Alden Boccella scores 100th career goal in Gwynedd Mercy’s win over Sacred Heart

LOWER GWYNEDD >> Alden Boccella etched her name in the Gwynedd Mercy Academy history books Tuesday afternoon. With 4:17 remaining in the first half against Sacred Heart, Boccella became the first player in school history to score 100 career goals.

“All of the other people before me have gotten, I think, 76 was the total,” Boccella said after the Monarchs 12-0 AACA win on Senior Day at Gwynedd Mercy Academy High School. “I was just like, ‘I have to beat this score.’ I just felt like I had to leave a legacy when I left here.”

“Alden has always been a game-changer,” GMA coach Alex McMahan said. “The fact that she’s able to score 100 goals from the midfield position, let alone the defensive center-mid position, it’s just such an attribute to her skill and determination. She’s a great player and she’s a huge part of the team.”

The senior entered the game with 98 goals. She put back a rebound for her 99th and carried the ball about 25 yards before blasting a shot to the right of the goalie to hit the century mark.

“It was really fun,” Boccella, a Lafayette College commit, said. “A lot of my teammates were really positive getting into the middle of the game. When I scored my 99th it was just a matter of time when the next one would go in.”

Boccella moved to the left forward position when the Monarchs led, 2-0, and she was still at 98 career goals. She scored her 99th less than 90 seconds after moving up, but waited a bit for to hit the milestone. She had a few chances in front of the net and took a big shot on a penalty corner, but all were turned away before she found the back of the cage.

“I was getting really frustrated,” Boccella said. “I had a lot of opportunities in the circle and it just wouldn’t go in.”

The senior captain has been playing varsity for GMA since she was a freshman.

“The best attribute about Alden has been the way her leadership on the field has grown alongside of her skill,” McMahan said. “Not only can she control the entire game with her pace and her passing, the team looks to her for an emotional and social boost as well. Whether they’re on the field or off the field, they look to her to set the tempo of the game.”

Alaina McVeigh led the Monarchs with four goals Tuesday. Morgan McMenamen added two goals and Sydney Mandata, Ireland McDermott, Alex Wenz and Kellie Caputo each scored once.

GMA didn’t allow Sacred Heart a single shot on goal.