Mount Soccer Soars: A Victory and a #1 Seed as the Championship Nears!

By Anna Cecala ‘25 and Katya Ellenis ‘25, students at Mount St. Dominic Academy

With stellar teamwork, clutch goals, and a defense that’s been nearly impenetrable all season, the Mount Saint Dominic Academy soccer team secured a 2-1 non-conference win against Morristown on October 26. This victory not only solidified their impressive 14-3 record but also earned them the coveted #1 seed in the upcoming NJSIAA Non-Public “A” Tournament, granting them home-field advantage in the playoffs. The team is set for their quarterfinal face-off on November 7.

Freshman Isabel DeLorenzo and junior Lena Tusche each scored goals, with freshman Natalia Ross and sophomore Tatiana Cunha contributing assists to lead Mount Saint Dominic Academy to their victory over Morristown. Freshman goalie Isabella Raju recorded four saves in the win.

After last week’s games, the Mount’s record stands at 14-3, resulting in the #1 seed and home-field advantage in the NJSIAA Non-Public “A” Tournament, with a quarterfinal matchup on November 7 against the winner of the Morris Catholic-Morristown-Beard match on November 4.

To date, junior Gianna Camporeale leads the team with 52 points (20 goals/12 assists). Tusche, who recently committed to Vanderbilt and returned from a stint with Colombia’s U17 World Cup team, has 27 points (11 goals, 5 assists), with sophomore Reina Casas and senior Mary Hladik tied for third with 18 points each. Raju has a total of 55 saves in 17 games, supported by a stout defense that has allowed only seven goals all season.

Record: 14-3

Ranking: Top 10 in NJ; #1 Seed in the NJSIAA Non-Public “A” North Tournament

Here’s how the other teams fared:

Volleyball

Mount Volleyball stands at 12-13 after a road win against Villa Walsh, 2-0. In that match, junior Ariana Rivera led with 10 kills, sophomore Skylar Dang registered 23 assists, and sophomore Alexci Greene recorded two blocks. Next up are out-of-conference matches against River Dell (11/1) and Union Catholic (11/6) before a home quarterfinal in the NJSIAA Non-Public “A” North tournament on 11/9 against the winner of the Morristown-Beard/Paramus Catholic match on 11/7.
For their efforts this season, the following student-athletes were honored by the SEC as All-Conference players in the American Division: Ariana Rivera ‘26 and Greene were named First Team, All-Conference; Luchia Nativo ‘27 and MJ Finn ‘26 were named Second Team, All-Conference; Sophia Mahon ‘28 and Mia Smith ‘26 received Honorable Mentions.

Field Hockey

The Mount Saint Dominic Academy field hockey team went 0-3 last week, with a 1-0 loss on October 28 to Newark Academy and a 2-1 loss on October 29 to Caldwell. After this week’s games, the Mount’s record stands at 4-16, concluding the season. Freshman Somer Haydu led the team with five goals (17 points) and seven assists, while sophomore Ava Capalbo led with six goals (17 points). Defensively, junior goalie Finola Giblin recorded a total of 150 saves, having started all 20 games for the Mount.

Record: 12-13

Ranking: 3rd Seed in the NJSIAA Non-Public “A” North Tournament

Cross-Country

The Mount cross-country team compiled a 2-6 record, with wins against Caldwell and West Orange. Senior Lily Nachbaur placed 21st overall in the SEC American Division Championships on October 15 at Branch Brook Park. Freshman Gia McArdle won the frosh girls division, with freshman teammate Mallie Farmer taking third. In the Essex County Championships on October 25 at Cedar Grove Park, McArdle led the team to a 9th-place finish, with Farmer and junior Rebecca Volltrauer recording season-best times. The Mount’s season continues on November 2 with the NJCTC Championships at Central Park of Morris County, concluding on November 9 with the NJSIAA Non-Public “A” Championships at Holmdel Park.

(NOTE: MSDA seniors Anna Cecala and Katya Ellenis are members of the Mount’s Journalism class. As part of their coursework, some of the articles written in that class are being published in the media, showcasing their journalistic skills and providing real-world writing experience.)