holy Cross in Non-Public B.