NORTH JERSEY INTERSCHOLASTIC CONFERENCE

Player of the Year:

Abby Incorvaia, Waldwick, Jr.

Although the 2023 season didn’t pan out the way she had envisioned, Abby Incorvaia kept Waldwick’s offense humming despite the loss of one of their top players in the latter part of the season.

Abby finished the 2023 season with a jaw-dropping stat line of 34 goals and 15 assists, nearly identical to her 34-goal, 14-assist season that she had in 2022. It felt like teams couldn’t slow her down no matter what they threw at her. She was exceptional at beating double teams and man-markings all season while still managing to get her teammates involved in the offense.

No injury was bigger for this team than when Abby’s older sister, Ava Incorvaia, suffered a fractured foot against Emerson Boro on Oct. 12. A key part of Waldwick’s offense was the chemistry that both Ava and Abby had in the final third, so Ava’s injury raised questions on how Waldwick would overcome the loss of one of its best players.

Realizing that she needed to shoulder a bigger load offensively, Incorvaia racked up 17 goals and five assists in Waldwick’s final eight games of the season. She not only helped to make up for the loss of Ava’s scoring production but also elevated her own level of play in the process. The Syracuse commit led the NJIC in goals scored for the second consecutive season, while also finishing fourth in the conference in assists.

Coach of the Year:

Chris Schmid, Dwight Englewood

Chris Schmid was dealt a tough hand when he decided to return to coaching late into the 2022 season.

Eddie Ballas, the team’s former head coach, resigned just three weeks before the postseason began. Schmid, who coached the Dwight Englewood boys team for over 35 years before resigning in 2009 to focus on his duties as athletic director, took over as the girls soccer head coach upon Ballas’ resignation. However, the players, who were still reeling over the sudden resignation of Ballas, struggled to adjust to the coaching change at first. Dwight Englewood finished the season with a penalty shootout loss in the first round of the sectional tournament.

More challenges came during the 2023 season for Dwight-Englewood. Its home field was rendered unusable midway through the season due to a rainy month of September, forcing them to practice in a tiny, non-regulation turf field for most of the season while also having to play most of its early season games on the road.

However, Dwight-Englewood adapted to the circumstances around them and turned what could’ve been a season of growing pains into a successful one. Under the leadership of Schmid, Dwight Englewood went 11-4-1 this fall, capturing back-to-back Liberty Division titles along with winning its first state playoff game in six years.

Schmid had a talented roster of players that helped this program finally snap its postseason drought. Columbia commit Lillian Moncion (16 goals, 10 assists) has spearheaded this team’s offense for the last three seasons. She’s a player who constantly beat double and triple teams all season and found ways to score goals despite the increased attention on her this season. Sophia Espinal (nine goals, four assists) and Alexa Cohen were two other impact players on this team that made their presence felt offensively.

Team of The Year:

Waldwick

Waldwick came into the 2023 season with sky-high expectations after winning its first sectional title in a decade last fall. Many key players for this team were back and hungry to build off last year’s success, including 2022 NJIC Player of the Year Ava Incorvaia and her sister, Abby Incorvaia.

And the early portion of the 2023 season for Waldwick looked similar to its dominant run last fall, going unbeaten in the team’s first seven games. In that stretch, they outscored its opponents 41-4.

However, Waldwick hit a major roadblock midway through the season when Ava went down with her season-ending injury in October. However, thanks to the stellar play of Abby, along with midfielders Mayu Nakano, Jenna Haroutunian and Kyra Rahulatharan, Waldwick’s offense didn’t skip a beat. The Warriors won four of its last five games going into the postseason, securing a share of the Patriot Division.

Waldwick’s defense had a number of question marks after graduating a pair of all-conference defenders and their starting goalkeeper. However, this unit quickly established itself as one of the best back lines in the NJIC, posting 11 shutouts and allowing just 17 goals.

Junior Elizabeth Davis took a big leap this year at her center back position and helped anchor a back line that also included senior captain Anna Gramuglia, Julia Levitzke, Kelsey Phillips. Sophomore goalkeeper Carleigh Nocito was a difference maker in front of net and only got better as the season wore on, while Avery Martin emerged as a strong backup goalie whenever Nocito wasn’t on the field.

Waldwick’s season came to an end against Pequannock in the North 1, Group 1 sectional semifinals, which may leave this team wondering what could’ve been had Ava been available to play, but this team fought valiantly and remained one of the NJIC’s top teams despite the adversity they faced this season.

Comeback Player Of The Year:

Khole Olano, Hasbrouck Heights, So.

Khole Olano didn’t have an ideal start to her high school soccer career.

The sophomore midfielder suffered an ACL injury while playing for her club team in the spring of 2022, forcing Olano to forgo her freshman season at Hasbrouck Heights, which she spent mostly rehabbing her injury and practicing with the rest of the team. While sitting on the sidelines during her first year of high school soccer was difficult, it served as motivation for Olano to become an impact player for Hasbrouck Heights as a sophomore.

Playing in the midfield, Olano earned All-NJIC First Team honors this past fall after posting seven goals and three assists. Hasbrouck Heights had graduated two standout midfielders the year prior, so her presence became crucial for a contending Hasbrouck Heights team.

“She’s really that middle-of-the-field workhorse that makes a lot of the magic happen,” Hasbrouck Heights head coach Jennifer Keller said. “I think she made our team even stronger by joining us in this past season, but she also elevated so many of our other players all season long.”

And despite not playing her freshman year, Olano was arguably one of Hasbrouck Heights most technically gifted players on a team that included offensive juggernauts like Sophia Lara and Lexy Samperi.

“I think she could have even had more,” Keller said in regards to her goal total. “We have a players above her on the field that she’s normally distributing to them, but if we have a (set piece) opportunity in the finishing third, she’s the one we go to. Her skill set is second to none, and we have a lot of technically gifted players on our team, but even she pushes them on the field.”

Unfortunately, Olano will have another lengthy rehab process ahead of her – she tore her left ACL in the first half of Hasbrouck Heights’ state playoff game against Mountain Lakes. While her status for next season is unknown, Olano has already proven to possess the toughness and grit to rehab from the injury once, and she’ll look to do it again before the start of the 2024 season.

Other Notable Storylines

– Hasbrouck Heights (17-3) once again had a stellar regular season, winning the Meadowlands Division for the second straight season while also securing the top seed in the North 1, Group 1 sectional tournament. This team also ended its eight-year postseason drought, winning its first state playoff game since 2015 with an 8-0 victory over Hoboken in the first round. Sophia Lara once again had a prolific scoring season, racking up 29 goals and seven assists, while Lexy Samperi (13 goals, 13 assists) and Madison Lahullier (12 goals, 11 assists) were big-time playmakers in the final third.

– Saddle River Day (15-4) won a share of the Patriot Division title with Waldwick, fielding one of the top teams in the conference despite only having two seniors on the roster. New Milford transfer Natalia Lombardi (23 goals, 13 assists) had a breakout season at a new position – center forward. The chemistry she had with freshman midfielder Emma Lopez (22 goals, seven assists) showed all season long, as the two players emerged as one of the best-scoring duos in the NJIC.

– Park Ridge (13-7) started off slow due to some tough injuries in the first month of the season but turned things around in the last few weeks of the season. The Owls started off the season at 4-4 but would go on to win the Bergen County Invitational title, winning the championship game in a 2-1 victory over Holy Angels. Park Ridge also advanced to the quarterfinal round of the sectional tournament.