Talk about turning heads on a national stage!
NJ Pride’s motto in a power-packed national field at the 29th IDT (Independence Day Tournament) during the July 4th holiday week in Boulder, Colo., was a team-reserved-refrain of ‘We can play too!’
And, the Pride 18-U National Stern team comprised of several all-state and all-county performers, came through with an absolute, loud bang without any actual fireworks display emblematic of the holiday other than producing plenty of noise with its collective bats, gloves and stellar work in the circle.
NJ Pride finished a program-best third place in the strong 96-team IDT field filled with Southeastern Conference, Big 10 and ACC recruits a plenty.
When the 2025 IDT hit its Round of 16, and softball fans and big-time Division I scouts looked around, there was just one team from the Northeast remaining, and that was the Jersey-based squad with many top Essex and Morris County performers helping lead the way.
“I’m so proud of our kids and what they accomplished while earning the respect they deserve in a top national invitational tournament,” said Rob Stern, the president of NJ Pride and the Mount St. Dominic coach during the spring. “The Northeast, led by Jersey, can definitely stand tall with the way our girls played and everyone contributing along the way with key performances as we went 17-1 and playing 18 games in six days (from Monday, June 30 to Sunday, July 6).”
NJ Pride had a number of key victories along the way, including defeating a Big 10 and ACC-talent-infused Indiana Magic Gold on Saturday night (July 5), led by the strong pitching of Mount St. Dominic’s rising junior Ava Kelshaw, who had a superb tournament, and big home runs from her teammate, rising senior and NJ’s high school Player of the Year Jillian Cianfrocca, and Randolph’s own all-stater, graduating senior Autumn Liebhauser (bound for Oakland University in Michigan).
In Sunday’s quarterfinals, NJ Pride defeated a Texas Impact Gold team with a roster filled with SEC players headed to big-time schools such as Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Then, it was on to the semifinals where NJ Pride was finally defeated by the OC Bat-busters of California, certainly one of the top travel fastpitch softball teams in the country.
“We have our share of commits to terrific colleges, and the opportunity for the uncommitted kid to be seen in the IDT is unparalleled,” said Stern. “Name the college and they are at this national-level tournament.”
Among the NJ Pride players shining during the week-long IDT were Kelshaw, who appears to now be fully healthy again after back soreness limited her innings during the spring season, although she still beat three No. 1 N.J. teams in the 2025 high school campaign, including Donovan Catholic in a memorable Non-Public A state final at Ivy Hill Park.
“Ava was both dominant and electric throughout the IDT,” said Stern. “She is 100 % now and we can’t wait to see what she can do next year at the Mount when we look to defend our county and state titles.”
Cianfrocca, who has made a verbal commitment to Villanova, was a power-deluxe clutch hitter, hammering seven home runs during the 6-day IDT, while Liebhauser, the sure-handed shortstop from Randolph, hit five round-trippers.
Setting the table on a constant basis at the top of the NJ Pride batting order were leadoff hitter Ally Nankivell, the University of Delaware all-state slap hitter from Livingston, and the No. 2 hitter Megan McNally of West Morris who is headed to the University of Rhode Island.
“They were constantly on base, probably 80 % of the time, setting the table for players like Jillian and Autumn,” said Stern. “Ally has been such a special player and just keeps getting better.
“She is the ultimate ‘slapper’ and has taken that part of her game to another level because she is so smart and simply understands the tool her bat is to use to her advantage in getting on base with such regularity.
“I felt blessed to watch her perform at such a high level in the IDT and it’s tough for me to know that this is her final summer season with us to cap just a tremendous career as a high school and travel player.”
Defense was another very strong suit for NJ Pride throughout the IDT with outfielders such as Nankivell, McNally, Montclair’s graduating senior Brooklyn Awad (Wellesley College) and rising junior Addie Louderback of Notre Dame High School, who was another talented underclassman who turned heads at IDT, both with her defense and hitting ability.
Awad, who has been another prize NJ Pride player through the years, is headed to play D3 women’s softball at high-academic Wellesley College.
“’Brook’ killed it all week for us in the IDT stepping up to get big hits and playing very well in the field where she has always been a great defender,” added Stern. “Year after year she’s been such a consistent player for NJ Pride and she will be sorely missed.”
