Heather O’Reilly of East Brunswick High School capped an exceptional season with her third straight selection to the Associated Press New Jersey All-State girls soccer team.
O’Reilly, a junior forward, has also received several Player of the Year honors for her performance on the field this season. as she led the Bears to their ninth NJSIAA title and first since 1996.
O’Reilly scored 38 goals and recorded 11 assists and is a member of the U-19 National team. She will enter her senior season with a remarkable 121 career goals. She notched her 100th goal in the Bear’s eighth game of the season, a 14-1 win over Edison in which O’Reilly tallied five goals. With O’Reilly leading the way, the Bears finished 20-2 after going 20-3 a year ago and returning all but three starters from that team.
Joining her on the All-State team is her East Brunswick teammate Kari Devine. Devine, a senior midfielder, earned-third-team honors.
With yet another stellar season under her belt, the questions surrounding O’Reilly’s future are relentless. After all, what can she possibly do for an encore as a senior next season.
"I don’t know," she said. "I can’t set my eyes on any numbers or try to beat any records. That would be unrealistic. I just want to go out every game and try my hardest. I think our team will be good again. I love to play and have a good time, and I hope we’ll be successful through that hard work."