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No. 21 Vol. 11
www.mypaperonline.com • 973-809-4784 November 2025
Morris Knolls High School Soccer Goalie Sets New Saves Record
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By Evan Wechman orris Knolls High School senior Angelo D’Asti thought as a child he would continue the family tradition of playing football. However, things quickly took a turn when he was introduced to soccer. “My whole family grew up playing football, and that’s what I was going to do,” D’Asti said. “I was going to play football and keep doing what the family did. I lived in a different town at the time and my brother’s soccer coach would let me play with the older teams, and he would just put me in goal with these older kids who were about four years older, and I would just throw my body at the ball, and from right there, he said ‘that kid’s got to be a goalie.’ The instinct of just throwing your body was something I was born with.” For D’Asti, his coaches and his family took an active role in developing his talent. He not only began playing on school teams but was active in different soccer clubs to help develop his innate ability as a goalie. At only 5’9, D’Asti knew he would have to rely on his talent and energy to become a top performer at his position. In an early September soccer match between Morris Knolls and Pope John Regional High School
in Sparta, D’Asti captured an amazing 11 saves to not only propel his team to victory but become the school’s all-time leader in saves as a goalkeeper in Boys’ Soccer. For D’Asti, this was a dream come true. “It’s probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had. It felt amazing,” he said about the achievement. For the senior standout, this is not the end of the road in terms of his soccer success. He is practicing hard almost every day and is focused on helping his team win every possible game going forward. He believes he has some unique traits
that will enable him and his team to compete for the state championship. “I’m usually confident in my ability. I’m confident in myself and my team. And I feel like it’s that determination, that drive, the motivation to just be the best for my team. That’s just kind of what helps me. The skills play a big part. But I would definitely say it’s the energy. It’s the feeding off the momentum and the motivation from everybody else that’s allowing me to do all this stuff,” D’Asti said. The senior goalie is not only interested in helping his team move forward but loves giving back to
the local soccer community that helped him develop as a player. One of his first coaches who trained him to become a goalie, Rick Dickerson, continues to go to his games today and helps inspire him with his continued sound advice on the game. Last year, the coach invited D’Asti to help work with some of his young players who are just learning to become goalkeepers. “It was such a great experience,” D’Asti said. “Some of these kids I know and being able to look at the future of what’s going to be next was very promising. It continued on page 5