St. Joseph Girls Soccer Captures Fourth FCIAC Title in Five Years
Sophia Santorsola scored both goals in a 2-0 shutout of Ridgefield to secure the league championship for the Cadets.
By Thomas Obasi ·
St. Joseph defeated Ridgefield 2-0 Tuesday night to win the FCIAC girls soccer championship.
Sophia Santorsola scored the game’s only goals, finding the back of the net late in each half. Her first goal came with 63 seconds remaining in the first period. She received a cross from Sara Wicker, who had been deflected by Ridgefield goalkeeper Cathryn Mills. Santorsola finished the rebound into an empty net. Her second goal arrived with 1:09 left in the match, assisted by Maria Clara Barros.
The Cadets improved to a 16-0-2 record, marking their second straight tournament title and their fourth in the last five years. St. Joseph has reached the final in each of the past five seasons. Goalkeeper Cailyn O’Hara recorded her 16th shutout of the season. She has allowed only two goals all year, conceding one to Trumbull and one to Greenwich via a penalty kick. O’Hara will play for Sacred Heart University next season.
Ridgefield finished with a 15-1-3 record and 15 shutouts of its own. The team allowed eight goals this season, including four against Greenwich across two games. Coach Barry O’Reilly said his squad will use the experience of its first final in several years as motivation for the state tournament. Both teams enter the CIAC Class LL bracket as the top two seeds.
St. Joseph coach Jack Nogueira noted that his team has held the No. 1 spot in the GametimeCT power rankings since October. He also cited the team’s position as No. 1 in the Class LL/L state coaches poll. Nogueira credited the players for the team’s consistent performance in the final round of the league tournament.
Santorsola, a sophomore, was named Player of the Game. She credited her positioning for the first goal, stating she knew she needed to be there for the rebound after Wicker’s shot. For the second goal, she said she saw the opportunity and took the shot. O’Hara acknowledged Ridgefield’s talent, noting they gave St. Joseph a strong challenge before the Cadets secured the victory.
