Gino DePinto already had a successful coaching career in boys’ high school soccer, long before he ever heard about the head coaching position at Secaucus High School for the girls’ program.
After all, DePinto was the all-time leader in coaching wins at Belleville, collecting more than 120 victories there. He was also the head coach at Weehawken for several years.
“But I didn’t know much about Secaucus,” DePinto said. “I didn’t know what they had.”
As it turned out, the Patriots’ girls program really didn’t have much when DePinto arrived. The program started in 2000, but never had much success. In fact, they hadn’t won a single game in the three seasons prior to DePinto’s arrival. In DePinto’s first season seven years ago, the Patriots won only one game.
“We lost one game to Lyndhurst, 7-0, and one girl said to me, ‘Well, this is an improvement,’ ” DePinto said. “I was confused. She said, ‘Well, last year, we lost, 10-0.’ I didn’t know what to expect. We had to play some games with 10 girls. I was scratching my head. We were excited to win one game. It took me a while to get used to that. I knew we had to improve the program, get it moving in the right direction.”
It wasn’t easy, but there was a gradual improvement.
In 2006, the Patriots won eight games and qualified for the first time for the NJSIAA North Jersey Section 2, Group I playoffs. That alone was amazing.
Cynthia Costello, now a senior, was a freshman on that team, which finished the season with an 8-10-1 record.
“I remember watching my sister play and there were teams that beat us, 12-0,” Costello said. “So when we made the state playoffs for the first time, it was a huge buildup. We never had much of a chance to do anything before.”
But before the 2009 season began, DePinto had a different sense.
“I knew we had a good incoming freshman class,” DePinto said. “I watched them play when they were younger and I knew that the freshmen were going to come in and help us right away.”
In fact, when the season kicked off in September, DePinto had five freshmen in his starting lineup.
“They deserved to play,” DePinto said. “They were terrific.”
Costello was the main performer and senior leader. Already the school’s all-time leading scorer, Costello was determined to make her final season memorable.
“My goal was to score 20 goals,” Costello said. “But I really didn’t know if I could do it.”
“She has speed and she has talent,” DePinto said. “She also comes to play every game.”
With Costello as pretty much the lone offensive threat, the Patriots put their young roster on the field to try to accomplish something no other Secaucus team had ever done before – win a game in the NJSIAA state playoffs.
It wasn’t going to be easy. The Patriots’ first-round opponent was Lyndhurst, a team that the Patriots had never defeated in their history. Lyndhurst had already defeated the Patriots twice this season, both times by a 2-1 margin.
“But I knew we had a chance to beat them this time, because the game was on grass,” DePinto said. “I told our girls that if we scored the first goal, we could win.”
Sure enough, Costello scored the goal and goalkeeper Kelsey Snedeker made it stand up, collecting 14 saves for the shutout in the Patriots’ 1-0 upset win.
Then, the Patriots moved on to the sectional semifinals against Dayton Regional of Springfield. Dayton totally outplayed Secaucus throughout the contest, but with three minutes left, Costello struck again, firing a high shot that caromed off the goalkeeper’s hands and into the net.
“We were going back and forth and then Cynthia took that shot,” DePinto said. “When the ball went in, it was like a miracle. I couldn’t believe it.”
Snedeker made another 14 saves in this 1-0 shutout.
Now, with the win, the Patriots have advanced to the sectional finals. Here’s a team that had never won a single state playoff game before this year now playing for a state title.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing,” Costello said. “It’s pretty much amazing.”
“I knew we were going to be a better team, but to go all the way to the finals?” DePinto said. “No, I didn’t think that. I don’t think anyone did.”
Snedeker has been a major key. The junior has collected six shutouts this season, but none bigger than the last two. The six shutouts represent a new school record.
Freshman Jubeth Buitrago started the season at sweeper, but she hurt her knee and has been out ever since. However, another freshman, Gabriella Visaggio, has filled in admirably in the key defensive position.
Senior Laura Mondadori is the stopper back. She’s another Patriot who survived the tough times and is now enjoying the fruits of her patience.
Three players have been splitting time at the defender position, namely junior Christina Rodriguez, sophomore Micaela Sanchez and freshman Jessie Koerner.
The midfield is comprised of two sophomores and two freshmen. Kathleen Mercado and Gabriella Fumia are the sophomores, with Ariana Simon and Brianna McCaffery as freshmen. Gabriella Povolotsky is another sophomore who gets plenty of time in the midfield.
“She’s the smallest girl on the field, but she’s always making plays,” DePinto said of Povolotsky.
Sophomore Heather Krause is the other forward, alongside Costello, who has been nothing short of brilliant. Her two clutch goals in the state playoffs give her 26 on the season. The next leading Secaucus scorer has five.
The next step in the state playoffs won’t be an easy one. New Providence takes a 21-1 record into the finals, having soundly defeated everyone in their path. Dayton, the team that Secaucus defeated to reach the finale, lost twice to New Providence by scores of 8-0 and 7-1.
“Whatever happens, happens,” DePinto said. “New Providence is a very good team. We know how good they are. But we’re going to give it our best and see what happens. But we’re playing in the state finals. It’s beyond a shock. It’s incredible. It’s a miracle.”
But whatever happens, Secaucus now has a legitimate girls’ soccer program.
“We had 40 girls come out this year,” DePinto said. “Secaucus has always been a good school for sports. Well, maybe this will boost up soccer a little. Maybe girls will want to give soccer a try now.”
And who would have ever thought that the Secaucus girls’ soccer season would extend longer than the more respected volleyball team? No one.
“I don’t think anyone still believes this,” said Costello, who is also a swimmer in the winter months and runs track in the spring. “We just want to get as far as we can. We want to keep going.”
Win a few state games and there is a chance one might get a little greedy, right? It’s so better than the alternative.
Jim Hague can be reached at OGSMAR@aol.com.