As the starting goalie for the Boston College Varsity Women’s Soccer team, Jill Mastroianni ’08 led the Eagles to a 13-5-2 final record while tallying a very impressive 11 clean-sheets (no goals let in) over the season.
Former Head Coach Anne Armour recruited Mastroianni to Choate. Armour learned about Mastroianni through the Connecticut Olympic Development program. Wheels began turning to bring Mastroianni in, and the next year she was a 3rd Former at Choate and on the Varsity Girls’ Soccer team.
Mastroianni started playing soccer when she was just five years old. “I played field until I was ten, and then I tried goalie,” said Mastroianni. “I started to play goalie consistently at twelve.” Even though she was primarily a goalie, she still managed to play in the field where she was “one of our best field players too,” according to Marquis Tisdale, Head Coach of the Girls’ Varsity Soccer team.
Mastroianni played at many high levels throughout her career. From the age of twelve, she played for South Central Premier; she also played for both state and regional Olympic Development programs. Now at an even higher level, she has played with the Soccerplus CT Reds for the past two summers and even played for the U.S. Women’s National Team in the U-16 and U-17 class. All of this is in addition to her four years of Choate varsity and one year at BC.
Mastroianni has a vast amount of talent at her disposal, so much that many found it difficult to identify her best trait. Mastroianni herself thinks it is her agility: “I’m a good shot stopper, and can make the big saves,” she said. Her coaches have a somewhat different view, however—“Mastroianni is like a field general,” said Coach Tiz. “She’s a very vocal player.” Coach Tiz and former Coach Armour agreed that Mastroianni is a “great athlete.” “There is no one I’d rather have behind me,” said Lexi Bohonnon ’06, who played with Mastroianni at Choate, in their club, and in Olympic Development programs.
Even with her high standard of play, Mastroianni managed to have fun and left behind a positive impression. “You could really see the joy of the game in her,” said former Coach Armour. She also spoke of how good Mastroianni was with the younger players. “She was a lot of fun at practice,” remembered Alyssa Gruen ’09, Co-Captain of the Girls’ Varsity team. “She could make a tough drill really fun.” Many people also remember Mastroianni for some of her jokes. Coach Tiz described her as “sort of a practical joker.” Molly Biddiscombe ’06, who played with Mastroianni while they were at Choate, remembers one instance in particular; she said, “One that stands out was a time that she taped her hands together at practice. She used the athletic tape that we all had to tape our shin guards up and taped her hands together. Mastroianni then proceeded to play the rest of practice with her hands bound together.” Molly was particularly impressed by the fact that even with her hands tied, Mastroianni still managed to save most shots on goal.
Although she definitely had a fun side, Mastroianni also buckled down and worked hard, a trait that probably helped her become Captain her senior year. “She was able to have fun,” said Co-Captain Nikki Collins ’09, “but she also knew when to be serious.” Collins added, “She was very inspirational… she was kind of like another coach.” Coach Tiz also remembered her leadership: “Every single person on the team looked up to her,” he said.
According to many of her friends and acquaintances, Mastroianni can go far. “I think she has the ability to do whatever she wants to,” said Coach Tiz. Ms. Biddiscombe said, “I think that I speak for all of us who played with her at Choate when I say that I am really proud of what she has accomplished thus far in her soccer career and can’t wait to see where else she’ll go.”
Mastroianni herself, however, has not yet made up her mind about her future. “I don’t know yet,” she said when asked if she wanted to play professionally. She added, “It is definitely a possibility with the Women’s Professional League coming back this year. I will have to see how it does. I am in postseason of my freshman year, so I still have a while, but if it is there to play for after college, then yes.”
