Shore Finishes Phase 2 with Coaches Cup Title

Neptune – Playoff time is when coaches and players hope everything comes together to make deep runs in the postseason. When everything comes together at the right time you can celebrate wins. Shore Regional is at that point and continued their postseason run with a 3-0 win over (2) Freehold Boro to win the Coaches Cup Title. 

Shore received a full team effort from Jenna Eichenbaum who was causing problems for the opposing defense, Gabby Garofalo anchoring the defense and Sydney Tilton shutting things down in goal. 

“We have gone through everything this season, a lot of ups and downs,” Eichenbaum said. “This win means everything and it shows that our team is getting a lot better. We win as a team and we lose as a team. As long as we have each other’s backs we are going to do really well in the state tournament.”

The first half went back and forth with the Blue Devils controlling the first part of the half and the Colonials controlling the second part.  Shore created the best chances but could not capitalize. In the 21st minute Shore had its best chance when they hit the crossbar but could not finish on an open rebound.

With 16:30 left, Freehold Boro had one of their best scoring chances, but Tilton punched the ball out and the Blue Devils cleared it out of danger.

The Blue Devils have gotten strong performances in goal by freshman Sydney Tilton. Tilton, whose main sport is basketball, just posted her 5th shutout of the season and adds another dimension to Shore Regional with her ability to play the ball with her feet. 

“I will never forget the first time I saw her, it was a pick-up type game and I saw girls take shots at her (Tilton) and the ball was getting glued to her hands,” Shore head coach George Moutis said. “She is a great basketball player but she can play with her feet. We like to play out of the back, so when we get into trouble we can play the ball back to her and suck the team in. I told her she is a D1 goalie.”

Shore Regional came out strong to start the second-half and controlled the majority of the play, not allowing Freehold Boro to get into any rhythm on offense. The Blue Devils scored the first goal of the game when a ball was played into the box and Freehold Boro goalie Makayla Koltunicki came out to grab the ball but was hit and fell to the ground. 

The assistant referee put his flag up for offsides but it was waved off. Sophomore Teagan Waters was credited for the goal, her third of the season. 

“We had to dictate our style of play and go out there and give it our all,” Moutis said. “It is the end of the season and this is phase two and we have one more phase to go. I said “give it your all” and we have everything to gain and nothing to lose right now.”

The Blue Devils added an insurance goal with 16:10 left off a free-kick by Eichenbaum. Eichenbaum blasted a shot from 26-yards away towards the far post that hit Koltunicki’s finger tips and went in. Eichenbaum was all over the field with her speed causing the Colonial defense to work hard.

“Jenna is a big role model to this team,” Tilton said. “She keeps pushing everyone at practice and in the games. She keeps the energy going to make sure everyone is performing as high as they possibly can.”

Eichenbaum reached 19 goals scored for the second straight season. She scored five in the semifinal round and is at 57 career goals with the Central Jersey Group 1 tournament coming up. 

“She is a great player,” Moutis said. “You can not find players like that. Her sister was a great player just like her. It is always great to have a forward who can score and can suck two or three defenders. She goes 1,000 percent all the time.”