Though their season came to an end on November 19, 2025 at the state semi-final game against Chatham High School, Morris Knolls Girls Soccer had an impressive 2025-2026 season.
The girls soared with a 17-5 record, taking on teams as underdogs, and coming out as winners. One of these impressive wins took place in rival territory, Randolph High School, on November 12th. The game finished with Knolls coming out victorious, with a score of 2-1 in the NJSIAA Tournament, Semifinal Round, North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3. Other successes were shutouts like the 7-0 win against Morristown High School, and the 5-0 win against Ridgewood High School, giving them a good start to their season.
Senior Captain, Jules Critchley, looked back at the season and described the motivating factors that led the team to victory in many challenging games. Critchley proudly reflects, “What our coach kept saying to us was that our team played with grit, and that’s why we were able to go as far as we did. Our success gave us confidence which allowed us to outplay our competitors, along with our physicality”.
Not only was the energy on the field powerful, but the stands carried the same intensity. One spectator, Elias Aboushanab, a regular attendee of the girls soccer games, passionately stated, “One of my favorite games was against Randolph because Randolph is obviously a big rival of ours, so it was really great to see us pull off the comeback. The student section was definitely electric, and I think that’s what pushed the girls to work hard.”
Before the state tournament, the team had a strong record of 13-4 having beat rival teams like Chatham, Sparta, and Mount Olive. Despite not winning the County Championship against a competitor they had beaten in the regular season Chatham, the team soared through Sectionals to win the title, and redeem the eagle name back from the cougars.
On November 15th, Knolls defeated Ramapo in a 2-1 win. Ramapo High School had been a challenge for Morris Knolls soccer since 2002, as they were never able to secure a victory against them. This made the win even more special. Senior co-captain Emma Dirmann highlighted how she felt “heroic” while they were escorted through downtown Denville after the game by Denville police officers.
With a large group of talented seniors graduating out of the program, the team looks to carry on the successful legacy, and continue to uphold another remarkable record through the 2026-2027 season. Three returning players, Tessa Simone, Isabela Pimenta, and Megan Forand, received the captain titles for the upcoming season, and aim to follow in the footsteps of the memorable captains before them, Jules Critchley, Emma Dirmann, and Maggie Krasnomowitz. Incoming captain, Megan Forand, describes her outlook for the team next season, excitedly stating, “I’m looking forward to bonding with the younger girls and watching them grow into successful players like I did with my captains.”
