Record-setting Webb saved West Morris girls soccer

It all started when Ilissa Webb was a junior.

The West Morris goalkeeper approached head coach Ken Rossi with an idea to consider.

“She was dying to take a penalty kick,” Rossi said. “She practiced them repeatedly and we almost came close in a couple of shootouts to putting her in the lineup.”

Added Webb, “I wanted to not only stop the balls from going into our net, but I wanted to convert a kick in order to help our team.”

However, Rossi never granted Webb her wish.

“I strictly wanted her to focus on stopping the other team’s shots,” he said.

Webb, the 2015 All Daily Record Girls Soccer Player of the Year, was the best goalkeeper on the best team in Morris County.

West Morris’ senior captain allowed only seven goals in 23 games, none of which came off a corner kick. Webb recorded a school-record 17 shutouts, and led the Wolfpack to a 21-2 record, which tied the school record for wins in a season. Of the 144 shots on goal, she made 137 saves — a 95 percent save rate — by far the best of her four-year career.

“It’s incredible to be named Player of the Year,” Webb said. “You have players from every single school that were deserving of this award, so it’s definitely an honor to get it over so many good players.”

The Wolfpack’s back four — seniors Emily Driscoll and Julia Trachtenberg, junior Alison Cunniffe, and freshman Leanne Engemann — all played a huge role in Webb’s dominance.

“The incredible thing about our team is every single person is a defender,” Webb said. “Without every single player on that field, and without every single person on that bench, we wouldn’t have been able to get the job done.”

Webb surrendered only three goals as West Morris opened the season with 16 straight wins. Its first loss of the season came in the MCT final, a 1-0 to Roxbury.

“One of our sayings this year was, ‘Get up and dust yourself off if you get knocked down,’” Rossi said. “And it came straight from our captains after the Roxbury game. We needed to get focused for our sectional run.”

In the NJSIAA North 2 Group III tournament, Webb led West Morris over Ferris, Summit, and Cranford. The Wolfpack scored 17 goals in the three-game span and only two entered Webb’s net. Both goals came against Cranford, the only time Webb allowed two goals in one game this fall.

Webb made 12 saves to earn the single-season school record for shutouts as the Wolfpack defeated Somerville, 1-0, in the sectional final.

The Wolfpack lost to Northern Highlands in a shootout in the Group III semifinal, following 100 minutes of scoreless soccer.

“She was upset the night of the game,” Rossi said. “But at our banquet she spoke really well on how important soccer was to her and her teammates. Even in defeat, we need to be proud of what we did as a team.”

Staff Writer Dan Canova: (862) 240-2878;dcanova@gannettnj.com