Every time Division II Caldwell University (N.J.) senior goalkeeper Ariana Gaminara hits the pitch, she gives 100 percent effort, no less. And that goes for everything else in her life, for that matter, she noted.
That type of persistent drive and determination garnered Gaminara, who sports a 3.74 cumulative grade point average, with the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference (CACC) Student-Athlete of the Month award for September 2025, CACC Commissioner Dan Mara recently announced.
“It feels wonderful,” Gaminara said of capturing the honor. “I never knew there was this type of accolade. It’s very prestigious. I’m very honored. But I owe it to all my teammates. They did so much for me.”
Gaminara, a business administration major, had acted like a stalwart goalie for the Cougars in September. She posted five shutouts in the team’s first eight contests during the month, recording a 0.60 goal against average in five CACC games, all of which were Caldwell victories.
Also, CACC dubbed the Las Vegas native as the conference’s Goalkeeper of the Week on Sept. 28 after stymieing a penalty kick to preserve a 1-0 win over Chestnut Hill in late September.
Furthermore, soccer and athletic success are byproducts of the relentless work Gaminara has put forth for as long as she can recall. After graduation, she said she like to play professionally somewhere in the world, whether it be for the Czech Republic National team (the country of her family’s roots) or at home in the United States.
Moreover, the 5-foot-7 Faith Lutheran High School product has been told it is not a pipe dream and can happen in due course because of her tireless effort and the years of experience she holds.
“I think the amount of work I have put in, I do think it’s achievable,” she said. “Before college, I would have club and my private coach, and he believed I could do it (play pro). Over time, I have also had people tell me I could play.”
Although she said she has endured Attention Defict Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD), Gaminara has used it more as fuel to triumph, rather than a hindrance to success.
You think that being a goalkeeper would be tough for a person with a measure of inattentiveness and hyperactivity challenges due to the sports’ periods of lulls in the action. That is not the case for the athletic netminder, however, who hails from the unbearable heat of the dessert.
“I have a lot of energy,” Gaminara explained. “I like to take on a lot. I always strive to achieve a lot in my life. My parents always pushed me to be the best. But one thing I do during games is stretch. But I’m still alert. It helps me stay warm and ready.
“Coming from Las Vegas, the weather is very dry,” she continued. “But I like the humidity (in New Jersey), and I’ve learned to adjust to the different types of weather here.”
And adjusted, she has. Gaminara is two-time Second Team All-CACC performer and two-time CACC All-Academic team member, as well as earning College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors in 2023 and 2024.
Additionally, she is the school’s all-time leader in victories (32), shutouts (24), goals against average (0.92) and save percentage (.832) and fourth in saves (278).
The Cougars (8-2-3) host Queens College tomorrow at 1:30 p.m.
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— Jerry Del Priore
Photos: Caldwell University Athletic Department.
NY NJ Sports World/Brooklyn Sports World 