By Wayne Witkowski
Gabby Medina, catcher for record-setting pitcher Faith Weber in New Egypt High School’s drive to the NJSIAA Group I softball championship last spring, now will play a supporting role for the girls soccer team as well this fall as it looks to contend for a Burlington County Scholastic League Freedom Division championship.
Jen Kociuba returns from a season away to again coach the Warriors, who were 9-11-2 last season in a challenging schedule but finished 5-1-2 in the division. They lost in the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group I quarterfinals to Metuchen High School, 4-0.
Casey McKenzie, who scored 21 goals last season, is among the seven players who graduated in the spring.
“This team is fairly young with only four seniors and a lot of sophomores and freshmen but is coming along really well,” Kociuba said. “Communication at the beginning of the season is a big thing. It’s the biggest weakness right now. It’s hard to click at the beginning of the season.”
The team opens its regular season at powerful Holy Cross High School at 3:45 p.m. Sept. 8.
Medina, a senior this fall, is part of a solid nucleus that has proven talent, although Kociuba is not exactly sure yet what positions they’ll be playing. Sam Weber, a junior this fall who is Faith Weber’s younger sister, suffered a knee injury last basketball season and will have to skip soccer this fall.
Kociuba said she’ll build the team from the back as a defensive-minded coach. She was a fullback in her playing career.
“We have 33 girls out, which is amazing for a Group I school, and all are very competitive. It’s going to be tough,” Kociuba said. “This team has many options and they take constructive criticism. They all want to work together for a common goal.”
Rising seniors Alyssa Zarriello and Angela Hartman and junior Paige Siegal are part of that nucleus along with freshmen Madelyn Reutger and Nicole Winowski. The goalkeeper this year will be a freshman, as Grace Dreher and Kaitlyn Botti are scrapping for that spot in practice.
“Nothing is set in stone; they’ll play wherever needed,” Kociuba said of the players in the field. “The girls are talented enough to play in multiple areas of the field. They are on the same page, which is wonderful to see. They’re very hard workers.”
By the end of this week, Kociuba feels she will have a much clearer idea. The Warriors scrimmaged at Palmyra Aug. 31 and will host Hightstown High School at 3:45 p.m. Sept. 2. They play host to St. Joseph High School of Hammonton at 3:45 p.m. Sept. 6.