EagleTribune.com, North Andover, MA
October 17, 2011What a career for Holland!
High School Soccer
Christopher Smith
Christopher Smith
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So how did Georgetown senior forward Nicoline Holland, who had poured in 94 career goals entering yesterday's game vs. Newburyport, get so darn good at scoring?
Maybe her offensive ability has to do with her studying Irish Step dancing from age 3 until 11. "That's how I got the touch on the ball because you have really quick feet in (Irish Step) dance," Holland said. "So that's how I've always kept the quick touch."
Holland stopped Irish Step because weekend dance competitions were interfering with weekend club soccer games. She chose soccer over dance because soccer was always her No. 1 love. "When I first quit ... if someone asked me to do it (dance), I would get up and do it in front of a restaurant like if it was an Irish Pub," she said. "But now I just do it with my friends around the house."
Holland has earned the distinction as one of the most successful local female soccer players ever. Her 94 goals, according to Eagle-Tribune records, make her the area's all-time career leading goal scorer. She is followed by former Brooks player and current Brooks coach Jaime Gilbert, who graduated from the North Andover prep school in 2004 after scoring 91 career goals. The only other area player to have netted more than 80 goals in a career is 2010 Haverhill graduate Casey Anderson, who poured in 86 goals.
Holland has been playing on Georgetown's varsity team since the eighth grade.
Has scoring just gotten easy for her since she is so familiar with varsity and the CAL?
"Not so much easy, it's just more being used to it," Holland said. "No games are ever the same." Holland hopes to continue her soccer career in college next year. She visited Lesley University a couple of weeks ago. She wants to study early childhood education. She worked in the infant room at a daycare center during this past summer.
Right now, she is focused on this season and Georgetown's success. She has helped the Royals off to a 5-1-4 record so far and is enjoying playing for the first time ever with her sister, Sheridan Holland, who is a freshman on the varsity this year. Sheridan plays outside midfield and scored her first career goal this past Friday in a 7-1 victory over Rockport.
"It's fun because I get to spend more time with her (Sheridan)," Nicoline said.
What a name!
Pelham boys sophomore forward Harley Kearney was named after the American motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson.
"When I was born my dad really wanted a Harley (motorcycle)," Kearney said. "But the expense of having a kid, my brother and sister were like, 'Haha, dad, he's like your Harley. And that's just how my name came to be because they were joking around because my dad couldn't get a Harley at the time."
Kearney scored 10 goals this season. His brother Zack Kearney, 26, is a former Pelham soccer player.
"Him and my father have both helped me very much," Kearney said. "My father, being a goalkeeper, has taught me the ways of the goalkeeper and how they know (the moves) of a striker and my brother was a striker back in his day. And he gave me a lot of inspiration."
Haverhill hat trick
Haverhill boys sophomore outside-midfielder Andy Segura, who has played in every game so far for the Hillies, scored his first three goals in a 3-0 win over Lawrence last Tuesday.
"He's getting better and better each game," Haverhill coach John Coppola said.
Coppola said Segura is someone who as a junior and senior could provide a great deal of offense for Haverhill.
Family motivation
Brooks boys junior striker Zach Vieira of Andover leads his team with five goals so far.
Vieira sometimes thinks about his grandfather when playing soccer. His granddad died when Vieira was 4 or 5.
"When I was little, I used to get along really well with my grandfather," he said. "And when he passed away, I kind of took that as some motivation. I think about him when I really need to get stuff done."
Vieira has received recruitment interest from some college soccer programs already and has attended soccer camps at Brown University, Amherst College and Columbia University. Vieira hopes to play at Harvard. He is looking at schools in the Ivy League and the NESCAC.
Success at Brooks
Brooks boys soccer has outscored its past three opponents (Middlesex, St. Sebastian, Rivers) 16-1. "I don't know where it really came from," Vieira said. "But after we tied Thayer in the 86th minute (Oct. 5), something just kind of (clicked). And we just really haven't looked back. We think we can win the league. There's no doubt in my mind that if we keep playing like this, it's going to come down to the Nobles game and we can beat them."
Marvelous Matt
Pentucket boys junior midfield/co-captain Matt Farrell, who has scored nine goals this fall after scoring three all of last year, gains a great deal of his motivation from his brother Keith, who played soccer at Pentucket and graduated in 2005.
"He always challenges me to do better, and he's always calling me to make sure I'm keeping up with school," Farrell said about Keith, who is living in New Orleans doing Teach For America.
Keith, a graduate of Connecticut College, teaches high school algebra. "He creates a lot of inspiration for me," Farrell said. "He is part of the reason I want to become a teacher when I'm older."
Defense to offense
Andover boys junior midfield Drew Johnson had one of the best games of any local player when he netted four goals against Lawrence earlier this month. It came during a four-game span in which he netted seven goals.
Johnson has three hat tricks and has poured in 13 goals overall to lead the Golden Warriors.
Johnson started the year playing both defense and midfield. "For preseason, I played center-back a lot," Johnson said. "But then as the season progressed, he (coach Jim Saalfrank) pushed me up to center-mid and that's where I've been playing."
Talent passed down
Methuen senior midfield/forward Kevin Lima had one of the top games in this area in recent history when he netted five goals and added two assists in a 7-2 victory over Tewskbury on Sept. 22. Lima said his dad played professional soccer in Guatemala before coming to the United States. "He's taught me a lot," Lima said. "He just watches me play and then he'll tell me what I did wrong and what to work on and just how to confuse all the defenders."
Defender of the week
Defender of the Week award goes to Methuen girls senior sweeper Kristie Erickson who has six goals.
"She's a specialist in all our free kicks," Methuen coach Peter Kitsos said. "She's very solid on defense and knows the game real well. She's really helped us out in terms of directing a young team because we are very young."
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