When sports stories are written, the focus is usually on the offense and the headline trumpets the scoring. But when you are the goalie, the headlines are all about what didn’t get scored. And in Alison Sprong’s case this season, the total saves have been quite something.
Sprong is the goalie of the Verona High School girls soccer team and she is the Verona Sports Boosters Senior Athlete of the Week.
In a season that has taken the Verona team from the sidelines to the spotlight as champion of North Jersey, Section 1, Group 1 and into the state playoffs, Sprong’s name has pretty much been synonymous with shutouts. That started with the team’s 5-0 domination of Science Park in early September, and continued right through to three shutouts in the playoffs against Pompton Lakes, Cresskill and Midland Park. Sprong was a decisive factor even in the games that Verona lost, grabbing 16 saves apiece in games against West Orange and Nutley. She added four more saves in the state playoff against New Providence Tuesday night, bringing her saves for the season to a total of 125.
Sprong is also part of the Verona tradition of scholar-athletes. She was inducted into the National Honor Society this past May and has also been a participant in Heroes & Cool Kids, a program in which VHS students serve as mentors for those in the middle school.
During the 2011-2012 school year, the Verona Sports Boosters will be recognizing a different senior athlete at Verona High School every week. The Boosters support male and female athletes in all VHS sports through a variety of fundraisers and recognition events.
