BELLEVILLE, NJ – During the preseason, first-year head coach Bethann Garrett noticed the talent on the Belleville High School varsity girls’ soccer team.
The Lady Buccaneers displayed their talent throughout the season, and were rewarded with a stellar 12-5-1 campaign. Belleville beat Bloomfield and Colonia for their first-ever wins in the Essex County and North Jersey Section 2, Group 4 state tournaments respectively.
Indeed, Garrett was thrilled for her team’s tremendous success.
Garrett particularly praised the leadership of senior captains Courtney Augusto and Rina Blauvelt.
“Our senior captains, Courtney Augusto and Rina Blauvelt, did a great job leading the team,” said the head coach. “They kept the girls motivated all season and set a great example. We had a lot of underclassmen who stepped up for us this year. The majority of our starters were sophomores and juniors, which makes me very optimistic for the future.”
In goal, Janelle Ramirez really came up huge for the team, lauded Garrett. “Throughout the season, she was an anchor for us any time she was in net,” said Garrett. “She had some amazing saves against Bloomfield and Colonia, which helped us earn our first-ever wins in the county and state tournaments.”
The defense also was outstanding all season, Garrett said. “Nathalie Abreu, our sweeper, and Gaby Lopez, our stopper, worked together seamlessly to control the middle. Our outside backs, Augusto and Jaylyanna Bratcher, did an amazing job of forcing players wide and shutting things down.”
The midfield featured a talented trio of sophomores: Cesia Diaz, Sam Doherty, and Kayla Cabezas. “They took on a lot of responsibility this year on the field,” Garrett said. “Cesi has great vision and her footwork is phenomenal. Sam is a strong, physical player and is hard to catch when she’s moving with the ball. Kayla has a strong foot and can play some amazing crosses. She can also hit shots from outside, which makes her dangerous.”
Up top, Belleville featured players who can score, as well as distribute the ball. Junior Lindsey Reira was the team’s leading scorer this season. “Lindsey did a great job of making runs and taking players on, 1 vs. 1,” Garrett said. “Krystal Rasczyk, another junior, had a breakout season this year. She worked really hard on distributing the ball and ended the season leading the team in assists. We also got strong performances from sophomores Melanie Cruz and Alejandra Rodriguez, as well as senior Rina Blauvelt.”
Garrett was simply ecstatic for for what her players accomplished this season, and is looking forward to a bright future for the program.
“I am beyond proud of what my girls accomplished this season and I cannot wait to see what they can do moving forward,” Garrett said. “I see a lot of great things ahead for this program. This year was the first block in what will be a solid foundation for Belleville Girls Soccer.
“We will take some time to enjoy what we were able to do in the 2017 season, but we are not content with it. We know we can always work to get stronger and get better. The 2018 season gets closer everyday and we are ready to put the next block in our program’s foundation.”
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