Who says there are no sporting events worth getting excited about in the Bronx this fall?
If you’re a Lawrence High soccer fan, there is plenty of excitement to fill the void of that dark October at Yankee Stadium, as two freshmen from LHS have helped the College of Mount Saint Vincent women’s soccer team to the best start in program history.
As of Sep. 20, the Dolphins were 5-0, surpassing the 4-0 start by the 2006 squad. Alicia Forgione was third on the team in points (11) and tied for first in goals with five. She had scored on 56 percent of the shots she took. Liz Martin started four of the five games, allowing no goals while making six saves in 262 minutes.
“I mean, it’s crazy,” Martin said. “To be practicing with someone from the same school as me every day. I never thought I’d be on the same college team as Alicia. It’s amazing.”
“It’s awesome,” Forgione said. “I feel like we’re representing Lawrence in a great way. I’m getting Facebook messages from people at home about how proud they are. It lifts my spirits. I love it.”
The two have been teammates off and on for most of their lives. They started in Lawrence Recreation at age 5 and moved to the Lawrence Hamnetts and Jersey Elite. They separated for a while but re-united on the Cardinals and the Elite.
“We have great chemistry, we get along great,” Forgione said. “Liz is a great goalie, very level headed. She yells at us, but always has good intentions. She’s never rude about it. This season she’s doing phenomenal. We’re all impressed with how she’s doing. She’s the real deal.”
Martin returned the compliment to Forgione, saying, “She’s doing really well. She’s kicking butt on the field.”
“She thought she was going to be sitting on the bench her freshman year,” the goalie continued. “Alicia has always been a great forward and she’s always had a great foot. Her shot is solid.
“In high school we used her as a midfielder but she’s more of a forward. She’s more skilled up front. She has good footwork, she’s composed on the field. You never see her freaking out.”
While Forgione has always been up front, Martin did not move into goal until age 11 when popular Lawrence rec soccer coach Sue Glass suggested she make the move.
“I actually started playing travel when I was 11, I wasn’t really that good,” Martin said. “I played the field, but soccer was just for fun, not really competitive for me. Sue Glass discovered my talent and once I started joining travel teams, I fell in love with the sport and knew it was something I wanted to do in college.
“Literally everyone in my family thought I was going to play softball. Baseball is a huge sport in my family. They never expected me to play soccer at all.”
Her career hit a rough patch in June of her junior year. While playing in a Powder Puff football game, Martin was tackled and tore her ACL. That guaranteed that she would miss her senior season of soccer.
“My senior year I just focused on recovering and trying to get back for swim season,” she said. “I was really lucky because my doctor allowed me to go back two months early. It really stunk during soccer; emotionally it tore me apart.
“But coach (Emily) Palombo was nice enough to help me out and let me train them and warm them up. So I was still helping out the team.”
“She didn’t get to play for me,” said Palombo, who was in her first year. “But I know that soccer is a big part of her life, and I am so happy to see that she is back in the net. She was working really hard to get back on to the soccer field last year.”
Forgione was impressed with Martin’s desire to recover.
“I think a couple people were worried she might not come back,” the forward said. “But she worked her butt off 24-7. She’s committed to soccer more than anyone on the team.”
Her lost season made it tough for colleges to see Martin, and she also lost scholarships to two other schools because of the injury. Fortunately, travel coach/trainer Jen Bessler, who Martin credits for getting her back to a high level, worked with her and contacted Mount Saint Vincent’s coach Joe Pennetti. She knew Pennetti was looking for a keeper.
Once Martin got back to playing travel, Pennetti scouted a few games and the two met. They set up an overnight trip and Martin was immediately taken by the whole environment.
“I really liked the whole team, I met the captain and we connected right from the start,” Martin said. “Our coach is a really nice guy. He treats all the girls on the team like we’re his daughters.”
It also helped that Hightstown’s Erin Dailey, who played travel ball with Forgione and Martin, also decided to attend MSV.
“We call ourselves the Three Mercer Girls,” Martin said.
Bessler also had a hand in getting Forgione to New York when she mentioned that Pennetti was looking for midfielders and a forward.
“We started contacting each other in the middle of the school year and created a really good friendship,” Forgione said. “I stayed over, fell in love with the school and love it with my whole heart. He recruited me as a midfielder, but at scrimmages and practices he kept me up at forward.”
And that is where she has stayed, which has led to her high scoring output. Forgione had just one goal for the Cardinals last year and her career best was four as a junior.
“She played outside mid for me,” Palombo said. “While that position allows for scoring opportunities, it doesn’t lend itself to as many chances at scoring as a forward. “Alicia really wanted to play forward last year, but I asked her to step into a midfield role. Since she is a team player, she was willing to play anywhere that we needed her to. It does not surprise me at all that she is scoring now.”
Forgione feels that part of her increased output is an increased work ethic.
“I think it’s just the motivation of wanting to be a starter and wanting to prove myself to coach and the whole league,” she said. “That makes me want to work so much harder. I’m definitely pushing myself ten times harder here than I was in high school.”
And it doesn’t hurt being surrounded by better players, considering a college team consists of the best players from all the other high school teams out there.
“At the college level, the play changes so much,” Palombo said. “I think Alicia has risen to the occasion and lifted her game to the level that college demands.” Forgione also possesses that hunger needed by any good goal scorer.
“Alicia is a determined athlete,” Palombo said. “Her mindset is perfect for a goal scorer because she is willing to do anything to get the job done. She uses her body well, and works hard to get into the right position. These attributes can only help when you are playing soccer, and especially when you are playing forward.”
Both players put in a ton of work over the summer. Martin thought she would be competing with a returning keeper for the starting job. She was unaware that the girl left and she was more or less going to be the starter, which was probably a good thing as she continued to work in an effort to be ready to compete for the job.
“I was training with Jen and she really pushed me,” Martin said. “I just kept working hard, played soccer all year. I didn’t go on vacation. I went to the beach once and that was it. I dedicated my whole summer to soccer and the transition to soccer.”
Forgione did likewise and is off to a sizzling start.
“It’s been great,” she said. “I have to admit, I surprised myself. But our whole start has been great. It’s given us a lot of confidence.”
“It’s so cool,” Martin said of the team’s start. “I really have no words. I never thought we would come here and be part of school history.”
And Lawrence Township can be proud of the fact two former Cardinals are a huge part of the history.
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