by DAVE FACINOLI
For decades it has been an annual achievement for the Bishop O'Connell Knights girls soccer team to record standout seasons under longtime head coach Alberto Starace. The 2025 campaign was more of the same. Top-seed O'Connell ended play for the fall by winning the four-team Northern Virginia Independent Schools (NVIS) state invitational soccer tournament for the second straight year and fourth time in five seasons. In the state final, O'Connell played the third seed and its top rival St. Paul VI Catholic Panthers, winning 2-0, and finishing with a 14-2-1 overall record.
The NVIS tournament was started in 2017 and O'Connell has now won double as many championships (four) than any other team. The Knights finished second in 2023 and have played in five straight championship games. They were the top seed in the competition this year for the first time.
O'Connell's goals in the title match were scored by junior Mackenzie Barbato on a 30-yard shot over the goalie's head in the first half, then junior Ryana Dill made it 2-0 off an assist from senior Alex Llaudes in the second. Knights' freshman goalie Elina Krumenacker made a number of aggressive saves, including a diving kick stop just four minutes into the match. Llaudes, senior Molly Kinsella, and sophomore Molly Clark were among O'Connell players who took other shots on goal.
Just a few days prior to the state tournament, O'Connell also was the top seed in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) tournament. After a first-round 9-0 blowout victory over St. Mary's Ryken, the Knights were upset, 3-1, in the semifinals by eventual champion St. John's. Starace said that loss motivated the players for the state tournament.
"Our players were hungry to win this tournament and they had that hungry type of attitude," Starace said.
In a semifinal state-tournament match, O'Connell routed the fourth-seeded Bishop Ireton Cardinals, 9-1. Dill amassed a hat trick with three goals. Other goals were scored by Molly Kinsella with two and Clark, Moira Kinsella, Brooke Fleming, Ashley An, and Reese Baskin with one each. Hayden McCarty was among others who took shots on goal for O'Connell, which led 4-0 at halftime.
"It was an amazing season, and it's really something to finish by winning the state," Llaudes said.
In the WCAC tourney, O'Connell was 1-1, defeating St. Mary's Ryken in the first round, then losing on only three shots taken by St. John's in the semifinals.
"We made some mistakes on defense and couldn't get the ball in the net enough," Starace said about the St. John's loss.
O'Connell last won the WCAC tournament 19 years ago, losing in the title match multiple times since then.
O’Connell clinched the top seed in the 2025 WCAC tournament with a home 2-2 tie against the Good Counsel Falcons in a late regular-season match. The Knights tightened their defense and rallied to tie after trailing 2-0. The second-half goals were scored by Barbato and An.
"Our defense played great all season," Starace said.
For her performance through 17 games, Dill was chosen as the conference Player of the Year. She scored 13 goals this season. Also on the first team with Dill were Clark (12 goals), Llaudes, Moira Kinsella (11 goals), Molly Kinsella and Rachael Zonavetch, another team captain.Chosen second team were Alex Carter and Meeghan Zonavetch. Making honorable mention were Barbato, Krumenacker and Eliana Moseley.
Sadie Smith was another top senior for O'Connell. She was injured most of the season. Arden McEldowney, Olivia Axeen, Tara McCarthy and Christina Jimenez were other top juniors. Annalise Baldwin was a contributing senior as was sophomore Lily Salva and freshman Caroline Benton.
O'Connell had 11 shutouts this season and scored 71 goals. Its only loss to a WCAC opponent was to St. John's. O'Connell defeated St. John's in a regular-season match. The Knights' four non-conference wins were over Potomac School, Georgetown Visitation, McDonogh and Leonardtown.
Starace has been O’Connell’s coach for 40 seasons and has 556 wins with the Knights. His teams have played in 24 WCAC tournament finals, with 10 championships. He also won 129 games as the head coach at public Madison High School in Vienna years ago, giving him 685 career victories as a high-school coach. He was inducted into the Arlington Sports Hall of Fame in October, and into the Bishop O’Connell Athletic Hall of Fame in November.