Thanks to a blend of new talent and a strong team connection, the Cinnaminson girls’ soccer team ended the season with an impressive 17-4 record. Having started the season 12-2 after 14 matches, Head Coach Brandon Bond believed the girls’ soccer team would make it far and have the opportunity to compete for a championship.
“Our ultimate goal is to always, you know, to win a sectional championship,” Bond said. “It’s definitely been something we’ve had our sights on for many years now, and we’ve always kind of come up just a tad short.”
According to junior Gianna Brooks, one of the team’s biggest highlights this season was winning against some of their biggest rivals: Delran, Holy Cross, and Northern Burlington. While rival Delran had been struggling this season and hadn’t been much of a competition, both Holy Cross and Northern Burlington had strong teams, which the Pirates were able to overcome and secure wins against both teams.
With eight seniors set to graduate this season, including the three senior captains, Norah Quinn, Shiloh Moore, and Taryn Hymanson, the team has been enjoying the season. They have spent time together off the field, including going out for team dinners after games and practices and building a strong team dynamic.
“I feel like we have a great connection, we’re very bonded,” second-year captain, Norah Quinn said. “We go out for team dinners after almost every practice and game, and I just feel like our connection’s just right.”
While the team has great communication off the field, they recognized their need to improve how they communicate during matches.
“Yeah, communication during the game is our biggest weakness. We need to get better at telling each other, like, what to do to ensure our win,” junior Gabby Little said.
A key factor in the team’s success this year was three standout freshmen: Adia DePhilippo, Stevie Ormsby, and Samantha Ruggiano, who each stepped up and performed well during games.
The team’s leadership had also been a driving force behind the team’s strong performance this season.
“Our senior leadership as a whole has been really good this year,” Bond said. “Our captains – Norah Quinn as a goalie. She’s a great leader and really keeps us in a lot of games. Taryn Hymanson, another captain, and just a great player. She does great things for our program. Then Shiloh Moore, a leader on the field and has electric ability to change a game at any moment and score goals.”
Another crucial component of the team’s strong performance this season was due to the flexibility of each of the players being able to play wherever they were needed.
“I think our biggest strength is probably the diversity that we have within playing positions. A lot of players can play in different positions, which leads to more goal-scoring opportunities,” Brooks said.
The team wrapped up their season with semifinal losses in both the South Jersey Coach’s Association Tournament and the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 2 Tournament, losing by a combined total 7-2 between both matches. However, the team does have a lot to be proud of, with an impressive 15-2 regular season record and a perfect 6-0 divisional record to show for it.
