The 5-foot-3 senior midfielder and forward led the Crimson Knights to a 25-1-1 record and the Group 2 state championship this past season. Paternoster scored 29 goals and passed for 20 assists despite missing the season’s final nine games with a foot injury. An All-American selection by United Soccer Coaches and a two-time First Team All-State honoree, Paternoster participated in the High School All-American Game this past December. She concluded her prep soccer career with 94 goals and 53 assists.
Paternoster, who attends the Academy of Allied Health and Science, a vocational school that focuses on medicine, has maintained an A average in the classroom. She has made a verbal commitment to attend Princeton University, where she will play soccer, beginning this fall.
Paternoster has volunteered locally with Challengers, a group that teaches disabled children the game of soccer, and on behalf of the Special Olympics. She has also donated her time at homeless shelters and food banks.