The WHS Varsity Girls Soccer Team has two national team players among the undefeated team; Gabriella Hollins and Catherine Oliveira made the USA U15 and Irish U17 national soccer teams, respectively, and recently traveled to camps to play alongside the best players from both nations.
Both girls began their soccer careers at an early age. Hollins began playing soccer at age four and said, “I really hated soccer. I even have a video of me saying that, which was surprising.” The hatred dissipated when Hollins moved to the Westfield club soccer team and realized she had a talent for the sport. “I played for Westfield until I was 10, then I moved to STA, which is a club in Morristown, because it was just a better league and better competition, and I’ve been playing with them since,” said Hollins.
Oliveira also ended up at STA after beginning her soccer career playing for Westfield. “I played for the Westfield travel team, then decided I wanted to get more serious about it. So I moved to NJ Premier, then I moved to STA,” she said. STA is in the Girls’ Academy league, which is a higher and more competitive league that attracted both players to the club.
The opportunity to play on their respective national teams resulted from a lengthy tryout and application process. Both girls had to be selected for team camps before they were selected for the national teams. Hollins described her experience being selected for the U15 national team. “Last year, I started getting invited to ID clinics, and in March, I got invited to the regional ID camp in Georgia. It was 80 players selected from the East Coast, and this program is affiliated with U.S. Soccer. Then in June, I was invited to the National ID camp, which was 60 players from across the country. In July, I was invited to the U15 National team Camp, which is 24 players from across the country.”
This hard work and dedication paid off for both girls, who both had amazing experiences both on and off the field and felt that they learned and improved. In terms of soccer, Oliveira said, “I think playing with the Irish team was a great experience, and it definitely helped me improve. I feel like it was such a great level to play at and the girls around me were great competition.”
During Oliveira’s U17 Irish National team experience, she was able to play three friendly games against North Macedonia, Italy, and Slovenia.
Hollins described the impact the experience had on her as well, saying, “At the beginning of the camp, it was super challenging because I had to adjust to the speed of play. It was definitely a lot to adapt to. By the end of the trip, though, I was able to really play as well as I could.”
A national team selection also came with new experiences off the field. “I think it was probably the most fun week I’ve ever had because it’s basically just 23 built-in best friends because you’re spending every single day with them,” said Hollins. Oliveira described the impact her visit to Ireland had on her, saying, “I’ve been traveling to Europe with my family since I was a kid, and since I have family in Ireland, I’ve been there before. But it was a really different experience being with the girls and learning about their culture.”
On the high school team, both girls are valuable assets to the field. Head coach Alex Schmidt described Hollins: “What already stands out is her energy, curiosity, and eagerness to grow. She’s a true student of the game who is driven to learn and excel. She’s very technical and has an explosive first step. Her vision on the field allows her to read the game well, and she’s able to consistently break lines with her passing.” Senior captain Callie Schmidt echoed this sentiment. “On the field, Gella is very fierce and feisty. She fights for every ball, which is really admirable, and technically she’s so skilled, it’s just really impressive, especially as a freshman,” she said.
For Oliveira, Alex Schmidt said what stands out is her competitiveness: “Whether it’s a game or a training session, she wants to win, and when she steps onto the field, she’s completely locked in. Just as importantly, off the field, she brings that same focus and enthusiasm to team activities and thrives on the team-building side of our program. She’s a strong and fearless defender. She doesn’t shy away from 50/50 challenges, and her 1-on-1 defensive positioning makes her extremely difficult to beat.”
Both girls are looking forward to bringing the skills and lessons that they learned from their national team experiences back into their play at home, for both their club teams and for the WHS varsity girls soccer team. “The feedback they gave me helps me improve and be a better player, and I’m bringing that into the high school season. I will use all the things I’ve learned to help the WHS team,” said Hollins.
