OCHS First Decade Teams
Katie Ruiz was top Raider girls soccer player in First Decade!
By TOM WILLIAMS
Gazette Staff Writer
The First Decade of the 21st Century was a good one for Ocean City High School girls soccer.
Directed by both Tom Miller and Bill Pesda, the Raiders had 10 straight winning seasons; won
a Cape-Atlantic League championship in eight of those years, including three overall CAL titles;
were part of the South Jersey Coaches Tournament six times; and reached two South Jersey finals,
winning the program's only South Jersey crown in 2000.
There were obviously many good players during those 10 seasons and the best was Katie Ruiz,
the defender who was a three-time selection to the all-conference first team and was named
the South Jersey Defender of the Year as a senior.
Joining Ruiz on defense are Erin McNulty, a first team All-South Jersey pick in 2001; Cami Katz,
an all star in 2002; and Carly DiGiovanni, the two-time all-conference selection who will
graduate in June.
At midfield are Brittany Downham, a three-time all-conference selection, and a trio of girls
who actually played together a couple of seasons - Maggie Davis, Courtney Dougherty and Katie
Weiland.
The forwards are led by Chrissy Jack, who played three great seasons in the 1990s before finishing
her career in 2000 by scoring a school-record 23 goals to conclude with a record 69 for her career.
Jack leads a potent attack group that includes Casey Geary, Liz Ker and Laura O'Shea.
The goalkeeper on the team is Kristin Gray, who had 44 wins and 32 shutouts during her three years
guarding the OCHS goal.
It is a talented lineup, certainly one that would bring a smile to the faces of Miller and Pesda
if they could send them out onto the field together. But the best of them all in the First Decade
of this century was Katie Ruiz, who had a successful career at North Carolina State. She joins
Lauren McHale (90s) as Ocean City High School Girls Soccer Players of the Decade.
OCHS Girls Soccer in the First Decade
Year....Record....Coach
2000........15-4-2......Tom Miller
2001........18-3-1......Tom Miller
2002........15-4-1......Tom Miller
2003........12-5-3......Tom Miller
2004........19-3-2......Tom Miller
2005........12-5-2......Tom Miller
2006........13-5-3......Bill Pesda
2007........11-5-2......Bill Pesda
2008........12-5-2......Bill Pesda
2009........ 6-5-4......Bill Pesda
The First Decade Raider Girls Soccer Team
Forward - Chrissy Jack (2000)
Forward - Casey Geary (2002)
Forward - Laura O'Shea (2004)
Forward - Liz Ker (2008)
Midfield - Brittany Downham (2003)
Midfield - Maggie Davis (2005)
Midfield - Courtney Dougherty (2005)
Midfield - Katie Weiland (2006)
Defense - Erin McNulty (2001)
Defense - Cami Katz (2002)
Defense - Katie Ruiz (2005)
Defense - Carly DiGiovanni (2009)
Goal - Kristin Gray (2003)