18 SportsUnion | JULY 2019
last year, Gacioch and Nichols
shutdown the high-powered
offense of the Lancers. It was
a feather in the cap for both
Gacioch and the Vikings to
not only win the champion-
ship, but shutout the Lancers.
“The championship MMA
game against St. Mary’s was a
game I was looking forward to
for a long time. St. Mary’s ob-
viously is a very talented team
with an intelligent coach and
well trained soccer players. I
was looking forward to play-
ing the role as the underdog
in the championship game.
With St. Mary’s scoring many
goals throughout the entire
season, our Nichols team re-
ally wanted to make a state-
ment and show that we could
stop them, and that we were
just as good. That champion-
ship game was a high-pow-
ered, fast-moving game in
which both teams were doing
all they could to come out
with the victory. However, I
believe, my team just felt we
had something to prove to
everyone who was watching
the game. All season long we
were in St. Mary’s shadow,
even though we maintained
the same record as them, mi-
nus one game,” stated Ga-
cioch. “So when we got to the
championship game we were
ready to prove ourselves and
prove to everyone how good
Nichols soccer really was.
Playing against such talented
girls, the entire Nichols de-
fense and team stood strong.
We worked together shutting
down the St. Mary’s forwards
and helped our outstanding
goalie, Bella Simoncelli, get
yet another shutout. (A per-
fect example of “defense wins
championships.”) I am proud
to say coaches are always able
to play me in multiple posi-
tions, and for me, this was an
exciting game where Coach
Larry could use me both of-
fensively and defensively
at the same time. It was an
amazing feeling to be able to
come out on top and show
everyone what we could re-
ally do. I could never have
stopped St. Mary’s without
the rest of the defenders by
my side. We worked together
and stuck by one another to
do everything we could to se-
cure the victory. This was an
amazing moment for me and
all the girls on my team. I’ve
played some unforgettable
games in the ECNL, but this
specifically was an amazing
moment for me.”
The MMA is a very com-
petitive league with the likes
of St. Mary’s, Sacred Heart,
Nichols and Nardin, but the
ECNL is where soccer players
are getting noticed. The ECNL
is one of the top leagues in the
country, and the Flash have
been one of the best teams
in the league since they have
joined.
It’s a chance for players
like Gacioch to go up against
some of the best girl in the
country. Many college coach-
es attend these games with an
eye on securing the next great
player. Gacioch has honed
her skills in this league, while
still getting better each and
every game.
“The ECNL (Elite Club Na-
tional League) is the top
league in the country for girls
soccer. This league provides
high standards for training
and is an amazing platform
for young girls all around
the United states to compete
against top teams, but also be
seen by college coaches and
national scouts. The ECNL
college showcases provide
an opportunity to be seen
on the field,” stated Gacioch.
“Traveling around the Unit-
ed States and playing against
the best talent and teams
elevates your game. Myself
and my teammates have be-
come better and have grown
tremendously in our game
being able to play at this lev-
el. My teammates and I play
ECNL showcase games that
bring anywhere from 40 to
100 college coaches standing
on the sidelines per game,
evaluating us as players. I am
grateful for the opportunity
to play in it, and I thrive from
the high level competition.”
Her stellar play at both
Nichols and the Flash has led
her to commit to The Ohio
State University. While some
will think she is crazy for
committing so early, it’s the
way of life for a high school
athlete.
Gone are the days of waiting
to your summer of the your
senior year to decide where
you want to go to college.