GRHS senior Tomison Kennedy, shown in the state Group 1 title game loss to Shore, is the Worrall Media All-Area Player of the Year.
GLEN RIDGE – The Glen Ridge High School girls’ varsity soccer team enjoyed a wonderful year as the Ridgers were one win away from yet another state title.
Indeed, the team achieved much, and without a doubt a handful of Ridgers played key roles in the success.
The following players have earned Worrall Media All-Area honors: Tomison Kennedy, Ryanne Ege, Emily Gill, Galen Lew, Olivia Schwern, Colleen Grady, Merritt Davie, Meghan Marhan, Liz Hauschild, Katie Liu, and Lindsey Jaiyesimi.
In addition, Kennedy is the All-Area Player of the Year and GRHS head coach Oscar Viteri is the All-Area Coach of the Year.
For sure, one of the players who dominated for Glen Ridge this year was senior forward Tomison Kennedy, who scored 25 goals and had nine assists.
“Tomison, who is going to Princeton University, is tremendous,” said head coach Oscar Viteri. “During her career, she finished with 84 goals and 36 assists and she’s just so gifted. She’s a game-changer, especially in the last 2-3 years as she’s led our team in scoring for each of the last three years. A true soccer and an even better kid, Tomi makes everyone better and she will go on to achieve a lot of success, on and off the soccer field, once she gets to Princeton.”
Another player who helped lead the way for the Ridgers was senior goalie Ryanne Ege, who had 12 shutouts and 141 saves for the season and 581 saves and 40 shutouts for her career.
“Ryanne is a very good technical keeper and she reads the game very well,” said Viteri. “Each year she got stronger and stronger and she made some impossible saves for us. She’s a vocal leader; she got us going and she’s a great leader who had a great career for us. Throughout my years as a coach, I’ve had some good goalies and she ranks right up there with some of the best ones.”
Emily Gill, a senior four-year starter and captain, is another player Viteri talked about.
“Emily started as a freshman and she understands and reads the game well,” he said. “She’s a great kid, an outstanding defender and she’s been solid for us for four years.”
In addition, Viteri said junior center back Galen Lew also contributed to the team’s success.
“Galen is an unbelievable athlete who started as a freshman,” said Viteri. “She’s great in the air and she scored some terrific goals for us this year. She’s relentless and she has great speed. She became one of the best defenders in the conference and it’s great to have her back next year.”
Similarly, Olivia Schwern is a junior back who is also expected to return.
“Olivia is another player that we are real happy to have back next year,” Viteri said. “She has amazing speed. She works her heart out. She always gives 110 percent. She really had a great year for us.”
Along with those players, Colleen Grady, a junior midfielder, also had a strong year with 21 assists and four goals.
“Colleen takes all of the corner kicks and set pieces and she worked great with Tomi,” said Viteri. “Colleen has very good skills. She’s very strong in the middle and she started for us since her freshman year.”
Viteri also praised Merritt Davie, a junior midfielder who scored nine assists and had one goal.
“Merritt is a tremendous player who could start anywhere,” he said. “She’s a great athlete, who works her tail off.”
At junior back, Meghan Marhan had a memorable season for the team as well.
“Meghan developed into a pretty good defender as she was a goalie her freshmen year and yet did a great job for us this year on defense,” said the coach.
Viteri also lauded senior midfielder Liz Hauschild, who had one goal and one assist.
Aside from those players, Viteri also talked about Katie Liu, a junior forward who had nine goals and six assists, and Lindsey Jaiyesimi, a sophomore forward, who had nine goals.
“Katie has all of the right tools to play forward or defender,” Viteri said. “She’s a very good player and she had a great year for us while Lindsey has great speed and scored some big goals for us this year.”
On the All-Super Essex Conference-American Division, Kennedy, Ege and Lew each made first team and Grady made second team.
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