Senior leadership to drive girls soccer’s success this season

Ben Perlman, Lead Sports Editor

September 9, 2025

Head coach: Leah Jerome (fourth year)

Last year’s record: 13-7-2 (5-2-2 in Big North)

Key Losses: Celina Bussanich, Ella Saxon

Key Returners: Ciara Dersimonian (Sr.), Alex Lambrinos (Jr.), Margo Perlman (Sr.), Allie Polyniak (Sr.), Lucy Smith (So.), Avery Stein (Jr.), Gabby Velecela (Jr.), Maddie Wu (Jr.)

Key Newcomers: “We definitely have some young energy looking to have an impact on how we perform,” Jerome said.

Strength of the team: “[Our strength is] definitely our Senior Class…They have all different leadership capabilities and are able to lead in so many different ways.”

Weakness of the team: “[Our weakness is] just working hard to get better everyday; some things we just have to work on tactically,” Jerome said.

Outlook on the season: “I have never gone into a game not thinking I can win. It’s just a mentality I have,” Jerome said. “We want to go the distance in every game or tournament we have. We want to work hard and get better everyday, and we want to play good soccer.”

Coach’s comment: “I always say the most important game is the next game,” Jerome said. “We’re really excited to have some events this year. ”

About the Contributors

Ben Perlman, Lead Sports Editor

Ben Perlman is a senior who joined The Valley Echo during his freshman year and is now a Lead Sports Editor for the paper. Ben is active in many other clubs and activities. He is on the Varsity Soccer Team, a Peer Leader, and an ambassador for the Zack Latteri Foundation. Ben enjoys writing articles for multiple sports through previews, week-in reviews, and athlete of the month features. He hopes to continue to write more stories for The Echo, exploring more about PV life and sports.

Sophia Levine, Staff Editor

Sophia Levine is a senior at Pascack Valley and a Staff Editor for The Valley Echo. Sophia is a member of various school clubs and activities, including the PV Varsity Tennis Team, Camp Raspberry, Interact Club, Interfaith, and more. In her spare time, Sophia enjoys spending time with her friends and family. Sophia hopes to spend her last year at PV writing many articles for The Valley Echo.