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Former Nipmuc Regional star Juliette Carreiro flourishing for Brandeis women's soccer

Jennifer Toland
Telegram & Gazette

Missing out on the University Athletic Association playoffs her sophomore year, then going more than 600 days without playing a game at all with her Brandeis teammates gave senior Juliette Carreiro all the motivation she needed coming into this season.

“Everyone was so excited to get back out here,” Carreiro said.

The Upton resident and former Nipmuc Regional soccer star has two goals and four assists in the Judges’ first four games. She was Brandeis’ leading scorer in 2019.

The Judges didn’t play last season due to the pandemic, but the team practiced in small groups last fall, had three scrimmages in the spring, and did a lot of team building through Zoom meetings.

Brandeis senior Juliette Carreiro.

“We put so much effort in during the pandemic trying to make those connections,” Carreiro said. “I feel so close to all my teammates.”

Carreiro also got ready for the 2021 season by working out at Resilience CrossFit in Hopkinton, playing on a summer league team, and training with her older sister, Gaby, who starred in soccer at Boston College.

The Carreiro sisters helped lead Nipmuc to the Division 3 state championship in 2014.

“That was an incredible experience to share with my sister,” Juliette said.

Gaby, the 2014-15 Massachusetts Gatorade Player of the Year, graduated from BC last year and is coaching with the NEFC, New England’s premier soccer club.

“It’s the first year where I’m playing games and she’s not,” Juliette said.

Despite her own busy schedule, Juliette, a biology and psychology major on a pre-med track, found time to go to as many of Gaby’s BC games as possible.

“Watching her attack, her speed, her hungriness to score,” Juliette said, “she’s just an incredible player. It’s inspirational the passion she has for the game. I used to feed off that when I got to watch her play.”

Gaby has been going to Juliette’s games this fall and they went to BC’s game against Holy Cross together last weekend.

“It was weird to be on the sidelines with her,” Juliette said. “I miss watching her play. It’s nice seeing her on the sideline at my games.”

Juliette is studying to take the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) this spring.

“I get to balance that with everything else,” Juliette said with a laugh. “The hustle and bustle of college life, in-person classes, soccer practice and games is back. It’s good to be back in the swing of things.”

The Carreiros’ parents, Luis and Mary, are Boston College graduates.

Luis is from the Azores, Portugal, and Juliette said it is a beautiful place to visit. She has dual citizenship in the United States and Portugal.

—Contact Jennifer Toland at jennifer.toland@telegram.com. Follow her on Twitter @JenTandG.