St. Joseph Caps Dominant Run With Fourth FCIAC Title in Five Years
Sophia Santorsola scored twice in the final minutes of each half to seal a 2-0 shutout over Ridgefield Tuesday night in Fairfield.
By Elena Perry ·
St. Joseph defeated Ridgefield 2-0 on Tuesday night at Tetreau-Davis Field in Fairfield, securing its fourth FCIAC girls soccer championship in the past five years. The result gives the Cadets their second consecutive league title and extends their record to 16-0-2. The team has now reached the FCIAC final in five straight seasons, winning the last four.
Sophia Santorsola provided the decisive moments for the winner. She scored with 63 seconds remaining in the first half after a shot by Sara Wicker was touched by Ridgefield goalkeeper Cathryn Mills. Santorsola capitalized on the rebound to put St. Joseph ahead. Her second goal came with 1:09 left in the match, assisted by Maria Clara Barros. Both goals occurred in the final minute of their respective halves.
The matchup featured two of the state’s most disciplined defensive units. St. Joseph goalkeeper Cailyn O’Hara recorded the team’s 16th shutout of the season. She has allowed only two goals all year, one to Trumbull and one to Greenwich on a penalty kick. Ridgefield, finishing with a 15-1-3 record, also posted 15 shutouts but conceded eight goals in total, including four to Greenwich in two matches.
St. Joseph coach Jack Nogueira credited the player base for the team’s sustained success. “People can hate us, people can hate me, but the bottom line is this: five straight years to the finals, four out of five years, we won it, and that’s because of those players,” Nogueira said. He described the performance as a microcosm of the season, noting the team’s ability to score when necessary while maintaining defensive structure.
O’Hara, who is set to play at Sacred Heart University next season, expressed confidence in her unit’s defensive standing. “I think we are the best defense in the state,” O’Hara said. “There’s no argument about that. And we proved it.” She acknowledged the quality of the opposing team, stating that Ridgefield gave them a run for their money but that securing back-to-back titles is an honor.
Santorsola was named Player of the Game. Nogueira praised the sophomore’s work ethic and scoring instincts. “Sophia does what Sophia does for us, she pressures the ball, she’s all over the field and has an innate ability to find garbage goals,” Nogueira said. “That’s no disrespect to her because a lot of people made a lot of money scoring garbage goals.”
Ridgefield coach Barry O’Reilly viewed the final as a learning opportunity for his squad. The team had not reached the FCIAC final in several years. “I think we can use this experience, our first final in a few years, to hopefully learn from it, use it as motivation to go on a good state run,” O’Reilly said. Both teams enter the CIAC Class LL tournament as the top two seeds.
