HOWELL – The Middle School South Girls Soccer Team scored big time this year, as they ended the season as Monmouth County Soccer Champions.
The team and their coach were honored at the November Howell Board of Education meeting for all their hard work and dedication they put into the successful season.
“This year’s team is truly, in the 30 years of coaching, my most amazing team I have ever coached,” said Coach Kristanne Leggio, who is also a Computer Teacher at Middle School South.
Leggio has been coaching in Howell Township for over 25 years, and for the past seven years has been coaching the girls team.
“8th Grade Girls Soccer is not where I thought I was going to end up, when I went for my coaching license,” Leggio said. “But every year, I get a new crop of girls. 8th grade is a little bit different because I don’t get to watch them grow. They’re with the 6th and 7th grade team, then they come to me. I get about three to four weeks with them and that’s about it.”
“It’s a grueling three or four weeks. We play 10 games and we’re done. Some weeks we have three games, some weeks there’s four,” Leggio added.
This year, the 8th grade soccer team not only won the Monmouth County Soccer Championship, but they achieved an undefeated season.
“They were successful for 12 soccer games; 10 regular season games, one play-off game, and one Championship game,” Leggio said. “So, they won the season and they won the championship, and that’s something to really be proud of.”
“I never thought I’d say these stats; we had 45 goals for and 19 goals against. They’re a force,” she added.
Leggio noted that the 8th grade girls also had the honor of winning the championship last year as 6th and 7th graders.
“I’m happy to say four of them will be with me again next year because we did not have enough 8th graders come out for the team. So, I did steal four of Mr. Darren Ghaffari’s 6th and 7th graders and I brought them with me,” she said.
At the Board of Education meeting, 15 girls were honored and recognized with certificates for their triumphant season.
“I just want to say thank you to the girls and the parents for an awesome season,” Leggio said, ending her speech.
