From NJ.com: Moorestown Friends Girls Soccer ‘Wins Lottery’ with D1 Goalkeeper

Two of those stops came on one play.

The first save would best be described as a block; a last resort in a one-one-one showdown where Moorestown Friends could not give up a goal. The second was a stop not many keepers can make.

None of it was by accident either. The Rhode Island commit knew exactly what she was doing.

“On the first save, I’m thinking that I have to close space and I have to make her shot harder because it’s just me and her at that point with the defender trailing,” said Mohammed, who has 98 saves this season. “I wanted to at least make a deflection there on that save and help our defense recover. Once I make that stop, I’m tracking back to block off her angle and make sure that when I’m going back she has that angle to the right that I can cut off and save. It’s such an instinctual thing for me because I’ve done it so many times, and it worked out well today in that scenario.”

There are only a handful of goalies in the state right now committed to D1 schools.

Mohammed is one of them, and against Germantown Friends, she showed everyone why. The senior said her recruitment was a little more difficult coming from a such small program, but she’s proud to represent a school that she took a chance on coming out of middle school. It’s paid off big time all around.

“I won the lottery,” said Moorestown Friends coach Lisa Cotter. “Chelsea is a natural leader and she makes saves that I haven’t seen at some of the highest levels. It doesn’t make sense to me. As a goalie, you put yourself in a vulnerable position and to see her consistently deliver every game is special. I have coached for 20 years and this is the first time I’ve had a goalie of this level. It’s rare and you don’t see it very often. Rhode Island is getting a gift.”

Moorestown Friends won back-to-back sectional titles eight years ago and those teams were led by the daughter of former Philadelphia Eagles offensive tackle Jon Runyan. It’s been awhile since anyone’s had their eyes on this school with an enrollment (grades 9-12) of 262, but it’s hard to ignore the talent there now.

Mohammed is the headliner on defense and senior forward Foluke Balogun is a star on offense.

Mohammed never dreamed of becoming a soccer star at Moorestown Friends.

She grew up 20 miles away in Sicklerville and seemed destined to end up at a Group 4 school. Mohammed wanted a more intimate environment though and was drawn to Moorestown Friends because of its good academics. Four years later, everyone on campus knows her and what she can do on the pitch.

Athletics, and soccer in particular, has become a central part of her life.

Germantown Friends kept Balogun off the board this week, but only by an inch. The senior hit a rocket from 40 yards out that clanged off the crossbar on its descent. It was a tough break for Balogun, who has 84 career goals and is arguably the greatest scorer to come through the Burlington County school.

Panar Shamali scored the game-winner against Germantown Friends off a corner from Maryrose Paznokas in just the 2nd minute. Mohammed and the back line of Ava Blumberg, Ida Ramos and Mikelle Smith made sure that was enough. Kayla Haynes sat back late and added to the defensive effort.

Germantown Friends kept the pressure on in the second half, but Moorestown Friends never cracked and Mohammed made save after save after save in order to secure the shutout for the Foxes.

“It’s insane to watch sometimes,” said Cotter, whose team is hoping to win a Friends League title in 2023. “This group just never gives up. We changed our shape a little bit at the end of the game and played a more defensive shape later in the second half once we realized it could be a one-goal game. When we hunker down to four in the back and we have Chelsea in the goal, I rarely have to worry in those spots.”