Flashback to August 18 when the Girls Soccer Team kicked off their preseason: They ran, ran, and ran some more to condition themselves and prepare for the upcoming season. The girls had no expectations for the upcoming season after only winning three games last year, and when Coach Scorciolla told them that they would win at least 12 games this season, they merely laughed. However, it looks like their coach was right.

The girls held their home opener against West Orange and won 3-0.  They then proceeded to lose to Nutley, Columbia, and Montclair Kimberley Academy before starting their seven-game winning streak. The next time the girls faced Columbia, they won in overtime. Winning against Columbia gave the Hillbillies a lot of power points. With the girls now accumulating wins and power points, they secured a third place seed in the state tournament. After an exciting win against Secaucus in the first round of states, the girls beat McNair Academy to advance to the semi-finals.  Waiting for them was New Providence, the second seed; Verona was not expected to win. But when a free kick from senior Claire Fitzpatrick landed in the back of the net with less than three minutes left in the game, the girls secured their spot in the state sectional finals.

Although they fell one goal short to Glen Ridge, the championship game was one to remember as it was the first time in school history that the Girls Soccer Team played a sectional championship at home. Not only did the girls make school history, they also put up a tough battle against Glen Ridge, who had beaten them 5-1 in the regular season.

The girls finished 14-8. Senior Julia Tole led the team with 13 goals, while Claire Fitzpatrick led the team in assists with 10. Junior Goalkeeper Dianna Flores ended the season with 151 saves. With nine seniors leaving the squad, eight of whom are starters, the Girls Soccer Team will see a whole new starting lineup next year. Looking back on the season senior captain Emilia Frizzi says, “I’ve been playing with most of the seniors since I was eight so to end with a season like this was incredible.”