2025 Shore Sports Insider Girls Soccer Player of the Year: Jordyn Sullivan, Rumson-Fair Haven

Shore Sports Insider Girls Soccer 2025 Player of the Year

 

Jordyn Sullivan, Sr., Rumson-Fair Haven (32 Goals, 5 Assists)

Coming off a season in which she scored 16 goals and made Shore Sports Insider’s 3rd Team All-Shore, Jordyn Sullivan’s name was never discussed in the preseason alongside a myriad of strong seniors as a potential Player of the Year candidate. Committing to Duke in the off-season prior to her junior year was a sign of what was next to come. 

Sullivan dominated defenses all season long to score a career-high 32 goals, doubling her total from a year ago. With a strong graduating class in 2025, Sullivan had to do more on the field than score. She needed to become a leader on the field.

“Class A Central is a very competitive division,” Rumson-Fair Haven head coach Jeff Herkimer said. “She scored 11 goals and one assist against teams in the A-Central. That is impressive in and among itself. We also played a very difficult schedule with games against Manalapan [twice], Trinity Hall, Point Boro [twice], RBC [twice], and Middletown South who were all ranked in the Top 10 for most of the year. She also missed four or five games this year and still was able to have this unbelievable season. She leads by example and encourages her teammates to play their best.” 

 Sullivan has made an impact since her freshman season where she scored three goals with two of them being game winners. Her combination of skill and speed makes it a nightmare for opposing defenses to contain. 

“During her freshman year, Jordyn played midfield for us and the coaching staff could tell she was a very good player and would help us in the future,”  Herkimer said. “She scored three goals and three assists her freshman year at midfield. Before her sophomore year, she came to me saying that she saw the team needed more scoring and she would move to the forward to help us with scoring with 16 goals and four assists her sophomore year. We knew she would get better and get better as a player but we had no idea she would mature so quickly.”

With Rumson-Fair Haven entering the Shore Conference Tournament unranked, it was a surprise to outsiders to see them advance into the semifinal round against top-seeded Manalapan. Sullivan had four goals and two assists in their four games. One of her biggest plays in the season was her assist against Manalapan to give Rumson a 1-0 lead in the first-half. That was the first time all season Manalapan was trailing in a game. 

“Jordyn was huge in our Shore Conference Tournament run,” Herkimer said. “I remember our second round game against Red Bank Catholic. Normally she is quiet but she said to the team ‘We are not losing this game!’ She then backed that up by scoring a golden goal with 1:14 left in double overime. We were then able to ride that momentum to beat Point Boro 2-0 where Jordyn scored both goals. Jordyn played as hard as she could to try to beat a very good Manalapan defensive line but was not able to get a goal. The other girls looked up to her and saw how hard she worked and she was able to energize the rest of the team. She gave every ounce of energy on every play.”

The Shore Conference still has one year remaining to try and figure out how to slow Sullivan down before she heads to Duke. Committing to Duke as a junior is a testament of her skill level, showing the trust their coaching staff has in her skill level. 

“Jordyn is one of those special players that a coach dreams about,” Herkimer said. “She is a ‘once in a lifetime player’ that has the combination of being a tremendously talented player and a great person and student. She is very bright by taking five advanced placement and honors courses. It indicates her discipline, ambition, and commitment to excellence both on and off the field. The commitment to a top academic and athletic institution like Duke shows she values both her world-class education and playing at the highest level of NCAA Division I soccer.  Her work off the field both in the classroom and on the soccer field make her a great fit at a very prestigious school like Duke.”

 

Finalists 

 

Daniella Butash, Sr., Manalapan (18 Goals, 6 Assists)

Butash was a dangerous attacker ever since she stepped on the field as a freshman. She emerged as a star and a leader her junior season, scoring 16 goals to help Manalapan reach the Central Jersey Group 4 title game. This year she scored a career-high 18 goals to finish with 49 on her career. Butash had many important goals in her career, but none as important as the game-winner in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinal against Rumson with just over 10 minutes left to play. Minutes before, she assisted on the equalizer for Manalapan after they trailed for the first time all season. Her performance alone in that game made her a Player of the Year candidate and helped Manalapan win their first Shore Conference Tournament since 1988.

 

Emma Christensen, Sr., Central ( 2 Goals, 6 Assists)

Christensen’s exceptional career at Central Regional comes to an end after helping Central become a Shore Conference power during her four years on defense. From day one Christensen made an impact which helped Central win a South Jersey Group 4 title as a sophomore. The East Stroudsburg commit led a defense that only allowed four goals throughout the season on its way to an 18-2-1 record. Even though Christensen played defense, when Central would have their backs against the wall, you would see her versatility and skill level on the offensive side of the field. It is rare you see defenders recognized the way Christensen is, but her leadership and level of play is why she is one of the finalists for Player of the Year.