The scene was set again this year for St. Dominic’s eighth-grade girls’ soccer team to repeat as the eighth-grade champions. Returning players from last year’s squad were reunited with their seventh-grade teammates from their 2011 championship season, creating a very strong soccer team.
St. Dom’s went 9-1 during the regular season and easily made the playoffs. The girls’ first obstacle was to overcome a very strong team from St. Aidan’s parish in their playoff game. The St. Dom’s girls broke a scoreless tie late in the second half and won an exciting game 2-0. Newcomer Emily Leahy scored two breakaway goals and outstanding goalie play was provided by Emily Villar. The defense was held together by Sophie Mejia, Brooke Regan and Catherine Williams.
Championship games for all the CYO Boys and Girls Soccer Divisions were held at the St. Dominic playing fields on Sunday, Nov. 15. Sunday was also the third annual St. Dominic Breast Cancer Awareness event that was hosted by St. Dominic’s sixth-grade and eighth- grade girls soccer teams.
The Guarini and Lamberston families organized the bake sale tables and were assisted by players from the St. Dominic CYO soccer program throughout the day. The event raised more than $900 for this worthy cause.
While the bake sale was going on, the eighth-grade team still had a championship to win. St. Dominic’s opponent was an all eighth- grade team from Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Malverne. Again, there was no scoring in the first half but St. Dominic broke the tie with a corner kick goal from Nicole Coccia. OLL tied the game up on a penalty kick, but St. Dom’s would not be denied.
Coccia scored again and tough defense by Julia Cutajar, Cat McAuliffe and Juliana Cavallone resulted in a thrilling 2-1 St. Dom’s win.
The St. Dominic eighth-grade team was coached by Tom Regan and Frank Monteleone, who have been many of the girls’ coaches since intramurals.
The team’s forwards for 2014 were Juliana Cavallone, Emily Leahy, Cat McAuliffe, Catherine Williams and Erica Duke. The midfield group was Emma McGuckin, Charlotte Mahon, Laura Regan, Elliana Ignatiadis, Tori Monteleone, Nicole Coccia, Grace Wiesenfeld, Erin Delaney and Kathryn Woodstock. Defense was Brooke Regan, Sophie Mejia, Sara Pantina, Julia Cutajar, Lindsey Purcell, Sydney Cunningham and Isabella Moore. Outstanding goalies were Hannah McLaughlin and Emily Villar.
