BRICK – Make room for another championship banner on the walls of the Brick Memorial High School gymnasium.
The Mustangs’ girls soccer team has rolled a seven.
It has won the program’s seventh New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association sectional championship. Latest title was captured with a 2-1 victory over top-seeded Middletown South in the second overtime of the Central Jersey Group III championship match in a rematch of last year’s final won by the Eagles in double overtime.
“The biggest reason we won is that we have special players,” Brick Memorial head coach Billy Caruso said. “They are all talented and work extremely hard. The girls titled this tournament our Revenge Tour as we had to beat the two teams that knocked us out of the state tournament the past two years. Hopewell Valley beat us in the 2021 semifinals on penalty kicks after we outshot them 20-3 during the game. This was definitely one of our most special sectional titles.”
There were South Jersey Group IV championships in 1999, 2001 and 2002. There also were Central Jersey Group IV crowns in 2003, 2004 and 2008. And there were Group IV state championships in 1999, 2002, 2003 and 2004.
“It had been 15 years since our last one (a sectional title),” coach Caruso said. “You start to wonder if you will ever get back to the mountain top. We were extremely motivated not to go home heartbroken again. It was all we talked about for 366 days.”
Chloe Gellici netted both goals against the Eagles for the third-seeded Mustangs after the clubs battled to a 1-1 tie through 80 minutes of regulation, one 10-minute extra session and a brief period of the second overtime.
The senior forward netted the winner two minutes into the second overtime. She played a ball at midfield to junior forward Maggie Allen on the right side. Allen set up the defender with a change of speed to beat her down the flank and hit what coach Caruso termed a “perfect” cross to Gellici at the far post. Gellici beat her defender and slotted the goal to the far post as the Mustangs’ fans roared their approval.
“I will never forget this championship for as long as I live,” said coach Caruso, 55. “There were Chloe’s outstretched arms, knowing she scored the championship winning goal. There were our girls sprinting toward them. I will also never forget Mia (Caruso) sprinting and jumping into my arms when she saw me. This team’s legacy will be the fact it brought back championship soccer to Brick Memorial. It was really nice to win the (Shore Conference) Class A South title last year, but high school soccer success is and always will be remembered by how well you do in the state tournament.”
The Mustangs took a 1-0 lead with about four minutes left in the first half when Gellici converted a corner kick from senior forward Gabby Hernandez before the Eagles replied with a goal.
“We felt 100 percent that we would win the sectional title this year from the day we lost last year,” coach Caruso said. “We were never so determined. We were not even slightly surprised that we did as well as we did. We knew we would be good enough to win a sectional. It was just a matter of if we could get it done. It is hard to win championships.”
The Mustangs opened sectional play with a 2-0 win over 14th-seeded Freehold Boro. They bested sixth-seeded Hopewell 5-0 in the quarterfinals and shelled seventh-seeded Northern Burlington 6-2 in the semifinals, setting up their epic battle with the Eagles. The Mustangs fell 2-0 to Shawnee in the Group III state semifinals.
“We had a rocky start in our first state tournament game, winning only 1-0,” coach Caruso said, “but then we started to play our best soccer of the season over the next three games.”
The Mustangs’ slogan was This is the Team. NOW is the time.
“I stole the slogan over the summer when I was reading ex-United States Women’s National Team coach Tony Diccico’s book, “Catch Them Being Good,” about the 1999 women’s World Cup champions,” coach Caruso said. “We had T-shirts made up and the slogan was printed in big letters outside of our locker room wall.”
Brick Memorial’s captains were seniors Lexi and Mia Caruso and senior center back Ashlee Schlagenhaft.
“We vote for captains at the end of the prior season when we collect our uniforms,” coach Caruso said. “We want them to be leaders during the off season, too. The three of them showed great leadership during their junior seasons and were voted in by an almost unanimous decision among the players.”
Coach Caruso said the team suffered little adversity.
“We were very lucky,” he said. “The only significant injury we had was to Ashlee. She suffered a turf toe injury midway through the season. She was extremely tough and fought through it for most of the year, but we thought it would be best to shut her down for two weeks prior to the state tournament. She essentially went through the season not training on the day after our games so that we could get the whole season out of her. (Sophomore defender) Emily Cranston filled in for her and did a great job.”
The Ocean County College-bound Gellici finished the season with 16 goals and six assists for a club-high 38 points. She erupted for six goals and one assist in the state tournament. She netted 27 career goals and added 10 assists on her way to three varsity letters.
“She is an extremely dynamic player for us,” coach Caruso said. “She is one of the best one versus one players on our team and has an amazing shot. She really improved her mental game this year. For such a great player, she struggles with self-confidence at times. She told herself, ‘I will be successful this year,’ and she was. She is still deciding if she will play soccer in college. Because we were so balanced up top, nobody could focus just on Chloe.”
Junior midfielder Brooke DeAlemeida added seven goals and six assists for 20 points. She scored one goal and added one assist in the state tournament.
“She was our best player,” coach Caruso said. “At times, she could dominate games. She is an exceptional player who is gifted in every area of the game. This year, she showed she can be a goal scorer, too.”
Allen netted eight goals and four assists for 20 points. She netted two goals and dished off three assists in the state tournament. Senior forward Gabby Hernandez pumped in nine goals and added 15 assists for 33 points. She put home three goals and added six assists in the state tournament.
“Maggie is an extremely quick forward and is able to beat players in one-on-one situations,” coach Caruso said. “She gave us the ability to have a fourth forward who was as good as our three starters. This made it very difficult for teams to rest defensively – we were always coming at them.”
Hernandez played in the midfield last season.
“She gave us depth in the midfield,” coach Caruso said. “She is a three-year varsity player who had an amazing year. She has the best serve on our team and takes one of the best corner kicks out of everyone in the Shore Conference.”
Forward Lexi Caruso put home eight goals and added four assists for 20 points. She scored two goals and added four assists in the state tournament. The four-year varsity player will compete for The College of New Jersey.
“Lexi played as a target player,” coach Caruso said. “Our attack was built to find her and then play a combo to another forward to free them up.”
Brick Memorial High School celebrated its seventh New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association sectional championship. (Photo courtesy Ed Sarluca)
Midfielder Mia Caruso added five goals and five assists for 15 points. She scored one goal and added one assist in the state tournament. The four-year varsity starter will play for Stockton University.
“Mia was one of our best midfielders,” coach Caruso said. “She was our most creative player and she helped control the midfield.”
Coach Caruso said he enjoyed guiding the couple’s daughters.
“It was an amazing four years,” he said. “It was something that we talked about during their whole lives. They have been on the sidelines with me since they were little girls. They were even at the last sectional championship game with my wife (Lisa) in a stroller. We dreamed of winning a championship together and to do it during their senior year makes it unforgettable.
“It wasn’t always easy. I was extra hard on them because I didn’t want anyone to think I was favoring them in any way. It was even more difficult with them being the lone starting freshmen. They were the first two subs out in every game for three years. I finally loosened up a bit this year and subbed them like everyone else. But it was definitely worth it in the end. It is one of the most rewarding things I have ever done in my coaching career.”
A key reserve was sophomore midfielder Lila Hopkins, who handed out one assist on the season.
“She gave us valuable minutes in the midfield,” coach Caruso said. “She will have a much bigger role next season.”
Not many shots got past Schlagenhaft (who netted two goals and added two assists on the season), junior center back Jordan McCullough (four assists) and sophomore backs Reese Keane (four assists) and Mickey Siciliano (three assists). The latter two were first-year varsity starters. Schlagenhaft, a starting center midfielder as a sophomore, will play for either Stockton or Eastern University.
“It is often overlooked what she brought to the team because of her quiet demeanor,” coach Caruso said. “She had a great year for us.”
The fifth back off the bench was Cranston.
“Ashlee and Jordan were our best defenders,” coach Caruso said. “They organized our defense. They were great markers. They were very strong in the air. Reese and Mickey were a key to our season. They had to grow up quickly for us to be successful, which they did. Cranston did a great job.”
Junior goalkeeper Giselle Lizardi turned back 129 saves and posted 10 shutouts through 21 games.
“I believe she is the best keeper in the Shore Conference,” coach Caruso said. “She is strong and athletic. She is a great shot blocker and she is able to handle crosses. Her greatest attribute is her ability to absolutely shut down breakaways.”
Reserve sophomore goalkeeper Vic Hiotis registered 13 saves through six matches.
“She is very strong,” coach Caruso said, “and was ready to step in at any point.”
An object known as the Mustang 2×4 was born in 2004. It was the brainchild of senior player Krystal Strada.
“It’s a metaphor for coming out with the mentality of hitting them (opponents) first,” coach Caruso said. “I was talking at training about showing up like you’re ready to smack somebody with a 2×4. Krystal went home and painted a 2×4 green (one of the school’s colors) and showed up with it the next day at a game. It has sat on our bench for every game since then as a reminder to come out hard on every play. It has been passed on every season to a player who best represents that mentality. Brook DeAlmeida has been carrying it for the last two seasons for us.”
The Mustangs placed second in eight-team Shore Conference Class A South at 6-2 behind first-place South Jersey Group IV champion Central Regional. The Mustangs outscored their opponents 57-19 on the season. They were 10-1-1 at home and 5-4 on the road.
Brick Memorial also received contributions from sophomore midfielder Makayla Doheny (one goal), freshman forward Kylie McCullough, sophomore midfielder Skyler Schlagenhaft (who handed out one assist in the state tournament and added one goal on the season), sophomore defender Makayla Siciliano (three assists) and junior defender Sydney Mihalko. Doheny scored one goal on the season. Hopkins added one assist.
“Defensively,” coach Caruso said, “we played a four-back zonal system while our three midfielders played man-to-man. Offensively, our goal was to keep it simple. We spent a great deal of time doing that, playing the way you are facing and not over complicating things in the first two-thirds of the field. We were courageous and took people on in the final third of the field.”
Coach Caruso said he enjoyed working with the Mustangs.
“It was a fun year,” he said. “This group was so enjoyable to coach because we had no attitude on the team. Every girl was truly into the ‘Team First’ motto. Nobody cared about who scored or who got the credit. They just cared about winning games.”
The assistant coaches were John Parani, Stephanie Butala, Crystal Badders, Gunther Ulbrich, Richie Kijak, Patrick Schlagenhaft and Jessica Fuccello. Parani has coached with Caruso on and off for the past 30 years. Caruso and Parani were teammates in 1983 when the Mustangs’ boys team won the 1983 Group III state title.
“He is my right hand man and an integral part of everything we do,” coach Caruso said. “We would not be successful without him. He is our main varsity assistant.”
Butala played on the Mustangs’ 1999 Group IV state championship team. The 2001 Brick Memorial graduate has been with the program since the 2014 season.
“She works with our varsity defenders and does most of the strength, conditioning and stretching work with the girls,” coach Caruso said.
Badders, the Mustangs’ career scoring leader, works primarily with the junior varsity team. She played on the 1999 Group IV state championship team and is a 2000 graduate. Ulbrich, a varsity assistant coach, and Caruso played on the Mustangs’ Group III state championship team. Kijak, a 2022 Brick Memorial graduate, coaches the goalkeepers, Caruso coached Kijak in his part time role of helping the boys team. Schlagenhaft is new to the staff after charting game day statistics last season.
Fuccello, who played on the Mustangs’ Group IV state championship teams from 2002-2004, is a part time coach who works with the forwards. Second on the Mustangs’ career scoring list, she starred at the University of Pennsylvania of the Ivy League.
“Jess Fuccello is the GOAT (greatest of all time),” coach Caruso said. “She gets the edge over the many other great ones because she led us to three state championships and led the team in scoring every year.”
The 2005 team earned a special place in Caruso’s heart. It was 19-1 overall and won its first 19 matches of the season. Dating back to 2004, it captured 26 straight matches. It was ranked first in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association (now the United Soccer Coaches Association) for a few weeks. Its top players were junior forward Mallory Baker, Fuccello, sophomore midfielder Cait Conway and senior defender Caitlin Toomey.
“I have always said our 2005 team was our best team,” Caruso said. “We were going for four straight state championships and were ranked first in the nation when we were upset in the sectional final. Since we didn’t even win a sectional title, we were unranked in the final national poll of the season. We were able to achieve a lot of our success because besides being incredibly good we were incredibly confident. These players hadn’t lost a state tournament game for almost four years before they were upset.”
The 1995 team was ranked 17th in the nation by the National Soccer Coaches Association.
“You could argue the ’99 team, which was 24-1 overall, could be the greatest,” Caruso said. “My coaches and I often sit around and debate this a lot.”
Caruso has coached the Mustangs to a 30-year overall record of 393-180-38. His teams won Class A South outright in 1991, 1992, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2005, 2007 and 2008. They shared the Class A South title with Toms River North and Toms River South in 2022. The Mustangs won Class B South in 1997 and 1999 and captured the Shore Conference Tournament in 1995 and 2005.
Some 100 former Mustangs, including 27 at NCAA Division I, have competed in the collegiate ranks. Playing collegiate ball are Izzy Hernandez (Georgian Court University), Emily DeAlmeida (Monmouth University) and Peyton Viggiano (McDaniels College).
“The reason for my longevity is simple,” he said. “I absolutely love what I do. After my family, Brick Memorial girls soccer is the most important thing in my life. I love the relationships that I have built through Mustangs soccer with hundreds of players, their families, coaches and others who were just fans of the program. We have a saying with our team and alumni, ‘Family Forever,’ and it is really true. I have people in my life from over 30 years ago at Brick Memorial.
“The only challenge really is the stress of wanting to win all of the time. You obviously have to work every year to improve your team, replace goal scorers etc., but you know that coming in. The saying, ‘It hurts so much because you care so much,’ applies to every season. Peeling seniors off the ground who are crying because they just ended their careers will never get easy.”
Caruso is a 1986 graduate of Brick Memorial where he played three years of varsity soccer as a defender. He graduated in 1990 from Stockton University where he played four seasons of soccer for the Ospreys. He was a Stockton assistant coach for two seasons. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Management. He teaches special education at the Veterans Memorial Middle School, the feeder school for Brick Memorial.
“I would like to think I can do another 10 more years of coaching and make it to 40,” he said. “I plan to retire from teaching in a few years and continue to coach. I still love what I do and feel like I have a lot of ‘juice’ left in me. Coaching for 30 years feels special only when I look back and realize, ‘Wow, I have been doing this for a long time.’ Otherwise, it is just like any other season. I am still excited and cannot wait for every season to start.”
The Carusos’ son, Billy, was born one month prior to the team’s previous state title in 2004. He attended the game. He was a three-sport athlete at Brick Memorial where he won four varsity letters in soccer and two in basketball and baseball. He set the single-season record in stolen bases last season for the Mustangs and competes in soccer at Ocean County College.
The Mustangs team with the school’s boys team for alumni games. It began in the late 1990s and resumed around 2010. It was lost to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. It is usually played on the artificial surface at the Veterans Memorial Middle School in early to mid-July.
“It really is a great day,” coach Caruso said. “I love seeing former players, teammates and friends. It never ends at the field. A lot of former players and coaches head out after the game to a local restaurant. It makes a little bit of money for both teams. The purpose is more for all of us to get together and see each other at least once a year. We usually have about 80 players each year between the boys and girls games.”
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