OLMA junior has her head(band) in the game

For Isabella Elentrio, this field hockey season is absolutely bananas.

“Last year it was avocados,” Elentrio said with a laugh. “I pick my first-game headband of the season, and if it works, I stay with it.”

The Our Lady of Mercy Academy junior has a bit of a superstition when it comes to selecting a headband for a game, and there’s no reason to switch things up from her hot pink banana-laden one as the Villagers were a perfect 7-0 through Oct. 2. Plus, Elentrio had scored a team-high 10 goals through those first seven contests. Even more impressively, Elentrio and the Villagers are doing it without a single senior on the roster.

“It’s been a big role to fill,” Elentrio said. “It’s different because in previous years, we’ve only had a bunch of seniors. We lost a lot. But we are doing really well with filling their shoes.”

Elentrio is one of six juniors on the team, which rotates game-day captains between its junior class of Elentrio, Mina Lockhart, Grace McMahon, Madelynn Bernhardt, Tori Ravoni and goaltender Julia Tola. 

“Isabella brings a lot of experience to our team,” coach Georgina Morrell said. “She helps the younger players feel some confidence. We have 12 freshmen with no seniors. She helps guide and lead them along with the other juniors.”

Elentrio is well-versed in leadership partly because she takes part in the Newfield school’s Sports Leadership Academy, which helps potential captains get acclimated in a new role before they step foot on the field. 

“It taught me that I shouldn’t be scared to spread my voice and use my words,” she said. “It’s for the good of the team.”

She does much more than just lead. Elentrio’s eight goals are already her career high for a season, and there are no signs of slowing down. Lightning-quick on the ball, she can score in a multitude of different ways or create offense for others.

She also has great balance, which might be credited to her love of surfing. When Elentrio visits her grandparents’ house in Wildwood, she likes to hit the beach and catch some waves.

“I started surfing at age 6,” Elentrio said. “My uncle is a competitive surfer; he started me off with a boogie board. I slowly worked up to surfing, and here I am. The beach is my happy place. When I’m not there, I’m probably studying.”

With a 4.0 grade point average, Elentrio said she’d like to pursue a career as a physical therapist for a professional sports team someday.

“She’s a smart kid; she’s energetic and bubbly,” Morrell said. “She’s got a good personality, she is positive and helps the younger players out. She’s really great at guiding and encouraging them.”

OLMA’s varsity field hockey program is now in its fourth season and is coming off a challenging 9-11-2 year after two straight winning seasons. It appears the Villagers are on the way back up. And so are expectations.

“We definitely want to try to win the [Cape Atlantic League] title,” Elentrio said. “And hopefully, we can make a run in [the state tournament]. That’s my goal, and hopefully it spreads to the team.”