Dana Costello hoped to make an impact on the Monmouth University women’s soccer team, and she has done just that right from the start of the 2010 season.
Jackson Memorial High School graduate Dana Costello is playing well for the Monmouth University Hawks as a freshman. PHOTO COURTESY OF MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY Costello, a freshman out of Jackson Memorial High School, leads the defending Northeast Conference champions and preseason pick to repeat as titlists with eight goals, including three game-winners, and an assist for the Hawks (8-5-2).
“It’s been awesome, more than I expected,” said Costello, who scored 27 goals last season for Jackson Memorial when the Jaguars won the Shore Conference A South Division and Central Jersey Group IV titles.
“I’m hitting a slow patch right now, and the team will pick it up. Being happy on this team is a large part of my success. They have the heart and passion and have taken me under their wing, so it’s all coming along quickly,” she said.
That was evident in the Hawks’ second match of the season when Costello scored the goal in a 1-0 victory over then-No. 17 nationally ranked Rutgers University. Her game-winner against the Scarlet Knights came after she scored two goals in her college debut against New Jersey Institute of Technology.
“I got a beautiful pass, the ball bounced high and the goalie was charging out, and I chipped it over her head from the 18,” Costello said of her goal vs. Rutgers.
The score put Costello on the map, along with her teammates, as Monmouth broke into the national rankings at No. 22, and she earned NEC Rookie of the Week and Player of the Week honors.
Two games later, Costello scored the first goal in a 2-1 victory over nationally regarded Boston University. In that game, Costello ran onto a ball that was headed back to her, bodied it past a defender and took two touches before striking a shot into the upper part of the net.
The Hawks’ win over Boston University was followed by a 2-1 loss to Brown that started a three-game losing streak of overtime losses to Villanova (2-1) and Towson (1-0). That led to a stretch of only three victories over the last nine matches, and Costello was held scoreless over the last four of those games.
Costello finally broke out on Oct. 15 when she scored the go-ahead goal in the 24th minute from six yards out during a 4- 1 victory over winless Fairleigh Dickinson University. On Oct. 17, Monmouth played to a scoreless tie with Sacred Heart, both at home in West Long Branch.
Speaking about Costello, coach Krissy Turner said, “Anytime a freshman comes in, it’s always a learning curve and figuring what her role is going to be. With her club team, she was the go-to person and had to get it done, and often do it by herself. She also was the go-to person for her high school team. Here, she gets a lot of support, and once she started, she did her thing and scored her goals.”
Turner has a 128-77-24 record and three NEC Coach of the Year honors in her 13 seasons at Monmouth.
Costello had taken only 23 shots to score eight goals over the first 15 games. She has started every match for the Hawks.
“She scores in a very proficient manner — one of every two shots goes into the goal,” said Turner. “She’s not taking a lot of shots and she’s finishing her chances. She’s getting used to what it takes to be a [NCAA] Division I player, getting used to school, being away from home, playing and practicing. It’s not easy. It’s at a higher level, but she’s still doing a good job of understanding and getting through it. She has adjusted well.”
“I definitely think the pressure put on from [opposing] players is tremendously different [at this level],” said Costello. “There’s not a moment to waste, and you have to be in shape. You have to be strong when the [opposing] girls are attacking you.”
Costello credits her experiences in high school, where she scored 55 goals for the Jaguars’ soccer team, and also playing basketball, with helping to get her ready to compete at a higher level.
“Playing at Jackson Memorial helped me. Maybe we were not always the most talented, but we had the most heart and fought harder,” said Costello. “Jackson Memorial is known for that. If things are not always working, it’s the passion for the game and heart to work hard. Coach [Drew] Gibson [of Jackson Memorial girls soccer] and coach [Rachel] Goodale [of Jackson Memorial girls basketball] prepared me for this. Coach Turner is a wonderful coach who helps you and breaks your game down. She has helped me tremendously.”
Costello is trying to help her team, which is 3-2-2 in NEC play, qualify for the conference tournament. The Hawks will face Long Island University (Oct. 22) and Wagner (Oct. 24) on the road and host Bryant on Oct. 31. The NEC Tournament will begin on Nov. 5, and the Hawks are hoping to be part of the field.