Arya News - Paul VI`s Karen Anderson will miss Monday`s playoff game as her team seeks a third straight state title.
The head coach of New Jersey"s top-ranked girls high school soccer team has been suspended for one game after a social media video showed her to be celebrating a milestone win by popping a champagne bottle on school grounds.
Karen Anderson of Paul VI won her 100th career match on Thursday, defeating Notre Dame 2-0 in the South Jersey, Non-Public A quarterfinals. In the since-deleted Instagram video, the bottle is handed to her by a group of parents who had set up a post-game celebration. After Anderson pops the bottle, she places it back on the table without drinking from it.
"I"m not surprised that it is coming to light given our success," Anderson told NJ.com . "It"s really unfortunate that there are people out there looking for an opportunity to ruin all the hard work that I"ve put into this program."
According to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association , "Players and coaches involved with alcohol/tobacco/illegal substances during or after the game at the game site or on school property, including chartered busses, shall be suspended from NJSIAA tournament play for one year and be denied any championship rights."
To avoid the harsher penalty laid out in the rulebook, Paul VI worked with the NJSIAA to limit the punishment to a single game as Anderson and her team vie for a third straight state title.
"While Coach Anderson did not consume the contents of the bottle, Paul VI does not condone this behavior and recognizes the importance of upholding the standards of conduct expected of our coaches," the school said in a statement to NJ.com .
Paul VI currently sports a 21-1 record on the season and along with being the No. 1-ranked team in the state , the Eagles are also ranked 16th nationally, according to a United Soccer Coaches poll. Last season the team finished 24-0 and won the Non-Public A state title for the second straight year.
The suspension will force Anderson to miss Monday"s sectional semifinal against Immaculata.