Seated from left: Jenny Callaghan and Zoe Steck. Standing: NHS head coach Mike DiPiano.
NUTLEY, NJ – Nutley High School seniors Zoe Steck and Jenny Callaghan signed National Letters of Intent in accepting athletic scholarships to continue their soccer careers at their respective colleges.
The players signed their letters during a ceremony held at NHS on National Signing Day on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
Steck signed with the University of Connecticut. Callaghan signed with New Jersey Institute of Technology.
Callaghan, who is a member of the National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society, plans to major in chemical engineering.
Both players helped the NHS girls’ soccer team to a stellar 15-4-1 season last fall.
Steck led the state last fall in goals scored with 41 and finished her career with a school-record 107 goals for head coach Mike DiPiano’s team.
DiPiano said Callaghan and Steck had a major influence in helping to make the program even stronger since he became the coach in 2012.
He also said they will continue to have a major influence in their collegiate careers.
To DiPiano, it was a definitely a joy to coach these two players.
“When you have players at that high level, it helps everything that you do. It helps players that are number 17, 18, 19 on the bench. They get to train and play and compete with players of this caliber. These are two of the highest caliber players that we have ever had in Nutley girls soccer history.”
The following is a Q&A with those players:
JENNY CALLAGHAN
Q: What do you like about NJIT?
A: When I went on my official visit, I really liked the team and the environment that the team provided, and the coach (head coach Ally Nick) was really nice and very welcoming.
Q: What are your goals at NJIT?
A: Soccer-wise, I just hope to play as a freshman and get on the field and play and get some minutes. Throughout the year, just contribute to the program and do what I can as a soccer player.
Q: What is your approach when it comes to playing soccer?
A: I like to pass the ball a lot and distribute and look to support my teammates.
Q: Who are your role models?
A: Definitely my parents, Pat and Rosemary Callaghan.
Q: What was it like to play soccer at Nutley High School?
A: Originally, I started off playing at IHA (Immaculate Heart Academy) my freshman year and I transferred to Nutley. It was definitely a better environment because I knew all the girls and I was playing with them since I was younger. It was just fun. My sophomore year, we went far in states. It was a great group of girls.
ZOE STECK
Q: How do you feel about going to UConn?
A: I am just very excited. I am just very happy for everyone who has supported me throughout the process and helping to get me here.
Q: What do you like about UConn?
A: Everything. The first thing that drew me to it was the school aspect of it, and looking at soccer afterwards just made it better. I liked it as a school first, and that’s what drew me.
Q: What do you plan to study at UConn?
A: I am going into Exploratory, but I think I might go into Education.
Q: What are your goals at UConn?
A: Just to improve as a soccer player and as a student and be the best that I can be and continue to grow as a person.
Q: What are some of your memories of playing for Nutley High School?
A: Playing for Nutley was one of the greatest experiences of my life, and I will cherish everything that I did while I was here and all the teammates that I had and all the friends that I made. That is something that I will hold dear forever.
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