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Hope Ernst plays with her right shoe untied, her brother’s legacy in sight, and a motor that never stops.
The Ramsey sophomore has spent the fall sprinting through games – literally – on what might be the greatest team in program history. She scored in every round of the Bergen County girls soccer tournament, including the opening goal in a 3-1 win over Immaculate Heart, helping the Rams secure the program’s first outright county title.
It was a breakthrough moment after sharing the trophy last year with Ramapo.
“After last year, it felt unfinished,” said Ernst, the North Jersey Female Athlete of the Week, presented by HSS. “Sharing a title didn’t really sit well with us. We knew we had a lot more left in us.”
Ernst, 15, is now turning her attention to the state tournament. Ramsey (20-0) heads into the North 1, Group 2 quarterfinals as the top seed and defending champion – thanks in large part to the chemistry that Ernst says makes this team different.
That bond shows up in the little things. Like the Halloween practice, where Ernst and fellow sophomores Brooke Dallara and Avery Neiberline dressed up as characters from Despicable Me. Or the time she invited a Swedish exchange student to a team pasta party within 10 minutes of meeting her.
“She's one of the happiest kids I've ever met,” coach Drew Strohmeyer said. “She’s an unbelievable soccer player, but I think she’s an even better person.”
Soccer has always been part of her life. Ernst started playing as early as she can remember, with her dad, Nick, coaching her, her sister, and her brother through their early years.
Her older brother Luke was a state champion for Ramsey in 2023 and now attends Indiana University. He calls after almost every game, offering encouragement and honest feedback. Hope sees similarities in their games, especially in the way Luke took on defenders 1-on-1 – something she’s tried to emulate.
Ernst was at the game when Luke’s team beat Delran for the state title – a “crazy experience” she wants to recreate herself.
“Watching what he did was really important for me,” Hope said. “I got to see what such a successful soccer career looks like. I have to prove to him that I'm better, because he's obviously my older brother.”
She might be well on her way. Ernst has racked up 27 goals and 19 assists this season, even without notching a hat trick – a reflection of her consistency and Ramsey’s habit of pulling starters early in blowouts.
Her stats pop off the page, but what opposing coaches seem to bring up most is what she does without the ball.
When Ernst loses possession, she doesn’t wait for a teammate to step in but tracks back to win it herself. She makes more plays from around her own 30 than most star forwards, and that commitment – combined with a disciplined back line – is a big reason why Ramsey has allowed the fewest goals in North Jersey.
“Most kids jog through most of the game,” Strohmeyer said. “She sprints through it. If the other team swings the ball, she’ll run across the field and track it down.”
Ernst started every game as a freshman and, despite her 5-foot-4 frame, quickly proved she could handle the challenge with luck on her side. Ernst has worn No. 8 since her first club season with MatchFit and added a new superstition this fall by keeping her right shoelace untied.
Now with another title race starting up, it's full speed ahead.
“I’ve never been around 27 girls that are so close,” she said. “We all genuinely enjoy each other’s presence.”
Sport: Soccer
School: Ramsey
Class: Sophomore. Age: 15
Accomplishment: Ernst scored one goal for Ramsey in its 3-1 win over IHA in the Bergen County final on Nov. 1. She finished with six goals and one assist in four tournament matches.
Also nominated: Mackenzie Vellis of Rutherford and Julia Whaley of Old Tappan for volleyball, and Dominique Cameron of Leonia for cross-country.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bergen Record Female Athlete of the Week: Hope Ernst, Ramsey
Continue reading...
The Ramsey sophomore has spent the fall sprinting through games – literally – on what might be the greatest team in program history. She scored in every round of the Bergen County girls soccer tournament, including the opening goal in a 3-1 win over Immaculate Heart, helping the Rams secure the program’s first outright county title.
It was a breakthrough moment after sharing the trophy last year with Ramapo.
“After last year, it felt unfinished,” said Ernst, the North Jersey Female Athlete of the Week, presented by HSS. “Sharing a title didn’t really sit well with us. We knew we had a lot more left in us.”
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Ernst, 15, is now turning her attention to the state tournament. Ramsey (20-0) heads into the North 1, Group 2 quarterfinals as the top seed and defending champion – thanks in large part to the chemistry that Ernst says makes this team different.
That bond shows up in the little things. Like the Halloween practice, where Ernst and fellow sophomores Brooke Dallara and Avery Neiberline dressed up as characters from Despicable Me. Or the time she invited a Swedish exchange student to a team pasta party within 10 minutes of meeting her.
“She's one of the happiest kids I've ever met,” coach Drew Strohmeyer said. “She’s an unbelievable soccer player, but I think she’s an even better person.”
Soccer has always been part of her life. Ernst started playing as early as she can remember, with her dad, Nick, coaching her, her sister, and her brother through their early years.
Her older brother Luke was a state champion for Ramsey in 2023 and now attends Indiana University. He calls after almost every game, offering encouragement and honest feedback. Hope sees similarities in their games, especially in the way Luke took on defenders 1-on-1 – something she’s tried to emulate.
Ernst was at the game when Luke’s team beat Delran for the state title – a “crazy experience” she wants to recreate herself.
“Watching what he did was really important for me,” Hope said. “I got to see what such a successful soccer career looks like. I have to prove to him that I'm better, because he's obviously my older brother.”
She might be well on her way. Ernst has racked up 27 goals and 19 assists this season, even without notching a hat trick – a reflection of her consistency and Ramsey’s habit of pulling starters early in blowouts.
Her stats pop off the page, but what opposing coaches seem to bring up most is what she does without the ball.
When Ernst loses possession, she doesn’t wait for a teammate to step in but tracks back to win it herself. She makes more plays from around her own 30 than most star forwards, and that commitment – combined with a disciplined back line – is a big reason why Ramsey has allowed the fewest goals in North Jersey.
“Most kids jog through most of the game,” Strohmeyer said. “She sprints through it. If the other team swings the ball, she’ll run across the field and track it down.”
Ernst started every game as a freshman and, despite her 5-foot-4 frame, quickly proved she could handle the challenge with luck on her side. Ernst has worn No. 8 since her first club season with MatchFit and added a new superstition this fall by keeping her right shoelace untied.
Now with another title race starting up, it's full speed ahead.
“I’ve never been around 27 girls that are so close,” she said. “We all genuinely enjoy each other’s presence.”
Hope Ernst
Sport: Soccer
School: Ramsey
Class: Sophomore. Age: 15
Accomplishment: Ernst scored one goal for Ramsey in its 3-1 win over IHA in the Bergen County final on Nov. 1. She finished with six goals and one assist in four tournament matches.
Also nominated: Mackenzie Vellis of Rutherford and Julia Whaley of Old Tappan for volleyball, and Dominique Cameron of Leonia for cross-country.
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Bergen Record Female Athlete of the Week: Hope Ernst, Ramsey
Continue reading...
