Cumberland County Forward Sophia Martinez scored all three goals as the Lady Jets defeated Livingston Academy 3-2, handing the Lady Wildcats their first district loss since 2019.
Martinez said the hat trick came with encouragement from the people around her, something she credited with changing the way she approaches scoring opportunities.
“I found my confidence by my teammates and my coaches’ support,” Martinez said. “The support gives me so much confidence and a boost to better myself and just find the back of the net.”
Martinez said that belief was already present when Cumberland County took the field against Livingston Academy.
“It’s the team, the environment that I’m in right now with my team and so much support from each and every one of them, it’s amazing,” Martinez said. “I knew as soon as I stepped on that field from the confidence from the parents and our team, I just knew I could make an impact.”
Martinez did not become more cautious after scoring her first goal.
“As soon as I scored that goal, I knew that I needed to keep shooting and trying again,” Martinez said. “I knew I had to stay composed and still play my heart out. I knew whatever opportunity came towards me, I knew that I had to take it.”
Martinez said mistakes can still affect her during a game, but her teammates help keep her focused on what comes next.
“They helped me by telling me to keep shooting and to keep my head up,” Martinez said. “If I make a little mistake, it gets in my head and I kind of lose a little bit of confidence, but my teammates in that game and in every game that we’ve been playing, they have just given me a boost of confidence and telling me to keep shooting, keep trying and just positive words.”
The victory ended a district run by Livingston Academy that dated back to 2019. Martinez said the significance of the result extended beyond her three goals.
“I think because of the way that my attitude was,” Martinez said. “It’ll stand out because we haven’t beat Livingston since 2019, and it’ll stand out because of the impact that I’ve made and definitely just the team effort.”
Cumberland County will face Livingston Academy again, with Martinez looking to carry the same approach into the rematch.