Sports at the childhood and adolescent levels can produce some great connections and camaraderie, yet when those relationships blossom all the way up to the collegiate level, it displays the full communal aspect of athletics in full bloom. Four young women from East Haven have gotten to experience that firsthand.

Those four East Haven High School (EHHS) graduates are Aimee DiVerniero (Class of 2021), Jordan Kikosicki (Class of 2018), Haley Montesanto (also Class of 2018), and Christina Fazzino (Class of 2020). Each member of the foursome played throughout the youth soccer squads in town before they made their own ways to EHHS, where they all served as team captains for the Yellowjackets’ girls’ soccer team in their senior seasons.

Yet that was not the end of the journey for the girls when it came to their bonds through the soccer ball. Through their own unique paths, they all came together once more and just completed a campaign playing together at NCAA Division III program Albertus Magnus College in New Haven on the women’s soccer team. The Falcons finished 9-6-4 overall and 6-4-3 within Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) play. They additionally reached the GNAC Tournament semifinal round.

DiVerniero, a sophomore defender and business marketing major, made five starts this past fall for the Falcons. This followed a freshman campaign that saw her be named to the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team. She was also a captain in her junior and senior seasons for the Yellowjackets.

“Playing together with these girls again was a very nice experience,” said DiVerniero. “Christina and I were very close, so it was very pleasant to reunite with her. With soccer, you are spending most of your weekdays and weekends together, and for us, it all started in the East Haven youth program. We have created relationships that have lasted a long time. The relationships included boosting each other up and leaning on each other.”

In 2022, Kikosicki (also a senior year captain at EHHS who also participated in both indoor and outdoor track) made 19 starts for the Falcons as a graduate forward and tallied three points behind one goal and one assist. For her 2021 run, she started all 16 games for Albertus and notched five points (2 goals, 1 assist). For 2019 as a sophomore, Kikosicki, a health management major, ranked fifth on the squad in total points, with seven on a trio of goals and a helper.

“It was a great experience playing with these girls in high school and college. They are great people who contributed so much to the programs,” said Kikosicki. “The biggest switch physically in going to the college game has been the higher intensity and competition, and then mentally, the school work is more intense, plus the different schedule with varied classes. Playing with the girls has definitely created a close-knit community. I made some of my best friends through soccer.”

For Montesanto, serving as senior-year captain and 2017 All-SCC Second Team selection for the Yellowjackets, she completed

19 starts for the Falcons as a graduate transfer midfielder in 2022. She transferred to Albertus after four seasons at Eastern Connecticut State University, where she racked up 24 points, on nine goals and six assists, in 58 career appearances with the Warriors.

Montesanto was a three-sport athlete at EHHS, additionally playing basketball and taking part in outdoor track, and jumped at the chance to compete for the Falcons with familiar faces.

“After the last four years at Eastern, I had a chance for a grad year here at Albertus, and I felt it was the best fit for me to play with these girls I had played with before; it felt like home to me,” said Montesanto, who began playing youth soccer in East Haven at the age of 5. “The biggest adjustments going from high school to collegiate soccer were adjusting to the coaching styles and new players and starting fresh. All of the coaches and players I have met will be my friends for years.”

Fazzino, a history major, made six appearances for Albertus on the pitch in 2022 as a junior defender. In 2021, she appeared in seven games for the Falcons and started one as a defender.

“This was a great opportunity to start a foundation we created as young kids and see it come full circle in college; the team chemistry is still there,” said Fazzino. “On my Senior Night at EHHS, Aimee and I were sad because we knew we were parting ways, but came to find out, she was going to go to Albertus, too, and it was great news. Moving to college soccer, it was an adjustment to work harder and find a deeper love for the sport to play at a more competitive level. The friendships through soccer have had huge impacts on me; they are like my second family. These are bonds that will last for life.”

Yellowjackets’ girls’ soccer Head Coach Jake Hackett noted that Montesanto and Kikosicki were two of his inaugural captains upon arrival at EHHS. He declared that they truly set a gold standard for future members of the program to follow for years.

“All four of those girls are good soccer players and exceptional young women. Jordan and Haley were captains during my first year at EHHS,” said Hackett. “When you come into a program, you never know exactly what you’re walking into. Haley and Jordan went above and beyond and not only bought in themselves but also led by example and were a huge part of getting the whole team to buy in. Their dedication to excellence and determination are cornerstones of this program. I am so proud of both of them, not only for what they have accomplished in their soccer careers but also for the people they have grown to become. They are exceptional young women and strong members of their community.”

Speaking to Fazzino’s fast track within the Yellowjackets’ varsity ranks, Hackett stated she was someone who was a focused athlete, ready to continually grow each day.

“Christina was the lone member of the sophomore class when I began my time at EHHS,” Coach Hackett said. “From Day 1, she put forth a large amount of hard work and showed determination and a willingness to learn and grow as a player. This attitude of hard work and desire to grow as a player continued as she grew in the program, and became a varsity role player as a sophomore to a full starter in her junior and senior years.”

Hackett explained that DiVerniero was a captain who approached each teammate with great care and compassion while helping to corral her teammates to success on the pitch.

“For two years, Aimee went above and beyond as a captain,” said Hackett. “She was a great leader, a great teammate, and a caring friend to all in the program. Getting to watch Aimee grow from a quiet freshman to a strong leader and captain was truly special. She is a strong player and a great person, with an exceptional caliber of character.”

In closing, Hackett is brimming with pride to see the progress of each individual, along with their collective efforts toward developing the true tenets of what the EHHS program entails.

“We always want to leave things better than they were when we started and impact a positive change on a team or situation,” Hackett said. “All four of these amazing young women helped this program grow and get better every year. It began with Jordan and Haley’s decision to be the change and Aimee and Christina continuing to push the program forward. Seeing these four girls grow into the strong young women they are today has been truly special to me. I cannot properly say how truly proud I am of all of them.”