With the exception of the boys basketball team, all varsity sports at St. Ed’s are in the midst of a three-week break for exams and the holidays. It’s safe to say one team in particular can’t wait to get back into action.
Expectations in the New Year will undoubtedly be sky-high for the girls soccer team. The Pirates will take a sparkling 10-0-2 record into January, having recorded eight shutouts while outscoring the opposition 51-5.
The regular season draws to a close with two non-district rematches against Jupiter Christian and Fort Pierce Central. Senior Night on Jan. 9 sets the stage for the second round of district playoffs on Jan. 14. St. Ed’s earned a first-round bye as the top seed with a 9-0-1 record.
“I am so excited to be a part of this soccer season,” Head Coach Jaclyn Pancotti said. “The girls are working so hard to achieve their goals. Our first goal is reaching the district championship game as the No. 1 seed. Our second goal is to win that game.
“One thing I have noticed with this team is the bond between each of the girls. No matter what has stood in the way in any game – rain, wind or injuries – they encourage each other to ensure 110% is given every single moment.”
Carter Cooper leads the pack with 19 goals despite the missing the entire month of December with a high ankle sprain. Pancotti said Cooper is healing well and should be back on the field after the break. The offense sputtered a bit in her absence, but the defense in front of netminder Krystin Malek was steadfast throughout.
For her efforts prior to the injury, Cooper was selected as one of St. Ed’s Athletes of the Month for November.
Mia Festagallo, who continues to play an outstanding all-around game, is the second leading goal scorer on the team with 11, and her 12 assists outpace everyone by a wide margin.
Alex Marshall has 10 tallies thus far, rounding out the Big Three on offense. Cooper, Festagallo and Marshall have accounted for 40 of the team’s 51 goals.
Brett Harper chipped in offensively with three goals. Dani Pulido, Kate Ederle and Elizabeth Zoltak have two each. Adline Juste and Connie Lamos have hit the net once. Anabelle Greene, Clara Masseau and Caroline Campione contributed to the team’s 38 assists along with Pulido, Cooper, Lamos, Marshall, Juste and Harper.
Malek has 73 total saves on the season. The standouts on defense are Harper, Pulido, Juste and Morgan Benson.
Holy Trinity Episcopal is lurking in the shadows as the team to beat in the district. The Pirates prevailed 2-1 on the road in November before the two fought to a 1-1 deadlock in Vero to close out 2014. HTE will host the district playoffs.
The Pirates rallying cry since the first practice has been a 1-0 loss to HTE in the district final last year. Despite the bitter defeat, they advanced to the regional playoffs but were trounced on arrival. A district championship would mean a more favorable match-up in the regionals; however, the competition stiffens from that point forward.
A big key to success in the postseason will be avoiding injuries. The Cooper absence hurt in terms of goal production, but the Pirates were able to squeak by in a handful of close, low-scoring games. The playoffs invite that type of play.
Pancotti could not have programmed a more satisfying start to her coaching career. She took over this season when Athletic Director Jeff Lamscha stepped aside as girls soccer coach after 25 years, 306 wins, and induction into St. Ed’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
“Jeff Lamscha did an amazing job of building the program,” Pancotti said. “I can only hope to do just a little bit of what he did – this year and in the years to come.”
