It’s ironic, in a way. In softball and basketball, Steinert’s Cassidy Wood wears a jersey with the number 00 on it. She chose that because it correlates with the middle two letters in her last name.
But in soccer, she is forced to wear number 18. The irony is that she is a defender on the pitch, so zeroes are the most important number in her autumn athletic life, too. It would be symbolic to be able to wear 00, but they are reserved for goalkeepers.
“They don’t have it for field players in soccer,” Wood said. “They only do one to whatever, so I have to wear this.”
It did not affect her performance, however, as the senior was one of the Colonial Valley Conference’s top defenders in helping the Spartans to a 19-3 record and berth in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III finals.
Wood was part of a Spartan team that was finding its way during the first two years under Mike Hastings. A blend of experienced seniors and underclassmen came together to record the best season at Steinert since the 2007 team went 20-3-1 and won the CJ Group IV title. The Spartans won more games this season than in the previous two combined.
“After a few years of not really being a top team it felt great to have a team that bonds together well on and off the field,” Wood said. “It feels good to dominate most games.”
Much of that had to do with a solid defense that was anchored by Wood and Arianna Durling in the back. Steinert had 14 shutouts—speaking of zeroes—and allowed one goal in three other games. For the season the Spartans yielded 17, which averaged out to fewer than one per game.
“Cass and Ari being captains in the back helped,” Hastings said. “They knew how to lead. Cass has been with me all three years, she knows what I expect.”
Wood has been with Steinert sports for as long as she can remember, one way or the other. As a youngster playing rec soccer, she used to stray from practice to watch big sister Carly play field hockey.
‘She’s phenomenal. She’s lightning fast and very hard to get by because of her speed but she’s also a smart player.’
Carly was a three-letterman, also playing basketball and softball. Cassidy followed suit, with soccer being the only difference between them. And while Carly went on to play college softball, Cassidy considers soccer her main sport.
Wood grew up as a defender in rec, as well as in travel ball with the Wildcats, Jet and Rush programs.
She jumped on a positional merry-go-round at Steinert. As a freshman under then-coach Aimee Turnbull, Wood started at outside midfield. She got pushed to forward as a sophomore but with the emergence of Giana Pittaro (19 goals), Aidan Sheehan (15) and Emily Gulsby (9), Hastings was able to drop Wood to her normal position, and she played left back this year.
“I had more confidence when he put me back there,” Wood said. “I’m definitely more comfortable, and I knew I could dominate.” It was a far cry from when she played forward.
“Up top, I don’t really know what I’m doing,” she said. “I get confused.”
So basically, run around, kick the ball and hope it went in?
“Yup,” she said with a laugh. “I just used my speed to run.”
Tall and thin, Wood’s speed is one of her top attributes, along with knowledge of the game. It seems she has a knowledge of everything, as she has a 4.57 GPA.
“She’s phenomenal,” Hastings said. “She’s lightning fast and very hard to get by because of her speed but she’s also a smart player. She’s a really bright kid. As I was always told by the Grand Poobah (former Spartan coach Paul Tessein), soccer is 80 percent mental. She has that, and also has the physical side, too.”
Wood was able to enhance her soccer knowledge in the back after playing other parts of the field. It allowed her to understand how the other half plays and what they are thinking.
“I know what each position feels,” she said. “I know the offense needs ball-to-feet, not just kicking it over the top because it gets tiring. So you try to stop that.”
Wood gets more adrenaline stopping goals then scoring them but admits at times, “I like coming out of the back and going forward.”
And Hastings doesn’t mind sending her, saying that, “she’s a tough mark when she gets in the offense, because she can really run from 18 to 18.”
It is in the back, however, that she truly flourishes.
“She’s that dynamic type of player,” Hastings said. “If somebody gets beat, she’s going to cover her every time.”
Armed with her high GPA and extracurricular activities such as Peer Leadership, Student Government and National Honor Society, Wood is applying to Princeton University, as well as The College of New Jersey. She is looking into majoring in psychology but is unsure what career path she will take.
As for soccer, Wood has had conversations with TCNJ coach Joe Russo.
“I’m not sure what’s going to happen there, we’ll see” she said. “Even if I go to Princeton, I’ll probably just go to the tryouts and see what happens.”
No doubt she would love to play college soccer, even if there isn’t a double zero to be had.
Steinert High girls’ soccer player Cassidy Wood vies for the ball with a Northern Burlington opponent Nov. 1, 2016 in a CNJ Group III playoff game. Steinert won, 5-0. (Photo by Suzette J. Lucas.),
