Girls Soccer Preview: Lady Aviators Want Long Run in States, County

When the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association changed the way they seeded the state girls soccer tournament, it was not a great run for Heights last season.

Instead of strictly going by record, the teams are now seeded by power points.

It's not a good concoction for the Heights soccer team which is a Group 2 North 1 since it coops with Wood-Ridge High School and the majority of the games in the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference are Group 1 school which does not give them many power points.

The Lady Aviators were the eighth seed last season and lost in the second round to powerful Mahwah which ended up winning the Group 2 championship. "The new system makes it tougher for us since we face Group 1 schools," said Hasbrouck Heights/Wood-Ridge head coach Joe Mastropietro.

For 2011 Heights is looking to repeat its 2009 drive where they won a Group 2 North 1 state sectional title and made the Final Eight of the Bergen County tournament.
   
While the team dropped out early in the state and county tournaments, the Aviators added another league title as they tied with Saddle Brook for the North Jersey Interscholastic Conference Meadowlands B division championship.

Heights will get a taste of where they are at in the league when they travel to Saddle Brook in the season opener  Sept. 9.

Mastropietro said that the team is ready for this season. "We practiced twice a week all summer and worked on our conditioning and preparation for the season."

In a boost for the team's offense head coach Mastropietro moved senior co-captain Jodee Giarrantana from midfield to forward.

Giarrantana is one of the six starters returning and was first team All North Jersey Interscholastic Conference after scoring 12 goals and 11 assists as an outside midfielder.

"I loved seeing her at forward and seeing her score," said Mastropietro who added the senior has scored in every scrimmage so far in the preseason.

And Mastropietro believes that if Giarrantana is double teamed during the season that other Heights players will step up to finish off the scoring chances. "If Jodi is double teamed, she led the team in assists last season and she'll find the open man," said Mastropietro.

Also upfront, the Aviators are looking forward to the sophomore season of Maggie Filja who garnered second team All NJIC last season in her freshman year.

While Giarrantana is moving forward, junior Danielle Cannicci is going to move to the middle from playing exclusively in the front. She can also play upfront after tallying 9 goals and 5 assists last season. "I'm putting her at center midfield because she has a great left cross," said Mastropietro.

Helping Cannicci in the midfield is senior Jenny White and senior Jordyn Anderson who were both All NJIC second team.

Also back this season in the back is senior goalie Julie Sheridan who had 15 shutouts last season. "She's looking to play in college and is primed to have another big year," said Mastropietro.

In front of Sheridan is senior sweeper Johnna Trotter and co-captain who made it three years on the all-league team. Trotter was first team All North Jersey Interscholastic Conference last season to lead the team's defense. Also in front of the Heights goalie, Mastropietro has the return of sophomore defender Jenny DeGicinto who was All NJIC honorable mention.

Some of the top newcomers back this season are sophomore defensemen Kristen Delcalzo, junior midfielder Morgan Varrell and sophomore defender Angelica Barris.

One of the highlights for the 2011 season is the first Rosa Charity soccer day at Depken Field on Sept. 10. Eight teams including Heights will play to help the Rosa Fund and Tomorrows Children Fund. 

The Rosa Fund is named for former Hasbrouck Heights soccer player Rosa Holowen who succumbed to cancer in the summer of 2010. The Lady Aviators play Elmwood Park at 6 p.m. on the day, but the day starts at noon with three other games including Ridgefield, Glen Rock, Eastern Christian and Midland Park among others.


Hasbrouck Heights 2011 girls soccer schedule
(Games at 4 p.m. at high school)

Sept. 9        at Saddle Brook
Sept. 10    Rosa Fund Charity Event, Noon
Sept. 12    at Weehawken
Sept. 14    Immaculate Conception
Sept. 20    St. Mary
Sept. 22    Lyndhurst, 7 p.m.
Sept. 26    at Secaucus
Sept. 28    North Arlington
Oct. 4        at Queen of Peace
Oct. 6        Becton
Oct. 10        at Harrison
Oct. 12        Saddle Brook
Oct. 13        Weehawken, 7 p.m.
Oct. 17        at Belleville
Oct. 18        at Immaculate Conception
Oct. 24        at St. Mary
Oct. 26        Eastern Christian
Oct. 28        Park Ridge