Kelly, Goldsmith Lead Bulldogs’ Surge in Ridge Road Rivalry

RED BANK — Every title defense begins somewhere. For the defending Shore Conference Tournament and Group 1 State Champion Rumson-Fair Haven Bulldogs, that title defense got off to a thunderous start as they went on the road and took down rival Red Bank, 11-3, in the latest iteration of the Battle of Ridge Road.

For Rumson-Fair Haven, the first 18 minutes of the game were shaky which was not completely unexpected after the Bulldogs graduated a significant amount of talent from last season including the 2025 Shore Sports Insider Player of the Year in Rachel James. The game was tied 1-1 for most of the first quarter as the unrelenting Bucs refused to back down. The Bulldogs showed a glimpse of why they are the preseason top-ranked team in the Shore Conference in the final two minutes of the first quarter with three successive unanswered goals.

Despite the disastrous ending to the first quarter for the Bucs, Red Bank was able to catch their breath and seize back some momentum. Senior attacker Chloe Keating was able to dash towards the net and score at the 9:18 mark. Senior defender Kathleen Deverin struck less than a minute later to cut the score to 4-3 and put the pressure back on the shoulders of the Bulldogs.

It was at that point where the championship poise that Rumson-Fair Haven has showcased year after year once again took over. The defense locked in and remained disciplined in their assignments while the offense showcased crisp ball movement and a smart shot selection on their way to the game’s final seven goals.

There was a major shift in how the Bulldogs looked from the middle of the second quarter through the remainder of the game and that was noticeable to anyone in attendance.

“It was tight at first,” Rumson-Fair Haven head coach Amy O’Keefe said. “We did a really good job of keeping our composure”.

The two biggest stars of the day were junior midfielder and Ohio State commit Chloe Kelly and junior defender and Rutgers University commit Harbour Goldsmith. Goldsmith was a major part of the Bulldogs defense as she continually disrupted players on the ball. Her play during the final 30 minutes was one of the biggest reasons the Bucs did not score beyond the second quarter. 

“I think we played very well, I thought we all connected,” said Goldsmith.

On the other side of the field, Red Bank simply did not have an answer for Kelly. Kelly scored the first goal of the game by zipping a shot past Red Bank goalie Nora Tavares to put the Bulldogs up 1-0. She would add two more goals in the final 1:29 of the first quarter. Kelly showcased a wide array of dodges, rocket shots and crisp passes that provided continual issues for the Bucs’ defense. She finished with a game-high five goals and two assists.

“She [Kelly] is such a great player, she is one tough kid,” O’Keefe said.

The junior, who gained significant notoriety after scoring the game-winning goal in double-overtime in the Group 1 championship win over Mountain Lakes last year, is taking the season one day at a time.

“It felt really good to start the season off on the right foot, we were playing together, having fun and sharing the ball,” said Kelly. 

The one thing that is clear after this game is that the defending champions are not going anywhere. Great players may graduate every year, but the championship standard does not leave the program.

“We have a state championship on our back. We have to uphold to that standard,” said Goldsmith. 

After game one of the 2026 season it is safe to say Rumson-Fair Haven is ready to fight to uphold that championship standard.