After the seventh consecutive state championship and 25th in history for West Essex field hockey, it’s clear the program is not shy of excellence. This season alone, the team has been named Essex County champions, Group 2 North sectional champions, Conference champions and finished ranked as No. 2 in the state and No. 12 in the country. Jill Cosse, head coach of the program, has proven her spot and led the team to win the NJSIAA North Group 2 division. In the final matchup, Cosse also gained her 600th win, making this victory even more sentimental.
“We have created a culture of love, caring, kindness, strength and honor, and I feel like these kids embody that,” Cosse said. “I don’t think I’m doing anything different than I did on Game 600 than I did on Game 1.”
The Knights worked through a challenging schedule this year, playing top teams in the country such as Villa Marie, Notre Dame and No. 1 team in New Jersey Oak Knoll. With an impressive 20-5 record, the Lady Knights had key contributions from several upperclassman captains. Senior captain Adelaide Minnella concluded her high school career breaking the school records of goals scored (160), assists (116) and total points scored (436). Junior goalkeeper Katie Moran had another impressive season, having 129 saves. Junior captain Alex Agostini collected a total of 22 assists alongside junior captain Jillian Breslin, who captured 14 goals. On and off the field, the team strives to appreciate every minute they spend together and not take moments for granted.
“We always help each other, and we’re always there for each other,” Breslin said. “I feel like that sets the mindset for the season, because we’re always having each other’s backs on the field.”
For the biggest and final game of the season, West Essex Field Hockey headed to South Jersey to face Point Pleasant Boro in the finals for the fourth season in a row. Minnella scored both goals, winning 2-0, and Kate Colello had an assist in the win.
Even after such a successful season, the team has bigger and brighter goals for the future in order to continue to grow and strengthen the program. Next year, they seek to beat some of the top teams in the country to further increase the competition.
“Much of the fun of winning is challenging ourselves, seeing how much fun we could have and how close we can get as a team while never altering the final goal ahead of us,” Coach Cosse said. “The goals of the program never change, but the personalities of the women in it do, and they get four years to make their mark, and then they graduate.”
With only losing one senior, the field hockey team is ready for the next season and continues to strive for success. The team hopes to keep exceeding expectations and continue to dominate the field.
