Shore Sports Insider Week 2 Boys Soccer Top 10
The first week of the 2026 Boys Soccer season at the Shore is behind us, and while there have been some telling results, there is still a lot to learn about this season. Three teams (Shore, Red Bank Catholic and Donovan Catholic) have yet to play a game and no team in the Shore Sports Insider Preseason Top 10 has lost to a team ranked below it in the rankings – or an unranked team, for that matter.
This week will be telling, given how many huge division games will take place on Tuesday, plus the start of Shore Conference Tournament group play on Thursday. Going by the Shore Sports Insider division predictions, the top two projected teams in each division will be squaring off in four divisions on Tuesday: Class A Central (Freehold Township and Manasquan), Class A South (Toms River East and Toms River North), Class B North (Wall and Howell) and Class B South (Jackson and Lacey). Throw in two top-five showdowns within Class A North (Christian Brothers Academy vs. Middletown South and Manalapan vs. Marlboro), and Tuesday is likely to be the most loaded divisional schedule of the season.
1. Christian Brothers Academy (1-1-1, 1-0-0) Last Week: 1
The Colts have posted one of each result through three games, with their win coming over St. John Vianney and the other two results coming against LaSalle teams from two different states – a loss to Pennsylvania and a draw vs. Rhode Island. CBA will play its home opener Tuesday against reigning Shore Conference Tournament champion Middletown South in a rematch of the 2025 SCT semifinals.
2. Marlboro (1-1, 0-0) Last Week: 2
Two games vs. two of Mercer County’s better programs have shown Marlboro’s potential and room for growth. The Mustangs swallowed a season-opening loss to Steinert, then bounced back by beating Princeton in overtime to set them up with an even record heading into Tuesday’s Shore Conference opener vs. Manalapan.
3. Manalapan (1-0, 1-0) Last Week: 3
Colts Neck was a thorn in Manalapan’s side over the last two years, and the Braves started this year by conquering their nemesis with a 2-0 win. Manalapan lost much of last year’s goal-scoring, but showed a skilled, dynamic defense and two quality finishes to back up the effort. Throw in Chase Lee as a difference-maker in goal and the Braves appear to have the ingredients for a big year.
4. Middletown South (1-0, 1-0) Last Week: 5
For the second straight year, Connor Saul opened his season with a bang against Holmdel. As a junior last year, he scored two goals in a 4-1 win over Holmdel in the season opener, and he did himself one better this year with a hat trick in a 5-0 win over the Hornets. The Eagles looked ready to make a serious run at repeating as Shore Conference Tournament champions and will look to build on their strong start Tuesday vs. CBA.
5. Freehold Township (2-1, 1-0) Last Week: 7
The Patriots have challenged themselves early in the season with three quality opponents and emerged from the first week with two wins over teams ranked in the SSI Top 10. Freehold Township got off to a red-hot start vs. Toms River North and held on for a 2-1 win over the Mariners, then edged Ocean, 1-0, before dropping a 1-0 loss to Old Bridge. The relentless schedule continues this week with Manasquan in Class A Central divisional play and Holmdel in the first game of the SCT group stage.
6. Toms River East (2-0, 1-0) Last Week: 6
This season might be Toms River East’s best opportunity to claim its first tournament championship of any kind since 1985, and through two games, the Raiders look like a threat to do so. They dismantled East Brunswick, 5-0, in the season opener, and on Saturday, Toms River East began its Class A South title defense with another clean sheet in a 2-0 win over Southern. The season gets even more intense this week with a rivalry showdown vs. Toms River North on Tuesday.
7. Colts Neck (0-2, 0-1) Last Week: 4
Not only did Colts Neck open its season by facing two high-level opponents in Manalapan and Pingry on the road – the Cougars played those two teams on consecutive days. For most teams, the season would get easier from there, but in Class A North, Colts Neck will have to regroup to make a run at a division title. This week, things calm down as Colts Neck takes on two young teams: St. John Vianney in divisional play and Ranney in SCT group play.
8. Toms River North (1-1, 1-0) Last Week: 8
After giving up two goals in the first 12 minutes of its season-opener, Toms River North shook off the cobwebs and gave Freehold Township a scare before ultimately falling, 2-1. The Mariners followed up the loss with a convincing 5-1 win over Point Pleasant Boro, and over two games, the reshuffled lineup appears to be working. Toms River North will face another huge week coming up, beginning with a Class A South rivalry showdown with Toms River East on Tuesday and finishing with a home date against No. 1 CBA on Saturday night.
9. Manasquan (2-0, 1-0) Last Week: 9
Through two games, goals have not come easy for Manasquan, but they have come enough to support what looks to be a contender for the Shore’s strongest defensive unit. The Warriors have posted clean sheets in both wins over Long Branch and Wall, and in the first win, they needed extra time to finish the job. Manasquan will face a major test this week with a trip to Freehold Township on Tuesday and another road game Saturday at Middletown South.
10. Ocean (1-1, 0-1) Last Week: 10
The Spartans followed a competitive loss against Freehold Township with a road win over Central, enough for Ocean to hold off challengers for the final Top 10 spot for one week. With a week that includes games vs. Ranney and Lacey, there is not much opportunity to move up, but if the Spartans can earn a pair of positive results, it would take a major performance from an unranked team to dislodge them.
The Next 10
Shore (0-0, 0-0) – The Blue Devils kick off what should be a promising season Tuesday at home vs. Rumson-Fair Haven.
Howell (2-0, 1-0) – After pulling out a road win over Rumson, the Rebels rolled through Freehold Boro to give them a perfect start heading into a huge divisional game Tuesday vs. Wall.
Barnegat (2-0, 0-0) – The Bengals have not played a Class C South division game yet this year, but wins over Brick Memorial and Long Branch have Barnegat looking poised for a historic year for the program.
Jackson (3-0, 1-0) – The Jaguars are off to another strong start and will try to keep it going this time around by holding serve at home this week against Lacey and Southern.
Holmdel (1-1, 0-1) – The season opener did not go as planned for Holmdel in a lopsided loss to Middletown South, but the Hornets bounced back with a win over South Plainfield.
Southern (0-1, 0-1) – The Rams are still looking for their first win but put forth an encouraging performance at Toms River East considering how inexperienced the Southern lineup is compared to the championship-winning teams of the past two years.
Lacey (2-1, 1-0) – With its youngest team in recent years, Lacey is off to a solid start with wins over Toms River South and Brick before dropping an out-of-conference game vs. New Brunswick.
Rumson-Fair Haven (1-1-1, 0-0-1) – The Bulldogs have one of each result after breaking out for five goals in a win over Neptune on Saturday, which followed a close loss to Howell and a draw at Ranney.
Toms River South (1-1, 1-1) – After a one-goal loss to Lacey in the opener, Toms River South handled a short-handed Brick Memorial team to get in the win column in Class A South play.
Middletown North (1-0, 1-0) – After a down 2025 season, the Lions made a statement to start 2026 by knocking off Wall in overtime.
