By Brandon Gould | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com and Donovan Hugel | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com
NJIC athletes selected to the All-Group Girls Soccer Teams
1st Team Group 1
F-Abby Incorvaia, Waldwick, Sr.
3rd Team Group 1
M/F-Poppie Bimson, Rutherford, Sr.
D-Emmi Chong, Cresskill, Jr.
2nd Team Group 2
D-Amanda Davidoff, Glen Rock, Sr.
3rd Team Group 2
GK-Kieran Meehan, Lyndhurst, Sr.
3rd Team Non-Public
GK-Jillian Gomez, Saddle River Day, Jr.
NJIC Girls Soccer Player of the Year
Player of the Year: Abby Incorvaia, Waldwick, Sr.
One of New Jersey’s most prolific scorers over the last four years, Incorvaia made history in her senior year.
The Syracuse commit outdid herself this season. She scored 34 goals during both her sophomore and junior seasons. To reach that number twice is not something that is common, and it was going to be hard to try and do that for a third straight season.
Instead, she did better. Incorvaia wound up with a career-high 41 goals this season and became Waldwick’s first ever 100 goal scorer. For her career she finished with 128 career goals in what was a prolific and dominant career.
“We talked about our personal goals and our team goals before the season started,” Incorvaia said. “The first thing on my list personally was score 100 goals. As a team we wanted to win our league and the state. But the 100 goals was definitely on my mind going into this year and I wanted to reach it.”
Without her older sister Ava next to her on the field this season, there were questions of if Abby could keep up the same scoring pace. Ava, who now plays at Albany University, was a great player herself who finished her high school career with 82 goals. Abby quickly put a stop to those questions though when she scored in Waldwick’s season opened on Sept. 5 and picked up her first hat trick of the season on Sept. 11.
Not at any point this season did she slow down. Waldwick played 21 games and Incorvaia scored a goal in 19 of them and netted at least a point in 20 games. She had more multi-goal games (12) than she did one-goal games (six). She had six hat tricks, two of which she scored four goals and in another she scored five.
She drew double and triple teams in every one of the Warriors’ games. She relished the opportunity to go up against multiple defenders at once and knew that those were moments that she still needed to execute on if she and the Warriors were going to have any success. They did, and made a run to the North 1, Group 1 semifinals.
When she wasn’t going up against multiple defenders, Incorvaia was near unstoppable to beat in one-on-situations. She’s become just as good of a finisher from distance as she is near goal as well. On Sept. 19 against Saddle River Day she dropped in a gorgeous goal from 30 yards out that helped the Warriors make a second half comeback.
“I do like a challenge,” Incorvaia said. “Nothing that I do is easy and I love it. I love testing myself and if I have two or three defenders on me, I might play the ball in different ways. I might hit a one touch and then get it back. I just try out new things and that allows me to grow my skillset and game and also pushes me to be better. Without that I don’t think I would be the same player I am today. I take pride in my performance, and I will always leave 100 percent on the field. I think that being known by a number by the other team pushes me even harder.”
This was a special year for Incorvaia. Her older sister would have become Waldwick’s first ever 100 goal scorer if not for an injury that ended her senior season early. Going into this season, Abby was ready to accomplish that feat for herself and all that Ava unfortunately missed out on. She made history for herself, and her older sister.
NJIC Team of the Year: Saddle River Day
Coming into this season, Saddle River Day was incredibly excited about the roster that they had put together. For the first time since head coach PJ Petrow took over in 2018, he felt like he had legitimate contributors everywhere on his roster, from his starting lineup to the key substitutes off of the bench.
He wasn’t wrong. Saddle River Day put together another successful year that continued to show the evolution of this program and the progress they’ve made throughout the years. This year’s squad won 14 games, went undefeated in conference play, clinched the Patriot division title, and made another deep run in North, Non-Public B to the sectional semifinals. The Rebels have made an appearance in the sectional semifinals for the last four seasons, and in five of the last six seasons.
Even though the end result was the same as last year, there was still progress made. Last year the Rebels only clinched a share of the division title and split their season series with Waldwick. This year the Rebels swept their season series against the Warriors, which was ultimately the difference in them winning the division. They also made a run into the Bergen County Tournament quarterfinals just a year after being eliminated in the play-in round. They started the season 10-0, which was the first time in over a decade that they had gotten off to that good of a start.
“It’s hard to put into words the pride and joy I feel when I reflect on this season,” head coach PJ Petrow said. “Those accomplishments represent the hard work, dedication, and resilience that each member of this team brought every single day. This group consistently demonstrated what it means to play for each other and for our school. Achieving milestones like being divisional champions for the first time in school history was an emotional experience that brought immense pride to our entire community.”
Leading the way for the Rebels were juniors Natalia Lombardi Dominique Desert in the midfield, sophomore Emma Lopez at forward, and junior Jillian Gomez in goal. Lopez and Lombardi have been two of the main focal points for the Rebels in each of the last two years and continued their ascension as two of the top playmakers in the NJIC. Lopez tallied 17 goals, including a game winner in overtime against Waldwick on Sept. 19. She finished with two goals and an assist in that game, while Lombardi had a goal and two assists. Lombardi continued to be a do-it-all player and tallied 15 goals and 11 assists. Desert was a key addition to the starting lineup this year and scored 11 goals to go along with five assists. She really started to find her form in October, which is where she did most of her playmaking. Gomez was a rock in net all season and made a career-high 128 saves. Some of her best performances came in the biggest games. In both games against Waldwick this season Gomez combined for 27 saves and made 10 in the Rebels’ 2-0 quarterfinal round win over Villa Walsh in North, Non-Public B.
Freshmen Grace Darling (four goals, five assists), Ella Ramasamy, Adrianna Sanchez, and Gabriela Stewart provided instant skill and talent at forward and on defense. Junior Alyssa Tretola was once again the leader on defense and stabilized a unit that gave up just 27 goals this season. Freshman Isla Thompson played in over 90 percent of each game at outside back and also provided stability, especially after junior Madison Minicucci suffered a season-ending injury.
“We had unique strengths from Natalia’s scoring to Dominique’s all-around impact,” Petrow said. “Jillian was a standout in goal, Emma and Alyssa brought energy and versatility, and Olivia DiDomizio provided invaluable leadership and poise. We have a strong foundation for the future of the program.”
NJIC Coach of the Year: Adam Khriss, Cresskill
It has been a long time since Cresskill was a winning side in the NJIC.
In the early 2010s the Cougars were a postseason contender, having been a sectional finalist in 2010 and a semifinalist in 2011. But soon after that the victories and postseason success began to dwindle.
Prior to this season Cresskill had had just three seasons when they finished with a .500 or better record – 2013, 2015, and 2017 – over the last decade. Their last sectional semifinal appearance came in 2015, which was also the last time they advanced past the first round of the postseason.
This was a program that needed change and inspiration, and in stepped Adam Khriss. In his first year as Cresskill’s head coach he led the Cougars to a 12-7-1 record, and they snapped their postseason drought with a run to the North 1, Group 1 semifinals.
This year’s roster was not that much different than last year’s. One of the biggest differences was that Khriss developed them so that their talent was on full display. Junior forward Ana Gonzalez Eusevi hadn’t scored more than four goals in her two prior seasons. She led the Cougars with 21 goals this year.
Junior forward Aya Catran’s previous high for goals in a season was three. She increased that number dramatically this year with 13 goals. The same can be said for senior midfielder Ariel Arejo, who had just two goals and five assists last season. Her overall game flourished this season to the tune of nine goals and 12 assists.
Defensively the Cougars went from 50 goals against and a minus-21 goal differential last season, to 36 goals against and a plus-17 differential this year. In all facets of their game the Cougars improved drastically. The two games that they won in the state tournament was the cherry on top of what was one of most successful seasons in recent memory for Cresskill.
NJIC Comeback Player of the Year: Khloe Olano, Hasbrouck Heights, Jr.
Olano earned this honor last season as well but is getting it again this year and for good reason. Having already torn one ACL heading into high school and needing to miss her freshman season due to the rehab process, Olano already knew what it took to come back from a devastating injury.
Most athletes have the wherewithal to come back from one ACL injury. But two? You have to find the right type of dedicated person that is willing to put in the time, resources, and maybe most importantly even more pain throughout another lengthy rehab process.
You can fit Olano into the category of the latter. The junior tore her other ACL in Hasbrouck Heights’ final game last season on Oct. 30. It was a total unknown if she was going to be able to play this season given the usual year-long timetable for an ACL tear. Then after that comes the slow buildup to game speed, starting to play with contact, changing direction, and on and on. When Hasbrouck Heights opened up their season this year on Sept. 5, Olano was miraculously on the field.
Two days later on Sept. 7 she picked up her first point of the season. Less than a year after tearing another ACL, Olano played in all 21 of the Aviators’ games and finished with career highs in both goals (eight) and assists (seven). Olano, a central midfielder, is one of the Aviators’ most important players. She is the facilitator of everything that the Aviators did, and they thrived throughout the regular season once again because of it.
Her play in the middle of the field opened up so much offensively for the Aviators. Certain players, like sophomore winger Gina Minichiello, were able to have breakout seasons due to Olano’s selfless play. Minichiello and Buffalo commit Madison Lahullier are both strong finishers and did not have to worry about distributing with Olano on the field. If she was not able to play, then who knows if the Aviators would’ve finished with the same offensive totals.
Hopefully, Olano will be able to stay healthy throughout her club season and subsequent offseason from high school play. Hasbrouck Heights would love to have her with a clean bill of health in her senior year next season.
Other Notable Storylines
– The freshmen class out of North Arlington (13-6-2) was arguably the best in the NJIC. The Vikings got significant contributions out of Alexa Rincon (16 goals, 12 assists), Devyn Sullivan (11 goals, five assists), Alyssa Sousa (10 goals, 10 assists), and Zoe Dinnerstein (103 saves). Rincon, Sullivan, and Sousa were the only double-digit scorers for the Vikings and look like a great core to play around in the near future. The Vikings’ season ended in the North 2, Group 1 quarterfinals.
– Rutherford (17-4) put together one of their best seasons in recent memory. The Bulldogs won at least 16 games for the first time since 2018 and made a run to the North 2, Group 1 semifinals. Defense was the name of the game for this team as they allowed a conference low 13 goals and just once surrendered more than two goals in a game. Offensively, seniors Poppie Bimson (21 goals, 15 assists) and Fiona Waller (20 goals, five assists) formed one of the best scoring duos in the NJIC.
– Despite a coaching change, Glen Rock (19-3-1) had another great year and was a semifinalist in North 1, Group 2 for the third time in the last four years. Despite losing their top scorer Ryan Doyle to graduation after last season, the Panthers were a better offensive team this year. Their scoring was up from 59 goals last year to 83 this year, and their assists jumped up as well from 51 to 75. Six players finished with at least seven goals with Emily McKegney (11 goals), Izabella Samu (11 goals), and Sydney Handler (10 goals) leading that charge. The Panthers maintained an excellent defense once again with just 15 goals against, and junior Annie Leonard (95 saves) had another great year in goal. For the third straight year Glen Rock won the Colonial division.
– Lyndhurst (14-7-1) didn’t exactly have a down year last season by going 10-10, but it was not up to snuff with the usual 14-16 wins that the Golden Bears had put up almost every season for the last decade-plus. They got back to business this season with another 14-win campaign in a very competitive National division race alongside Rutherford and North Arlington. The Golden Bears put together a tough schedule, but it paid off. By the time the state tournament came around they had won six of eight games and wound up as a quarterfinalist in North 2, Group 2. They fought through multiple injuries, which included at least three ACL tears, to get to that point. Senior Julia Marnik slid into the center back position to help counteract those injuries and was excellent. Nikalena Iacono, Laura Raggi, Ava Shapiro, and Hailey Welton all had career-high seasons scoring wise, and Skyler Montillo led the team in assists with 11. Monmouth bound goalie Kieran Meehan finished with a career-high 85 saves.
– The scoring contributions from Kirsten Braunius and Caroline Pringle was arguably the biggest reason why Eastern Christian (14-6) had their best season since 2013. Braunius, a senior, led the Eagles in scoring with 29 goals and Pringle, a junior, added 21 goals. Both finished in a three-way tie for the team lead in assists with seven. Combined, Braunius and Pringle accounted for over half of the Eagles’ scoring as they won at least 14 games for the first time since 2013. They also finished with a 9-3 record in the Colonial division and were a semifinalist in North, Non-Public B.
– Wood-Ridge/Wallington (12-9) accomplished a major feat this season when they hosted a postseason game for the first time in a decade. The Blue Devils were not victorious in that game, but it was still a great season full of accomplishments. Junior Fiona Helly became new the new program record holder for goals in a season with 28 and became the program’s all-time leading scorer with 66 goals. Freshman Hailey Karabinos (six goals, eight assists) was the Blue Devils’ top rookie, junior Lia Russo (five goals, seven assists) is third all-time in program assists, and their 12 wins were the second most in program history.
– Saddle Brook (15-5) has historically been a very competitive team within the NJIC and got back to dominating this season. The 15 wins that the Falcons compiled were their most since 2018, and they walked away with a 10-0 record in Liberty play to clinch the division title. The junior class stood out for the Falcons, namely Antonia Schettino (10 goals, 12 assists), Sophia Sarra (13 goals, eight assists), Zuzanna Bubienko (six goals, two assists), and Arlene Zea (four goals, seven assists). Sophomore Liyana Nikocaj (nine goals, eight assists) and freshman Mia Zea (eight goals, four assists) look like they have bright futures ahead as well.
– Rylee Judge from Pompton Lakes (7-11) had one of the more remarkable freshman seasons in the state. The rookie was peppered with shots throughout the season but also performed at a high level and compiled 266 saves. She had several standout performances that kept the Cardinals in close games. She made 17 saves in a 3-2 win on Sept. 11, 19 saves in a 0-0 tie on Sept. 16, 27 saves in a 2-1 loss on Sept. 27, 20 saves in a 1-0 loss on Oct. 7, 17 saves in a 1-0 win on Oct. 28, and 19 saves in a 1-0 loss on Oct. 30.
North Jersey Interscholastic Conference 2024 Team Rankings
1-Saddle River Day (14-3)
2-Glen Rock (19-3-1)
3-Waldwick (13-7-1) (also ranked #10 in Group 1)
4-Rutherford (17-4)
5-Cresskill (12-7-1)
6-Eastern Christian (14-6)
7-Lyndhurst (14-7-1)
8-Hasbrouck Heights (14-7)
9-North Arlington (13-6-2)
10-Hawthorne (10-8-1)
