Bishop Eustace’s Alex Senior is entering her final year with 52 career goals, including 24 last season. (Mark Zimmaro)
South Jersey Catholic high schools are primed to make another big splash this fall when it comes to girls’ sports.
Look no further than field hockey, where Camden Catholic will take another shot at the dominance it has enjoyed in recent years. It’s tough to imagine the Irish looking more dangerous than last year’s squad that went 12-2-1 with its only losses coming to arguably the top team in the state, Oak Knoll. Could this Camden Catholic team possibly be better than its 2019 version that went 19-3 and won the South Jersey Non-Public championship?
“Every year is a new year,” Irish coach Mark Vittese said. “Seniors have left and freshmen have arrived. The team changes both in skill and with the players graduating and new players coming in, it creates a different team dynamic which has to be managed. If the staff and players do a good job with that, then I expect us to be very competitive.”
It will be a fun season finding out as the Irish return two of the most dynamic players in the state in juniors Olivia Bent-Cole and Ava Moore, who both had a big hand in those aforementioned seasons as underclassmen.
Bent-Cole has already scored 44 career goals along with 15 assists as one of the most explosive scorers in the state. Moore is predominantly a playmaker who can also pot a clutch goal when needed, amassing 13 goals and 18 assists in her young career.
While the Irish graduated key pieces in midfielders Lauren McCann, Elana Leahy and defender Jillian Orcutt among others, they still return a strong core with defender Gianna Miller and goaltender Leah DiRenzo. Camden Catholic only allowed a total of nine goals last season.
“The biggest obstacle after the competition is complacency coming off of a Covid year,” Vittese said. “A lot of players who could compete for playing time did not play much due to the virus. Mix in losing four players. There are still a lot of unknowns that we have to figure out.”
Bishop Eustace’s 8-9 record last year was deceiving as the Crusaders stacked their schedule with the toughest opponents they could find. Alex Senior, the daughter of coach Danielle Senior, is entering her final season after depositing 24 goals last year, and she should easily surpass the 100-point mark this season as she carries 52 goals and 31 assists into her senior campaign. Bishop Eustace, Pennsauken, and Camden Catholic will renew their rivalry this season Sept. 9 and Oct. 4.
Our Lady of Mercy, Newfield, went 8-3 last year and returns a duo of talented scorers in Anna Eaise (nine goals) and Fiona Lockhart (seven). Paul VI (4-9), Holy Spirit (4-11) and Gloucester Catholic (0-9) hope to find improvement this season.
On the soccer pitch, there was a definite power struggle among Olympic Conference foes Paul VI (6-7-1), Bishop Eustace (4-6-1) and Camden Catholic (8-7-1) as the rivals took part in a slate of one-goal games with each other. This year is also anyone’s guess as all three should remain competitive while replacing their respective top goal scorers this fall.
Haddonfield’s Paul VI High School had perhaps the deepest roster under coach Karen Anderson, a Paul VI alum who took over the program last year. The Eagles received four goals apiece from underclassmen Olivia Brocious and Sophia Errichetti, who will all likely be asked to play a bigger role.
Camden Catholic has the biggest shoes to fill after Taylor Gardner (15 goals) is now at the University of North Carolina Asheville. Last year, the Irish received secondary scoring rom returning players Lindsay Bednarek and Ebony Arvelo.
Bishop Eustace had an exciting freshman in Allie Serlenga, who will look to build on a rookie season when she potted five goals and added four assists for the Crusaders.
Gloucester Catholic went a modest 6-4 last season to complete its third straight winning season. Riley Cannon returns as a steady defender who will bolster the Rams’ back end as they look for a big scorer to emerge.
In the Cape Atlantic, Holy Spirit (6-6) had a powerful 1-2 scoring punch with Taylor Magill and Hailey Mastro, who each scored a dozen goals. The speedy Magill graduated, leaving Mastro, a junior, as the biggest scoring threat. The Spartans get lots of relief at the other end with stellar goalkeeper Morgan Keil minding the net.
Wildwood Catholic (4-6) is undergoing somewhat of a rebuild as the Crusaders graduated their top two scorers. Senior Ivy Bolle will take on a larger role on offense while stepping into a captain’s role.
OLMA went 8-5 last year, and the Villagers are hoping their successful trend continues as they haven’t had a losing season in more than a decade. Olivia Fiocchi is counting on a big senior season after notching 17 and 16 goals over the last two seasons.
Heading indoors, girls volleyball season switches back to the fall after taking place during the winter season last year. The shortened break should pay dividends for Paul VI, which won a South Jersey championship last year while posting an 11-2 record. Top scorer Jaaliyah Evans has graduated, but the Eagles reload with Zharia Harris-Waddy (52 kills), Sadie Arasim (50) and Ogonna Ngene (41) in an effort to defend the crown.
Camden Catholic went 3-3 in a season of COVID-19 cancellations while Gloucester Catholic endured a tough 3-9 season.
OLMA went 11-6 last season after bowing out in the South Non-Public B semifinals to Rutgers Prep. Alice Cawley (67 kills, 15 blocks) provides a net front presence while setter Ava Barrasso (192 assists) and libero Ivy Jaep (78 digs) also return for the Villagers.
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