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WEST WINDSOR: Bollaci succeeds Miller for Pirate girls

New South soccer coach raising expectations

By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
   For six years, Allysa Bollaci has been helping to groom the up-and-coming players in the West Windsor-Plainsboro High South girls soccer program.
   This year, she has the chance to work with the varsity as the new head coach of the Pirates.
   ”So far, it’s been really great,” Bollaci said. “Myself and our two assistant coaches, we’re looking to change the tone of the program. Things were definitely different for the players when they came in. They had three new coaches. They’re not really sure what to expect. Expectations have been different. Expectations have been raised. They’ve been doing a great job of giving 100 percent.”
   Bollaci is familiar with the sort of student-athlete she has to work with at WW-P South. In addition to coaching in the Pirates program the last six years, she has been teaching Social Studies at the high school.
   ”Being a part of the school district helps me understand their personalizes and what they go through day by day and what their life is like,” Bollaci said. “It’s an open building. We don’t have walls. It brings a unique feel to it. It’s a good atmosphere that helps. There’s a real school spirit.”
   The girls soccer program enjoyed plenty of success with Chris Miller at the helm for the last 19 years, but the last three years have seen them uncharacteristically struggle with fewer wins in each successive season. Bollaci is hoping she can turn that around quickly and get back to winning.
   ”We certainly hope for that to happen,” she said. “We have a lot of returning players that are still there. We have a lot of young talent coming up. The assistant coaches and I are optimistic.”
   Bollaci is familiar with the area after coaching the JV the last five years and the freshman team the year before that. Even before she was coaching at WW-P South, she had a familiarity with the area and the program. She played four years at South Brunswick High before playing at Richard Stockton College. After graduation, she started coaching at South under Miller.
   ”It’s some pretty big shoes to fill,” Bollaci said. “She took me under her wing the first time I was a coach.”
   Bollaci figures after six years with the Pirates she is ready to step up to be a head coach at the varsity level.
   ”It happened sooner than I thought it would,” Bollaci said. “I wasn’t looking around. I’ve been with the Pirates of High School South. I wasn’t planning on leaving. I had spoken to Chris Miller about it, but I didn’t expect it to happen so suddenly. When the door opened up, I was ready to step in.”
   Bollaci has been a lifelong player, and coaching allows her to extend her love for the game to a different role. It’s something that she has always thought about even as a younger player.
   ”Soccer has been it for me,” Bollaci said. “I grew up playing soccer. The sport took over my life. I coach what I know best and what I’ve always loved.”
   At South Brunswick, she can remember playing against the Miller-coached Pirates. She felt well prepared out of high school when she moved on to Stockton where she played for Nick Juengert.
   ”Definitely playing in college and in high school — I played four years of high school and playing at that collegiate level – that brings in your expectations,” Bollaci said. “I can evaluate them and see what they’re truly capable of. I still play whenever I can.”
   Bollaci is hoping that her passion for the game is contagious. She is looking to make playing for the Pirates a rewarding experience, and she knows that she can help shape it into such.
   ”Looking at my previous coaches, having great coaches and role models is important to having a good experience with soccer,” Bollaci said. “I’m fortunate that door (to coaching) opened up to me early on.”
   Joining Bollaci on the Pirates staff this year are some other women who are passionate about the game. JV coach is Lauren Small, who was previously the freshman coach. The new freshman coach is Alexandra Pasterson.
   ”They were both former college players,” Bollaci said. “Having us three together has been a blessing. We can switch things up and use our knowledge.”
   Bollaci has tried to use some of what she has learned over the years from the coaches that she had as a player and the coaches that she has worked with since her own playing career ended.
   Said Bollaci: “It’s been great for me to see how other coaches function, how they handle different situations, how they go about the planning process, and what their goals and expectations are and what works for them. While it’s important to set bar high, you may have to adjust it as the season goes on.”
   Bollaci is hoping only to have to raise expectations as the Pirates meet one goal after another. She would love to see the program sit again among the best in Mercer County, a consistent contender in a competitive county.
   ”The biggest thing is I certainly want them to play together as a group, play with lots of possession, definitely supporting each other, in terms of runs and transitioning offensively and defensively,” Bollaci said. “Working as a cohesive unit is one of the biggest goals I’ve had as a team. “We really want to challenge the girls to make sure they’re reaching their potential — as individuals and as a team.”
   Bollaci started to set expectations soon after she got the job. The Pirates received an offseason workout regimen that they could follow, and the coaching staff set the tone for improvement right from the first pre-season practice this month.
   ”The first few things we worked on was the fitness of the girls,” Bollaci said. “Soccer, at the end of the day, is a game of fitness. Their touches on the ball, possession, working it up the field, and shooting, none of that will happen without possession. Once the girls get the hang of that, we started work on bigger things — formations and working the ball up the field and expectations.”
   The Pirate players have embraced her steps to improve the team. They started over the summer with workouts and building skills and chemistry.
   ”The girls did a lot,” Bollaci said. “They went to camp together for a week. They’re in a great mindset for this season to start.”
   The Pirates face another tough schedule in the Colonial Valley Conference. It opens with rival West Windsor-Plainsboro North, and there are well established programs like Princeton, Steinert and Robbinsville all battling for supremacy among the public schools.
   ”You definitely have to have a strong group of girls, a cohesive group of girls,” Bollaci said. “We’re going against such great teams.”
   Allysa Bollaci knows well how tough the conference can be. She is looking forward to her chance to elevate the program again, this time from the top as the new varsity coach. She is thrilled to have the opportunity.
   ”Definitely when I was in high school, I loved helping out with younger girls,” Bollaci said. “In college, I was still playing. I had a passion for it. I love the idea of working with younger girls and helping them in any way I can.”