Student-Athlete Spotlight: Adriana Canaris shines as goalie during her 1st varsity soccer season

Dec. 16, 2025

By Alexandra Lourenço
Editor-in-Chief

Junior goalkeeper Adriana Canaris has proven to be a force after a successful first season on the varsity soccer team, recording 71 saves in 18 games and being named a part of the North Jersey Interscholastic Meadowlands First Team All League.

Canaris said she is responsible for using her voice on the field, alerting her teammates and ensuring everyone stays positive.

“If I see something, [I] say something, because if I don’t say something, then it could go badly,” Canaris said.

She said being a goalkeeper comes with many challenges.

“[I have to] make sure I’m not shutting down during the game because if I am not talking… then other people are going to start doing whatever they want, and then it’s not everyone working together as a team,” Canaris said.

Canaris, who started playing soccer at the age of 7, said there is no substitute for hard work, especially since she intends to pursue soccer at the collegiate level.

“She takes control of what she needs, and she tells us what to do…. She wants us to do [well] overall.”

“You have to work when nobody is watching because there are going to be points in life where people know people, and you are not going to be able to stop that,” Canaris said.

Last summer, Canaris trained to meet the varsity requirement of running a mile in under 7 minutes, 20 seconds.

Head Coach Hykey said she admires Canaris’ dedication.

“Every girl is not doing what she did, but she did it, and she is a good example for others to follow,” Hykey said. “I am very proud of her season and how she’s played and how she’s helped us stay in games.”

Hykey said she appreciates Canaris’ consistency and toughness.

“You always get the same kid,” Hykey said. “Even if she is not feeling her best, you wouldn’t know it because she is always able to put everything aside and do whatever we are asking her to do.”

Junior center back Nicole Marnik, a three-year varsity player who has known Canaris since second grade and has played soccer with her for nearly six years, said Canaris is a strong leader.

“She’s a really kind and positive person,” Marnik said. “She takes control of what she needs, and she tells us what to do…. She wants us to do [well] overall.”

As a defender, Marnik said she feels reassured having Canaris in the goal.

“[It helps] knowing someone’s behind me, and I can trust her enough [that when] I make a mistake, she’s there and will be able to save us,” said Marnik.