The East Haven girls’ soccer team knew it had its work cut out for itself entering the 2022 season, as it parted ways with several seniors from a year ago. While the Yellowjackets did not garner the win totals it would have liked, they gained massive victories in the intangibles column with dedication, persistence, and eventual maturation.

Head Coach Jake Hackett and East Haven finished with two wins in 16 contests–twice besting Career/Hillhouse, 6-0 at home on Sept. 27, and 8-0 on the road on Oct. 21. He went onto note that the squad fell short of their postseason aspirations set out back in the summer, yet the Yellowjackets found that they were more than successful in growing as a group and as individuals day after day.

“Our biggest goal was just to get better every time we set foot on the field,” said Hackett. “We played against some of the bigger programs this year, and so we just wanted to make sure we put in the work. We wanted to make sure that at the end of every game, end of every practice, we should have been able to say we gave it our best. We kept saying that yesterday’s hard work was not good enough today. We did not make states, but they just kept giving it their best and improving daily. I am so proud of that.”

The Easties knew before the first ball was dropped on the season that it would be one filled with some growing pains as fresh faces stepped into varsity shoes that were foreign to them. Still, the girls stuck to their mission in the midst of giving SCC upstarts all they could handle, which was a major feat in Hackett’s hindsight.

“A big accomplishment was the fact that we knew we were graduating a ton of people and it would be difficult, but they stayed with it and never quit,” Hackett said. “We still approached every game and knew it mattered. The young players stepped up, which is a good sign for the future. We had tight, close games against good North Haven and West Haven teams. We lost 1-0 to North Haven on a free kick with 26 seconds left. We also had a great game against Law. I was happy with their performance.”

Speaking more to his varsity newcomers, Hackett praised his group for not only their courage to move into the spotlight on the pitch but also their proficiency in sliding into positions that may have been unfamiliar for many.

“At the beginning, we had girls new to the varsity program, which can be nerve racking, but they grew into it,” Hackett said. “Sophomore Hannah Dudley went from defender to center midfielder. [Junior] Natalie Brown stepped up to starting defender. [Junior] Mya Fenn found her spot in the backfield. [Sophomore] Valery Orrego played a great forward. [Junior] Seralyn Lendroth kept us in a lot of games. [Junior] Gianna Castellano gave a strong effort offensively. [Junior] Salome Hernandez stepped up off the bench. [Sophomore] Fatima Magana also stepped up in the midfield.”

East Haven’s captains were led by a senior trio of Gianna Mendez, Gabriella Gaetano, and Sydney Herard. The senior class was rounded out by Julia Crisci. The Yellowjackets could not have been more blessed with a group that made their own indelible marks both in competition and away from it, acting in leadership roles.

“We had three captains that were either starters or major contributors to this team,” Hackett states. “Julia coming back to the team and working hard says a lot about her character. Gabby created a legacy of a great type of player. Sydney made a difference right away. Gianna was one of the best players to come through this program. We talk about a quote that says, ‘you want to leave the world a better place than what it was when you got there,’ and the seniors did that. They raised the level of this program and will be hard to replace.”

Mendez made First Team All-SCC honors and junior Valerie Sortito notched Second Team All-SCC distinction. For team awards, Sortito was bestowed with the Defensive Team MVP Award, Mendez was named overall Team MVP, and finally, Gaetano and Herard shared the Coaches’ Award.

Naturally, a team that was young on varsity minutes entering the season is primed to come back as a sharper contender the following campaign–a principle that is leaving Hackett

optimistic.

“We had a young team, but in a good way. We will be able to put a team on the field that will compete next year,” Hackett said. “The juniors will now be seniors, and they are hungry. Everyone is excited to continue to grow. I am looking forward to next year and seeing the girls step into major roles. There is a lot of potential, which bodes well for the future.”

Hackett concluded by saying he was grateful for the opportunity to coach this eclectic club that found its own identity by being a group that never wavered through fortunate and unfortunate bounces of the ball.

“Every year, a team has its own personality to me,” said Hackett. “We knew this year would be tough, but the perseverance and determination they showed was great. This team played as hard as they could. Things didn’t go our way, but we were in a lot of games versus top competition. They did not stop until the final whistle of the last game. It was a year that helped us grow as coaches and players, which made me happy.”

The East Haven roster for the 2022 season entailed senior captains Mendez, Gaetano, and Herard; senior Crisci; juniors Ana Romero, Lendroth, Brown, Sortito, Castellano, Brianna Fernandez, Jennifer Ramsey, Hernandez, Gabriella Francia, Angelly Cordova, Fenn, Julianna Paranto, and Jasmin Pinos; sophomores Orrego, Magana, Dudley, Dalexa Pereanez, and Sofia Calixto; and freshmen Ariella Guadalupe, Bianca Ortiz, Jazlin DeJesus, Isabella Maione, Aiyana Davis, Giulia D’Onofrio, and Lily Doheny.