Aug. 7, 2007

Epping, N.H. - Sophomore midfielder Tara Ricciardi (Wayne, N.J.) was a member of the Super-20 League North American Championship winning Parsippany Soccer Club. Her squad prevailed over rival Quickstrike by the score of 1-0.

The goal was scored by Merrilyn Esteve with just under 17 minutes remaining in the first half. In the second half, Ricciardi helped control the game as the Parsippany midfield dominated possesion to ensure the victory.

Parsippany qualified for the North American Finals by finishing second in the Mid Atlantic regular season standings. The Three Stars of Parsippany, as named by the club, consist of Ricciardi, Villanova's Jess Carnevale and Amherst's Jill Whiting. 2007 marked the second time the tournament has been played, and it also was Parsippany's second straight trip to the finals. In 2006, Parsippany lost in penalty kicks.

Ricciardi was then named to the Super-20 League's All-League team, which was announced following the finals. She was joined by three of her Parsippany teammates on the All-Star squad.

During her freshman campaign at Providence, Ricciardi appeared in 14 games for the Friars, including eight BIG EAST starts. Ricciardi and the Friars kick off the 2007 season with an away game versus Rhode Island on Friday, August 31. The game will start at 7:00 p.m.