Mount St. Dominic girls soccer's strong second half brings home first ECT title

Mount St. Dominic girls soccer team had never been to this point in an Essex County Tournament.

The Lions were supposed to be in the 2024 ECT championship via being the number one seed, but Verona spoiled their chances in last season's quarterfinals.

And the 2025 Mount St. Dominic team was not going to let anybody ruin another shot at the title after also being named the top seed this season in the county tournament.

But this time, the Lions took full advantage and did not stumble along the way.

After being down 1-0 at halftime, Mount St. Dominic scored four unanswered goals all in the second half as top-seeded Lions defeated second-seeded Livingston, 4-1, on Nov. 1 in the ECT final at Livingston High School. Livingston's Dina Bojkovic scored the lone Lancers goal that came in the first half.

Mount St. Dominic seniors, Lena Tusche and Gianna Camporeale scored two goals each in the second half. Camporeale has 27 goals while Tusche scored 26 goals so far this season. Sophomore goalkeeper Bella Raju picked up the victory with three saves.

Camporeale's two goals came sandwiched between the two goals from Tusche. One was a penalty kick that gave the Lions the final 4-1 victory. "We've been striving for this," said Mount St. Dominic head coach Angelo Del Vecchio. "This is ninth year as head coach and five years before that. We been building for years. Every Mount soccer player is a brick in the wall that we have been building for years, past coaches and present coaches. This is just not these girls. It is a fantastic feeling."

After the victory in the ECT final, the Lions remained undefeated at 20-0. Mount St. Dominic's win also ended a run by Livingston who had won the previous two ECT championships.

The turning point came with about seven minutes into the second half. After Bojkovic scored for the Lancers in the final minutes of the first half, Mount St. Dominic was recharged at halftime and Tusche took control as she was able to get a shot off about 20 yards passed goalie Ayla Sherman. This coming with 3 or four Livingston defenders on her.

"It was from a header and I jumped up," said Tusche describing the set up for the goal. "I was a little dizzy, but I was just trying to get a shot off even if it was wide."

With the goal at 33:36, it was the impetus for the rest of the game as the Lions regained momentum after that.

"After the first goal we knew that it was ours," said Camporeale who added about the final 40 minutes where Mount St. Dominic scored all their goals. "I just think we have been in that place before by being down 1-0. And just came out 10 times stronger. We are just a great second half team."

The first time these two teams met came on Oct. 7 with the Lions at home. In that game Livingston took a 1-0 lead at halftime and Mount St. Dominic came back to win 3-2 in overtime.

"I told the girls to loosen up and have fun," said Del Vecchio at halftime who added that Tusche also did some talking. "We might have been tight (in the first half) which is normal. Lena gave a quick talk about being in this position before and I think that it told the team that if Lena is fine with where we are so we're fine with it."

It was about 11 minutes later where Tusche and Camporeale combined again this time it was Camporeale who fired a shot by Sherman that turned out to be the game-winner for Mount St. Dominic and a 2-1 lead.

"I think ever since freshman year that we have just gotten stronger every year," said Camporeale about her friendship with Tusche. "We are best friends off the field. And the chemistry is unmatched and we look for each other."

Tusche and Camporeale matched up again with 20 minutes left in the final and Camporeale put the shot away with Tusche assisting for a 3-1 lead.

"We are really best friends and we talk all the time," said Tusche about Camporeale. "We are leading the team with the two other captains. It is just something to be proud of and we attack together."

And Tusche capped it final off when she completed a penalty kick with less than nine minutes left in the match to finish off Livingston, 4-1.

With the county title on their resume, Mount St. Dominic would like to add a state title. Last season the Lions lost to Oak Knoll, 1-0, in the Non-Public A North semifinals. Mount St. Dominic is the second seed this season in the Non-Public A North section. IHA is the lone team ahead of the Lions in the section. The state sectional final is Nov. 13.