BORDENTOWN — The Soccer Referees Association of Central Jersey celebrated the end of the 2024 season last week by awarding two female student-athletes $500 scholarships at Villa Mannino with family and friends in attendance watching proudly. Hamilton High West’s Carissa Scelza and Notre Dame High’s Riley Carr were selected as this year’s scholarship recipients. Scelza, who is headed to Rowan University, where she plans to study mechanical engineering, was a senior goalkeeper for head coach Staci Priestly’s Hornets, who worked through a 4-14 campaign in which they defeated New Egypt, Trenton, Wilberforce and Westampton Tech (in their season finale). Scelza holds a 4.78 grade point average and is a member of the Peer Leadership and Unified programs, along with Student Government, the National Honor Society and the school’s Environment Club. This was Scelza’s first year as Hamilton’s varsity goalkeeper. She averaged 15 saves per game and ended the season with a career-high 269 saves. She also had an assist. “After graduating a four-year varsity starting goalkeeper last year, Carissa really stepped up for us as our goalie this season,” Priestly said. “She was not only making great saves for us on the field, but she also consistently had a positive and encouraging attitude each day. She helped to motivate each of her teammates every practice and game, and boosted our team morale. Carissa was an asset for us on and off the field.” Riley Carr followed in the footsteps of her older sister, Ryan, who also received this scholarship when she was a senior. Riley, who also plays lacrosse, is a two-year varsity soccer player who helped head coach Lauren Diaz’ Irish go 14-7-1 Irish as a fullback this season after they struggled out of the gates through a 1-4-1 start. Carr contributed three assists during her time on varsity, while her defense helped hold the opposition to 26 goals this fall, a campaign which included 12 consecutive wins and six shutouts. She is involved in many other extra-curricular activities at Notre Dame. “Riley is an amazing teammate, player, but most importantly, person,” Diaz said. “She always puts the team first and has such a genuine love for the game that she always left everything she had on the field. She is someone who will be greatly missed in our program in multiple ways. I know she will do great wherever her journey takes her beyond Notre Dame because of the type of person she is.” The SRACJ, which has been working girls’ and boys’ high school soccer games for the 32 schools in Mercer and Burlington Counties since 1959 and is one of the state’s highly recognized Chapters each fall season, currently has 92 high school referees. Under the leadership of Joe Smiegocki the last 15 years, the organization has been able to send several referees to work the State Finals. New members are always needed for the 10-week fall campaign. Anyone interested in joining the Chapter to become a soccer referee and work games by next fall should contact Shawn at (609) 468-0049. The SRACJ, which has been working high school soccer games in Mercer and Burlington Counties since 1959 and is one of the state’s highly recognized Chapters each fall season, also took the time to honor two of its own with Bill Friedman selected as Referee of the Year and Samuel Green chosen as Rookie of the Year. BRYAN FISHER LAUDED After coming one game shy of playing for a state title this fall, Notre Dame’s fourth-year boys’ soccer coach got plenty of exciting news following his team’s 18-7-1 campaign. Along with learning Irish senior forward Will Lynch was named a 2024 National All-American by United Soccer Coaches, Fisher came away with some hardware of his own. After reaching the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s Non-Public A South title game (essentially the state semifinal) for the second time with the Irish, Fisher, who serves as the Colonial Valley Conference’s state representative, was named as N.J. South Private School Coach of the Year by the Soccer Coaches Association of New Jersey, along with being named the state’s Private School Coach of the Year by the United Soccer Coaches. Fisher, who already has 65 wins at ND, entered his 25th year of coaching this fall – 15 as a head coach. He picked up his 150th win as a soccer head coach during the 2024 campaign (with a win over the school where he began his coaching – West Windsor-Plainsboro South) and has a career record of 156-106-16. He and Lynch will be honored at the SCANJ banquet Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025 at Pines Manor in Edison, then at the National United Soccer Coaches convention Saturday, Jan. 11, 2025 in Chicago. Notre Dame coach Bryan Fisher, right, hugs Princeton High coach Ryan Walsh, left, before the start of the CVC Tournament boys soccer final on Saturday afternoon at Ackerson Field in Hopewell Twp. (Kyle Franko/ Trentonian Photo)