Alex Barry stuffed out a formidable guidelines throughout her junior soccer season at Immaculate Coronary heart.
Comeback from a torn ACL? Examine.
Win a second straight NJSIAA championship? Examine.
Rating the extra time game-winner within the state closing? Examine.
All of this allowed the Saddle River resident to meet a aim that had been on her listing since lengthy earlier than highschool began.
“After I was in first grade, my gymnasium instructor, coach [Jeff] Kresch, he had a Wall of Fame the place he would put up framed drawings of all of his previous college students who had been Athletes of the Week,” Barry mentioned, recalling her days at Wandell Elementary.
“I’d stroll into the gymnasium and see it each single day. And since then, it’s at all times been one thing that I’ve wished to perform.”
Examine.
By depositing the Golden Aim that sealed IHA’s 4-3 victory over Paul VI within the Nov. 13 Non-Public A title match, Barry secured her standing on the closing Feminine AOW of the autumn sports activities season.
“We knew that this was certainly one of her issues that she wished to verify off in life,” Blue Eagles coach Eric Pfeifer mentioned. “And she or he doesn’t essentially need it as a result of it’s so nice for Alex Barry, however as a result of she is aware of that a part of getting it’s being a pacesetter on the group.
“She is at all times a team-first lady.”
That was evident from her freshman 12 months on the Washington Township college. Maybe her first true present of toughness got here within the regional closing of the pandemic-altered 2020 postseason in opposition to Montclair Kimberley.
“In that recreation, I acquired hit within the nostril, and my nostril was bleeding,” Barry recalled. “It acquired throughout my jersey, after which the ref was like, ‘You possibly can’t play with blood in your jersey.’ So, I needed to go to the sideline and shortly change out my jersey.”
She proceeded to attain in each regulation and penalty kicks to assist IHA earn the Northeast Non-Public trophy.
“She’s extremely motivated and motivating,” Pfeifer mentioned. “She’s simply relentless, and it confirmed this 12 months getting back from the harm.”
The ACL tear occurred along with her membership group in February 2021. Though Barry was cleared to play by November of her sophomore season, “I made a decision simply to take the entire season off, maintain recovering and help my group,” she mentioned. “I can’t be any happier with the way it all labored out.”
Barry had related sentiments about her thirty fifth and closing aim of the season. Not solely did it end in a state title, however it additionally put her No. 1 on the North Jersey scoring listing.
“As a group, we labored tremendous exhausting the entire total season to make it to that state closing recreation and to have the season be so long as attainable,” she mentioned. “I truthfully don’t suppose it might have gone any higher.”
Barry did add one caveat: “The one factor I do remorse, although, is that county closing [a last-minute loss to Ridgewood]. However apart from that, I feel every little thing else went fairly completely.”
Plus, now she has packing containers so as to add to subsequent season’s guidelines.
Alex Barry
Sport: Soccer
College: Immaculate Coronary heart Academy
Class: Junior. Age: 17
Accomplishment: Barry scored twice within the Non-Public A closing, together with the Golden Aim, to carry the Blue Eagles to their second consecutive state championship. She led North Jersey with 35 objectives this season.
Additionally nominated: Rylie Theuerkauf of Tenafly for volleyball.
