Ithaca High School has a strong track record for producing Division I student-athletes, with the overwhelming majority pursuing either lacrosse or track and field. It’s not all that often that a Little Red soccer player ventures into those waters, but Eliza DeRito will buck that trend this fall.
DeRito will take her talents to Marist University, where she has close ties to head coach Nicole Pacapelli Ciano. The two have known each other ever since DeRito’s pee-wee soccer days, and Pacapelli Ciano was her first real travel coach. Combine that familiarity with a tight-knit and driven team, and DeRito felt right at home.
“It was mainly the coaching staff, getting to know Nicole and just knowing that she really does everything she can to create a winning team as well as a team that really respects each other while having a little bit of fun,” DeRito said. “Now meeting some of my teammates, everybody’s wonderful.”
DeRito will bring a plethora of strengths to the Red Foxes. For one, her five-foot, 10-inch frame will add some height as part of the tallest recruiting class under Pacapelli Ciano. Her electric speed on the outside will undoubtedly cause havoc for her opponents.
DeRito will also bring a championship pedigree to a Red Foxes team that hasn’t won a conference title since 2011. She has played an instrumental role in the Little Red’s three consecutive Section IV titles and helped them win their first STAC championship since 2004 this past fall. DeRito gave plenty of credit to head coach DJ Roberts for instilling that winning culture and preparing her for the college game.
“He makes us work so hard,” DeRito said. “The practices are run exactly like how I would imagine a college-level practice is… it’s a really good team culture. Everybody’s working together. Everybody’s learning. There’s so much that I would say I have learned from him and everybody else—weird drills and plays that you learn about—and it totally shapes your way of thinking about the game in how you see the field.”
Roberts has routinely praised DeRito for her extraordinary work ethic, something that she takes great pride in at any point of the year. Whether it’s in those demanding practices or during summer sessions with Roberts, her dedication to the sport will also be invaluable at the next level.
“It’s really important to me that I need to keep working to change my game just that little bit more,” DeRito said. “Even when I’m at the peak of my game, I need to change something and to do something better so I don’t fall behind. I feel like working out in general and keep grinding is the most important thing because otherwise you will fall behind. Talent can only get you so far.”
DeRito was the Little Red’s leading scorer for the last three seasons, including a career-high 15 goals last fall. The two-time All-State selection has a knack for finding the back of the net, but it’s her decision-making that she feels has seen the most significant growth.
“How fast you have to actually make decisions on the ball is ridiculous,” DeRito said. “ I was never very good at that because I was like, “Go, I’ll just get it, and I’ll run somewhere, and then I’ll have all the time in the world.’ But getting to play at these higher levels and higher clubs and teammates, you really have maybe a couple seconds on the ball to really choose where you’re going to go and what you’re going to do with it. Your feet have to be ready and you have to have that quick little neuron snap, like, ‘I’m going and I’m doing this.’”
Not only did DeRito have a fruitful soccer career at Ithaca High, she was also a standout in track and field. She qualified for states in indoor track this past winter as well as during her freshman year, specializing in the short and middle distance relay events, both individual and relay. From a physical standpoint, there’s quite the overlap between running on the track and on the pitch.
“Track has taught me so much about what my body can handle and how far I can really push myself, but also how to take care of myself,” DeRito said. “I love the track and field team. It’s a great team.”
DeRito won’t be the only Little Red girls soccer player to continue their career in college. Izzy Makosch will head to the University of Rochester, while Aicha Cisse will suit up for SUNY Geneseo. The amount of success the trio have enjoyed over the past three years is sure to continue as they go their separate ways.
“I’m so excited for both of them,” DeRito said. “They both picked amazing programs. They both will fill great roles there. I’m so excited to see what they’re going to do. I’m definitely going to be watching.”
