CROSS RIVER, N.Y. - Last season, John Jay’s campaign ended abruptly with a sudden-death sectional loss to Tappan Zee. It’s easy to pin the heartbreak on that one moment, but Coach Dave Nuttall has his players focused on the bigger picture — and from there come hopes for a stronger finish this year.
Keeping standards high, Nuttall said, “We need to be tighter during the season with our training. So rather than falling short, we could have gotten over the line.”
In goal, Brooke Epstein returns as the primary starter with Mia Bourla graduating. “It’s up to her to see what she can do,” said Nuttall of the Ithaca-bound keeper.
She’ll have plenty of support, and the numbers back it up. “We got good cohesion with our defensive line and had a good defensive record last year,” he said.
Defenders Matea Milich, Audrey Oestreicher, and Mykel Papa are all back, determined to bring an extra edge. “We just need to build and go a little bit more,” said Nuttall.
In the midfield, Haley Franz, Myla Schneider, and Mayer Viders return, while sophomore Coco Ingles looks to carve out a bigger role. “She’ll be looking to really push the midfielders and show what she can do,” Nuttall said.
The same goes for Gianna Pelosi. “She’s back after a year away,” said the coach.
Up top, Carly Mangiaracina will aim to keep the scoreboard busy. “She’s looking for a good year,” Nuttall said.
Alongside her, sophomore Abby Mattiello is expected to avoid any so-called slump. “She contributed a lot last year so I’m hoping for the same,” he asserted.
Across the field, the pieces are in place. With a daily commitment to higher standards, John Jay is aiming to turn potential into results. “We've got a talented group. We just got to go out there and get the wins right now,” Nuttall concluded.
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