Absecon, NJ, Native Christine Conaghy to Lead Holy Spirit Soccer

Former Holy Spirit girls soccer star Christine Conaghy has been chosen to take over the program, being named the team's new head coach.

Conaghy, the 2016 Press Girls Soccer Player of the Year, replaces her former coach, Alicia Downey, who stepped down in April to spend more time with her family.

Downey had a record of 135-73-9 in 12 seasons on the Spartans' sidelines.

Get our free mobile app

The 23-year-old is the school's all-time leading goal scorer, breaking Downey's single-season mark, finishing with 82 career goals. She added a program-record 34 as a senior and tallied 12 assists during her final season.

Conaghy, who played Division I soccer at New Jersey Institute of Technology, led the Highlanders during her final season in both goals (4) and points (9).

The Absecon native takes over a Spartans team that went 11-3-1, including a perfect 10-0 in the Cape-Atlantic League United Division. She'll inherit a team that graduates five seniors but has their leading goal scorer, Ella Petrosh, returning. Petrosh scored 40 points as a junior in the fall and was named the team's offensive MVP. Also returning is sophomore Sabrina Little, who tallied 17 points, good for third on the team.

In addition to those returning scorers, the team brings back junior goalkeeper, Millinda Marigliano, who made 46 saves this season and won the coaches award.

The team also had a very talented freshman class that saw plenty of varsity time to mix in with a strong sophomore class that will be junior during the 2023 season.