New Jersey
Meet 13 female New Jersey soccer players ready for the NWSL’s 2025 season

New Jersey will be well represented when the National Women’s Soccer League’s 2025 season begins.
Of the 13 players with ties to New Jersey, Utah has three: Paige Monaghan from Roxbury, Emily Gray of Sewell, and Rutgers alumna Madison Pogarch.
Gotham FC, however, whose front office is on the Jersey City waterfront and shares the Red Bulls’ training facility in Hanover, doesn’t have any players who grew up in the Garden State.
Washington defeated Orlando in a shootout in the Challenge Cup on March 7, a rematch of last season’s finale. The regular season kicks off on Friday.
Meet the 13 NWSL players with New Jersey roots:
North Jersey
Paige Monaghan, Roxbury
Utah Royals F
▪ A former All-Daily Record soccer Player of the Year at Roxbury, Monaghan signed a three-year contract extension with Utah on Jan. 7. A six-year NWSL veteran who also played for Gotham FC and Racing Louisville, Monaghan became the 100th NWSL player to notch 100 career NWSL appearances in a 1-0 loss back home against Gotham on Sep. 22.
San Diego Wave M/D
▪ Selected by the Reign in the 2017 draft out of Virginia, McNabb had two goals and two assists in 76 matches. She moved to San Diego in the expansion draft in December 2021. McNabb, 30, has appeared in 69 matches with the Wave over three seasons.
Central Jersey
Danielle Colaprico, Freehold Township
Houston Dash M
▪ Selected ninth by Chicago in 2015, Colaprico was voted the NWSL Rookie of the Year. She was loaned to Adelaide United and Sydney FC in Australia for three total seasons. After five goals and 11 assists in over a decade with Chicago and San Diego, Colaprico signed a two-year deal with Houston on Jan. 21.
▪ A Red Bank Catholic and Virginia alumna, Colaprico graduated as the Cavaliers’ all-time leader in assists (44) and appearances (100).
Alana Cook, Far Hills
Kansas City Current D
▪ Cook signed with Paris-St. Germain out of college, transferring to OL Reign in June 2021. She played 65 matches in Seattle, and was traded to Kansas City in mid-July. Cook, 27, started all 12 matches in KC.
▪ Cook has a goal and two assists in 29 caps with the United States women’s national team since her debut in November 2019.
▪ The 2015 NSCAA High School Scholar Player of the Year at Pennington, Cook was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year at Stanford. A first team All-America as a senior, Cook had five goals and seven assists in 93 starts.
Jylissa Harris, Hazlet
Houston Dash D
▪ Selected by Houston with the 22nd overall pick in January 2023, she appeared in 21 matches over two seasons. Harris signed a new, two-year deal.
▪ A center back at South Carolina, Harris set the NCAA Division-I record for all-time minutes (9,395). She is No. 1 at South Carolina and third all-time with 107 games played. Harris led Red Bank Catholic in goals as a freshman, sophomore and junior, totaling 40 goals and 26 assists.
Emily Mason, Flemington/Rutgers
Seattle Reign D
▪ Mason was the Reign’s first collegiate signing after the NWSL eliminated its draft, inking a one-year deal. She had six goals and seven assists in 82 appearances at Rutgers, helping win the program’s first Big Ten title in 2021. She was a Big Ten first-team honoree in 2022 and 2024.
▪ Mason was named the 2019-20 Gatorade National Player of the Year at Hunterdon Central and won the New Jersey award in 2020 and 2021. She helped Hunterdon Central win the 2019 Group IV title.
▪ Mason was named to the 2022 Concacaf U-20 Championship Best XI as the United States earned seven straight shutouts en route to gold.
Casey Murphy, Bridgewater/Rutgers
North Carolina Courage G
▪ This will be Murphy’s fifth season with the Courage. She has 44 shutouts in 118 appearances, and is the team’s all-time wins leader.
▪ The tallest female goalkeeper in USWNT history at 6-foot-1, Murphy was undefeated with seven shutouts in her first nine starts, and now has 15 clean sheets in 20 appearances. She was the backup on the USWNT’s gold-medal Olympic team, but did not play.
▪ Rutgers’ career shutout leader, Murphy was named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year and first team All-Big Ten in 2017. She was the 13th overall pick after that season, but signed with Montpellier in France instead of Sky Blue. Named the league’s top goalkeeper, Murphy returned home and signed with Reign in May 2019.
Madison Pogarch, Rutgers
Utah Royals D
▪ Pogarch, 27, spent four seasons in Portland and two in San Diego (93 appearances) before signing with Utah prior to the 2024 season. She played 1,884 minutes in 24 regular-season matches.
▪ Pogarch was born and raised in Michigan, transferring to Rutgers for her senior season in 2018 after three years at Central Michigan. She started all 19 matches and was named third team All Big Ten.
Casey Phair, Warren Township
Angel City F
▪ Phair, 17, signed with Angel City in January 2024, and played 24 minutes as a sub in a Summer Cup match against Bay FC.
▪ Born in South Korea, her family relocated to the United States when she was a month old and settled in New Jersey in 2020. Phair had 25 goals and seven assists in 18 matches as a Pingry freshman.
Emma Sears, New Brunswick
Racing Louisville F
▪ A three-time All-Big Ten honoree, Sears had 25 goals and 15 assists in 83 matches over five seasons at Ohio State. Drafted 28th overall by Louisville in 2024, she set the club record with five goals in 26 appearances (12 starts) as a rookie.
▪ Born in New Brunswick, Sears moved to England and California before the family settled in Dublin, Ohio, before her freshman year in high school.
South Jersey
Emily Gray, Sewell
Utah Royals M
▪ Drafted by North Carolina third overall in 2022, she had two assists in three matches. Her 2023 season was cut short by an ACL injury. Traded to Utah in November 2023, Gray made two appearances before being loaned to Odense Boldklub Q in the Danish Kvindeliga for the remainder of the 2024 season.
▪ Gray had 34 goals and 43 assists in three seasons for Washington Township. Second all-time in points, Gray helped Virginia Tech earn three NCAA Tournament berths.
Brittany Ratcliffe, Williamstown
Washington Spirit F
▪ Known for wearing a bright orange hair bow, Ratcliffe has 11 goals in 107 appearances with Boston, Kansas City, Utah, Carolina and Washington. The 31-year-old appeared in her 100th career NWSL match on Nov. 2 against Carolina
▪ Ratcliffe played at Paul VI, then the University of Virginia.
Riley Tiernan, Voorhees/Rutgers
Angel City F
▪ Tiernan signed a two-year contract with Angel City on March 3, after spending preseason on trial. Her older sister, Madison, had five goals in 42 appearances for Gotham from 2017-20.
▪ Tiernan is Rutgers’ all-time record holder with 34 career assists, and also scored 19 goals. She is a four-time All Big Ten honoree. Tiernan also ranks first at Eastern Regional with 85 assists and third with 85 goals. She helped Eastern win the 2018 Group IV title.

New Jersey
Coach congratulates the Devils after big win in TO | New Jersey Devils

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New Jersey
New Jersey Super 25 rankings as HS football regular season hits the homestretch

After another dramatic week of high school football across the Garden State, two teams rejoined the latest New Jersey Super 25 rankings.
Despite a 3-5 record, Paramus Catholic returned by knocking off then-No. 9 Red Bank Catholic, and Brick Memorial returned by taking down previously-undefeated Southern.
In the best game of the week, No. 8 Washington Township stayed undefeated with a wild comeback over No. 25 Kingsway.
The upcoming week is the final week for public schools and the penultimate week for non-publics. There are four games between ranked teams, all in the northern half of the state.
Every week, voters from across USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey rank the top teams in the state. The rankings are posted every Tuesday morning.
25. Kingsway (6-2)
Public ranking: 16
The Dragons squandered a 12-point lead with fewer than seven minutes to play in a 39-36 loss at Washington Township. Kingsway’s two losses to Camden and Washington Township are by a combined eight points and were games in which the team held fourth-quarter leads. Cole DeNick scored three touchdowns and has 19 total TDs for the season.
Next game: Oct. 24 vs. Williamstown (3-5)
24. Camden (6-2)
Public ranking: 15
The Panthers produced their second road win in the span of five days thanks to a 48-14 win at Lenape. The 48 points scored are a season-best for Camden The QB combo of senior Ahmad Jones and freshman Gregory Wyche Jr. combined to complete 24 of 29 pass attempts for 369 yards and five touchdowns.
Next game: TBD in Group 2 playoffs
23. Holmdel (5-2)
Public ranking: 14
Junior Michael Todisco ran for 132 yards and a touchdown on offense, and intercepted a pass and was in on six tackles on defense, as the Hornets defeated Raritan, 35-0. Junior Matt Scheinman ran for two touchdowns, and was in on 10 tackles. Senior quarterback Jack Cannon threw for 132 yards and two TDs.
Next game: Oct. 24 vs. Middletown North (3-3)
22. Brick Memorial (6-2)
Public ranking: 13
Senior quarterback Jason Lajara completed 19 of 24 passes for 330 yards, and ran for 71 yards and a TD, as the Mustangs beat then-No. 18 Southern, 19-14, to hand the Rams their first loss. Junior tight end Joe Livio caught eight passes for 155 yards, and Ricky Dillion caught a touchdown pass.
Next week: Oct. 24 vs. Jackson Township (2-6)
21. Red Bank Catholic (7-1)
Non-public ranking: 9
The Caseys sustained their first loss of the season, a 30-16 defeat to Paramus Catholic. Freshman Simon Picnich booted field goals of 22, 31 and 40 yards, freshman Rahmir Rivera threw a 19-yard TD pass to sophomore Jason Berecsky, and freshman Gabe Kemp ran for 132 yards on 26 carries.
Next game: Oct. 24 vs. Marlboro (2-6)
20. Paramus Catholic (3-5)
Non-public ranking: 8
The Paladins showed the might of North Jersey’s Big Six by knocking off then-No. 9 Red Bank Catholic, 30-16. Sophomore Rowan Martin threw TD passes of 40 yards to senior Aiden Acevedo and 15 yards to senior Julian Franco. Sophomore AJ Lopez scored the first TD in the first quarter on a 63-yard interception return.
Next game: Oct. 24 at Don Bosco (7-0)
19. Phillipsburg (6-1)
Public ranking: 12
Sam Dech ran for 156 yards and four touchdowns as the Stateliners rebounded from their first loss with a 42-0 win over Union. Phillipsburg complied 20 first downs and 401 total yards as Vincent Berger and Thomas LaBella ran for touchdowns.
Next game: Oct. 24 vs. Bridgewater-Raritan (6-2)
18. Northern Highlands (6-1)
Public ranking: 11
The Highlanders registered their first shutout of the season, 21-0 at Ridgewood. Junior Carter Blattner made nine tackles. Senior Chase Calarco rushed for 136 yards, with a 73-yard score, and threw a touchdown pass and made seven tackles. Senior Jack O’Callaghan threw for 113 yards and a touchdown.
Next game: Oct. 24 vs. Ramapo (6-1)
17. Atlantic City (7-1)
Public ranking: 10
Despite being held to a season low in points, the Vikings mustered enough offense to extend their winning streak to five with a 13-0 win at Hammonton. Kyree Barksdale and Ahmad Chambers rushed for touchdowns in the first and third quarters, respectively. AC’s defense posted its second shutout of the season.
Next game: TBD in Group 5 playoffs
16. Cedar Creek (7-1)
Public ranking: 9
The Pirates ran their winning streak to seven with a 49-14 win at Timber Creek on Friday. The 49 points were a season-high and marked the sixth time the team topped 40 points in a game. Aamir Dunbar rushed 10 times for 142 yards and three touchdowns to power the offense.
Next game: Oct. 24 at Ocean City (4-4)
15. Mount Olive (7-0)
Public ranking: 8
Brayden Longo rushed 18 times for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the Marauders’ 31-17 win over Wayne Valley. Longo also had an 87-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and a 67-yard punt return for a touchdown to give Mount Olive a 21-14 halftime lead.
Next game: Oct. 24 at West Morris (8-0)
14. Burlington Township (8-0)
Public ranking: 7
The Falcons remained unbeaten with a 27-14 home win over Northern Burlington. Senior Aiden Binns rushed for a pair of touchdowns, raising his season total to 16. Burlington Township is 8-0 to start a season for the first time since 2018, when it won its first 10 games.
Next game: Oct. 23 at Cinnaminson (4-4)
13. West Morris (8-0)
Public ranking: 6
Mike Finlay rushed 10 times for 130 yards and three touchdowns in a 34-3 win over Roxbury. The Wolfpack scored the final 34 points of the game, rushing for 279 yards and five touchdowns as a team to eclipse 2,400 rushing yards as a team this season.
Next game: Oct. 24 vs. Mount Olive (7-0)
12. St. Joseph (Metuchen) (7-0)
Non-public ranking: 7
The Falcons continued their redemption tour by topping St. Thomas Aquinas, 41-19. It’s the second straight week St. Joseph avenged a loss from last season. Justin Scaramuzzo threw for 231 yards and five touchdowns, and Reggie Bropleh Jr. had 105 receiving yards and three scores.
Next game: Oct 25 vs. Woodbridge (7-1)
11. St. Augustine (6-1)
Non-public ranking: 6
After spotting Rancocas Valley a 14-point lead in the first quarter, the Hermits stormed back with 28 unanswered points, including 21 in the second half, en route to a 28-14 home win. Roman Comey was a workhorse, carrying 32 times for 135 yards and three touchdowns to pace the offense.
Next game: Oct. 24 at Millville (3-4)
10. Ramapo (6-1)
Public ranking: 5
The Green Raiders broke 40 points for the fourth consecutive week with a 42-7 home win over Hackensack. Senior Casey Grusser threw for 199 yards, with a 53-yard TD pass to senior Michael Ballan and 26-yard score to senior Joseph Yessis. Seniors Liam Hayward and Gino Gorga each ran for two scores.
Next game: Oct. 24 at Northern Highlands (6-1)
9. Glassboro (8-0)
Public ranking: 4
The Bulldogs extended their state-best winning streak to 21 with a 35-7 win over Schalick. Jack O’Connell threw for three touchdowns, raising his season total to 26, one shy of the school record set by Sakeen Wright in 1999 and equaled in 2000.
Next game: Oct. 24 at Woodstown (2-6)
8. Washington Township (8-0)
Public ranking: 3
The Minutemen overcame a 12-point deficit in the final seven minutes to capture a wild 39-36 win over Kingsway. Washington Township is off to a 8-0 start for the first time in 24 years. Senior quarterback Cole Aquino threw for 250 yards and two scores, including the decisive touchdown to Jyair Moore, who turned a screen pass into a go-ahead, 51-yard scoring play.
Next game: Oct. 24 vs. Timber Creek (2-6)
7. Old Tappan (7-0)
Public ranking: 2
The Golden Knights rolled up 587 total yards in a 47-28 home win over Wayne Hills. Junior Zach Miceli threw for 325 yards, including first-quarter TD passes of 41 yards to junior Leo Etter and 22 yards to junior Shane Small. Senior Devyn Radoian returned from injury and carried 30 times for 165 yards and four TDs.
Next game: Oct. 24 vs. Pascack Valley (4-3)
6. St. Peter’s Prep (6-1)
Non-public ranking: 5
The Marauders fell from the unbeaten ranks with a 31-21 home loss to DePaul. Senior Tyler Bell threw for 255 yards and three TDs, and senior Hunter Watson caught six passes for 112 yards and a score. Junior Chris Horn caught nine passes for 85 yards.
Next game: Oct. 25 at Pope John (1-6)
5. St. Joseph (Montvale) (5-2)
Non-public ranking: 4
The Green Knights earned a win via a forfeit by Pope John, and, remarkably, it’s their second forfeit win of the season. In five games of action, senior Mason Geis has thrown for 552 yards and two TDs. Senior Kyshawn Bryant has rushed for 222 yards and five scores. Sophomore Tahj Gray has a team-leading 51 tackles.
Next game: Oct. 25 at Bergen Catholic (6-1)
4. DePaul (5-2)
Non-public ranking: 3
The Spartans’ running game paved the way for a 31-21 victory at then-No. 3 St. Peter’s Prep. Senior Marquan Carter rushed for 158 yards and TD, and senior Derek Zammit ran for 47 yards and a score. Sophomore Ryan Sayles kicked a 27-yard field goal and four extra points. Senior Jaxon Bastante recovered a fumble and scored.
Next game: Oct. 25 at Delbarton (3-4)
3. Winslow (6-2)
Public ranking: 1
The Eagles soared to their fifth straight win with a 41-6 triumph over visiting Mainland. Junior quarterback Jalen Parker threw for five touchdowns, raising his career total to 87, the second highest total in South Jersey history behind Timber Creek’s Devin Leary (105, 2017) and fourth in state history.
Next game: Oct. 24 at Cherokee (3-5)
2. Bergen Catholic (6-1)
Non-public ranking: 2
The Crusaders broke 40 points for the third time this season with a 42-7 home win over Delbarton. Sophomore Trey Tagliaferri threw for 332 yards and four TDs, including two scores to junior Austin Busso. Senior Najee Calhoun rushed for 47 yards and two TDs, and senior Jordan Thomas had two of the team’s three interceptions.
Next game: Oct. 25 vs. St. Joseph (Montvale) (5-2)
1. Don Bosco (7-0)
Non-public ranking: 1
The Ironmen own the top spot for the fourth consecutive week thanks to a 40-7 victory at Seton Hall Prep. Senior Dante DeLuca rushed for 84 yards and a TD, and senior Colin Brennan ran for 70 yards and a score. Senior Dylan Wrona threw a TD pass and ran for a score. Senior Robert Ekins had a tackle for a safety.
Next game: Oct. 24 vs. Paramus Catholic (3-5)
OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES (listed alphabetically): Donovan Catholic (5-3), Southern (7-1), West Orange (6-2), Westwood (7-1)
New Jersey
Young humpback whale dies after becoming beached in Long Beach Island, New Jersey

Another whale has died after becoming beached on the coast of the Jersey Shore, according to officials with the Marine Mammal Stranding Center.
The agency says they received a report from the New Jersey Department of Environmental at 3:00 p.m. on Friday that their aerial survey team spotted the whale on the southern end of Long Beach Island. The Coast Guard, who was on a routine helicopter flight, was able to divert and locate the whale just before sunset. They were able to determine that the whale beached on a sandbar, and was only able to be accessed by boat.
Due to tidal conditions and the whale being located late in the day, members of the Marine Mammal Stranding Center and the New Jersey State Police Marine unit were not able to access the whale until Saturday morning. Once they arrived on scene the whale was identified as a young humpback measuring at 29 feet in length. When the team examined the whale further they found that the mammal was lethargic and in “very thin” body condition. They also found wounds from an apparent propeller strike. Their final prognosis was the whale’s health was “extremely poor” and was unlikely to survive.
Due to the incoming tide on Saturday and the lack of daylight, officials from the stranding center administered sedatives to keep the whale comfortable overnight until operations could continue the next morning in the daylight and at low tide. When they arrived back the next morning along with operators from Sea Tow of Atlantic City, they discovered the mammal had passed away sometime in the overnight hours.
The whale was first seen in the New York Bight on October 2nd by American Princess Cruises. At that time, it was evident that the young whale had experienced significant trauma due to propeller strikes that were still in the process of healing, and the wounds were impacting the animal’s ability to feed based on the very thin body condition.
Additional information will be shared as it becomes available on the Marine Mammal Stranding Center’s website.
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