The Arlington Sports Hall of Fame welcomed two new honored members to its ranks. Bishop O’Connell High School’s longtime girls’ soccer coach, Alberto Starace, and alumna Gabriella “Kika” Toulouse (’07) were formally recognized at the 2025 Annual Induction Dinner, presented in partnership with the Better Sports Club of Arlington. The celebration took place Oct. 8 at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Arlington.
Coach Starace is in his 41st year as head coach of the girls’ soccer program. He has led his team to 11 WCAC titles and has reached the tournament finals 23 times. In 2004, his Knights were named national champions, being ranked No. 1 at the end of their season. Since the establishment of the Northern Virginia Independent Schools state tournament, his teams have earned the title three times.
Going into the 2025 fall season, he had a career record of 540-135-71 and had been named WCAC Coach of the Year nine times and Regional Coach of the Year four times. In 1994, he was named National Coach of the Year.
Toulouse was a four-year starter (2003–07) on O’Connell’s girls soccer team, and a member of the 2004 national championship team. She earned Second Team All-Met honors from The Washington Post in 2006 and was a three-time All-Conference selection.
Toulouse went on to start regularly at the University of Virginia during her junior and senior years. She played for the U.S. U-23 Women’s National Team (2011–12) and competed professionally through 2014, drafted by the Washington Spirit in the inaugural NWSL season.
