Cailin Murelli took over the Edison High School girls soccer program three years ago, inheriting a group of seniors, some of whom previously were Marisa Tufaro’s classmates.
An Edison Township Public Schools honor roll student involved in myriad extracurricular activities at James Monroe Elementary and Herbert Hoover Middle School, Marisa was born with a severe cardiac defect.
She survived six open-heart surgeries and a heart transplant before succumbing at the age of 13 in 2017 to a rare form of cancer following a valiant battle.
The inspirational township resident is the namesake of The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, which was among two beneficiaries of the third annual Soccer for a Cause Charity Festival, contested Saturday at Metuchen and North Brunswick high schools.
Edison was one of 20 teams from the conference to participate in the event, which featured 10 games between evenly matched opponents.
In addition to competing on the field, teams engaged in a friendly fundraising competition in the weeks leading up to the festival, with half raising money for The Marisa Tufaro Foundation and the other half generating funds for Go4theGoal.
The Eagles, perhaps fittingly, were the top fundraisers for The Marisa Tufaro Foundation, which assists pediatric patients and other children in need throughout the greater Middlesex County area.
Since its inception six years ago, the Edison-based nonprofit has donated more than $300,000 to fulfill its mission.
In addition, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation has also spearheaded multiple community initiatives resulting in the collection of thousands of toys, nonperishable food items, winter coats, baby supplies and other items for donation upon which it has placed no monetary value.
The foundation has also awarded $29,500 in college academic scholarships to 42 Middlesex County high school graduates. Among those honorees are six Edison alumni including former varsity girls soccer goalkeeper Rania Alaboura, who was Marisa Tufaro’s best friend.
On the day Edison students graduated from high school in 2021, The Marisa Tufaro Foundation made 10 separate donations of $2,021 – totaling $20,210 – in honor of the senior class, of which Marisa would have been a part, to organizations who share the nonprofit’s mission of helping Middlesex County children in need.
“We really wanted to make an effort to help The Marisa Tufaro Foundation because Marisa is one of our own,” Murelli said. “A lot of the girls knew her or know the family. Supporting the foundation is something they wanted to be a part of.”
Murelli’s varsity and jayvee players fundraised online as individuals and worked collectively to spearhead an “Athletic Workout Wednesday” for teachers at the high school, which significantly contributed to the soccer program’s efforts.
“The teachers also know the foundation and the family, so they really stepped up,” Murelli said. “The girls sponsored the (“Athletic Workout Wednesday”) event in the office and collected the money. It was a collective effort to make sure that we were there to support the cause.”
The team’s accomplishment as the charity festival’s top fundraiser for The Marisa Tufaro Foundation was acknowledged as Edison was presented with a plaque upon which the school’s name was engraved. Old Bridge and Carteret earned the distinction as the top fundraisers for The Marisa Tufaro Foundation the previous two years.
Murelli’s team is winning on the field as well. The Eagles took a 5-4 record and a three-game winning streak into the charity festival. They extended the streak to four straight victories on Saturday with a dramatic 2-1 come-from-behind overtime win over Wardlaw-Hartridge.
As a second-year member of the Red Division, Edison recently ran a gauntlet, facing the Greater Middlesex Conference’s three best teams in succession during a pivotal stretch of games earlier this month.
The Eagles played well in successive losses to Monroe, East Brunswick, and Old Bridge before rebounding for three consecutive victories over South Brunswick, crosstown rival J.P. Stevens, and North Brunswick.
Kayden Aravena led the way, registering back-to-back hat tricks against the Hawks and Raiders while raising her team leading point total to 34 with 15 goals and four assists. She also hit the back of the net Saturday against the Rams.
Teammate Ghelsey Go, an incumbent All-Conference netminder who is playing her third season in goal after commencing her career as a center midfielder, allowed just two tallies during the winning streak. She is nearing 400 career saves including 75 this season.
“We are holding our own and doing well,” said Murelli, whose Eagles have already matched their division victory total of a year ago. “Hopefully, we can make some waves.”
Junior center back Isabella Charles is an offensive-minded defender with seven goals, including one against Wardlaw-Hartridge, and four assists. She can spark the attack while holding the team together in the back third.
Emilia Innocenti, who will continue her career next year at William Paterson University, and Kaytlin Roudi have been team captains for two years. The duo solidifies Edison’s midfield. Innocenti is third on the team in scoring with three goals and four assists. Roudi has hit the back of the net twice and set up three goals.
Senior defenders Abby Knott, who saved a goal during Edison’s current winning streak, and Victoria Charles, who had two assists in the victory over North Brunswick, have been integral to the team’s success. Freshman Kiara McKay joins them in the backfield.
Seniors Julia Antonio and Shaza Shah have contributed up top, while Isabella Ferreira-Freitas has exceled in the midfield and Maha Khan has spelled Go on occasion between the posts. Khan has stopped 13 shots in four games.
Layla Robinson, a senior, is playing varsity for the first time. Sophomores Emma Petreski and April Herrera have dealt with injuries but contribute with positive attitude and work ethic.
“We have a great cast of people,” Murelli said. “They are a great group within the culture we are trying to build. We want them to be successful on the field, in the classroom and with everything they do. Every teacher has good things to say about them. We want them to be good people, good students and do things like this (fundraising) to help the community.”
The Marisa Tufaro Foundation is eternally grateful for the support it has received from the girls soccer program and the entire Edison school-community.
The football team has joined the nonprofit for 5K fundraising walks and food drives. The swimming program has participated in county-wide fundraising swim-a-thons. The bowling team took part in season-opening tournaments that served as fundraisers for the foundation and as holiday toy drives for pediatric patients. The girls basketball team partnered with the foundation to collect baby-care items for families in need. Members of the boys basketball, baseball, wrestling, golf and other teams have also participated in fundraising events for the nonprofit.
Administrators, faculty, staff, students, and their parents have donated to The Marisa Tufaro Foundation or volunteered to assist at events.
“Our kids come together because we know Marisa is with us,” Edison High School Principal Charles Ross said. “She’s still a part of our community and we take care of our own.”