Shore Sports Insider Week 7 Boys Soccer Top 10
The regular season, for all intents and purposes, has come to an end and for the next week-and-a-half, the Shore Conference Tournament will own the spotlight in local boys soccer. The field has been wide-open all season as it is and when the tournament format gets factored in, the odds of a team with a double-digit seed winning the whole thing remain higher than ever.
As for the Shore Sports Insider Top 10, the No. 1 team remains in its spot, but the hold said team has became a little weaker over the weekend. Throw in a difficult road to the finals for the SSI No. 1 team, and that spot could look very different as soon as next week.
1. Manalapan (12-1-1, 5-0-1) Last Week: 1
For three weeks, Manalapan bludgeoned opponents in high-scoring, lopsided wins, which cemented its spot as the No. 1 seed in the Shore Conference Tournament. Then, East Brunswick handed the Braves a 6-0 loss on Saturday that did not impact the top seed in the SCT, but does raise some questions about whether Manalapan is actually the clear-cut favorite in the conference tournament. With a road to the final that could include Howell, Christian Brothers Academy and Toms River North in consecutive rounds, the Braves will have to be on top of their game over the next two weeks if they are to win their first SCT title in 13 years.
2. Christian Brothers Academy (11-4-1, 5-1-0) Last Week: 2
The Colts remain No. 2 in the rankings even after enduring what was likely their toughest week of the season. After losing at Manasquan to miss out on a first-round bye in the Shore Conference Tournament, CBA then needed a goal in the final 10 minutes to escape with a win over a 2-11 Holmdel side. The week ended with the Colts conceded three late goals in a span of five minutes to turn a 3-2 lead into a 5-3 loss at Bergen Catholic. CBA will look to get right this week Red Bank in the first round of the SCT, with a win earning CBA a rematch with Middletown South after the Colts lost to the Eagles in last year’s SCT semifinals.
3. Marlboro (10-3-1, 4-1-1) Last Week: 3
Since a 4-1 loss to CBA on Sept. 14, Marlboro is 9-1 with eight shutouts and the lone loss in that stretch was a 2-1 road loss to perennial Group IV contender Kearny. The Mustangs responded to that loss by shutting out both Freehold Boro and St. John Vianney and will head into the SCT as one of the field’s most consistent and deepest squads. Now, Marlboro will await the winner of Wall and Lacey as the Mustangs gear up for a run at their first SCT championship in 17 years.
Marlboro senior Nick Hramyka controls the ball next to junior teammate Adhvaith Madineni. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)
4. Manasquan (11-2-1, 3-1-1) Last Week: 6
Through the first six weeks of the season, it seems the only thing that can stop Manasquan is a grass field. The Warriors are 1-2 and have conceded four goals twice playing on grass, with the lone win a 3-1 grind against St. Rose. On turf, the Warriors are 10-0-1 and have not allowed more than one goal in any of those 11 matches. Not only will Manasquan be playing all their tournament games on turf through at least the NJSIAA sectional final round; the SCT bracket could give the Warriors a chance to avenge both of their grass losses – a Southern and at Freehold Township – in their first two SCT matches.
5. Toms River East (12-1, 5-0) Last Week: 5
The Raiders are in the conversation as the Shore’s most consistent team, which should also put them in the conversation for the best overall team in the Shore. Manalapan’s 6-0 loss to East Brunswick boosts that case for Toms River East, which blew out East Brunswick, 5-0, in the season-opener for both teams. Like every team in the field, Toms River East has a slip-up (a 3-2 loss to Ocean that cost them a first-round bye), but has weathered some injury issues to top-five ranking and a manageable SCT draw that has Toms River East hosting Point Boro and hoping to advance to a road game at Shore Regional in the round of 16.
Freehold Township junior Chase Melcher battling Manasquan senior John Visceglia. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)
6. Freehold Township (10-4-1, 5-0-1) Last Week: 10
The Patriots are getting healthier after a spell of injuries and last week, it showed in the results. Last week, Freehold Township thumped Matawan to lock up the No. 2 spot in its SCT group, then did the same to Long Branch, giving Freehold Township a pair of wins by a combined scored of 10-0. After wrapping up the Class A Central title with a 3-0 win over Rumson-Fair Haven on Monday, all that is likely standing between the Patriots and a return trip to the SCT semifinals are three teams the Patriots have already defeated: Ranney in the first round, Ocean in the round of 16 and one of Manasquan, St. John Vianney or Southern in the quarterfinal. St. John Vianney is the only one of those teams Freehold Township has not played and the Patriots beat the other four.
7. Toms River North (9-4, 4-1) Last Week: 7
Saturday marked the first time Toms River North lost since its 4-3 loss to CBA as well as the first game the Mariners lost with Lakewood transfer Abraham Torres on the field. Tuesday’s 5-2 win over Colts Neck showcased how dangerous Toms River North can be against a team that has played in back-to-back Shore Conference Tournament finals and now, Toms River North will proceed to the SCT as a No. 4 seed with a very workable path to the SCT semifinals. That path starts Friday, when Toms River North hosts the winner of Wednesday’s match between Rumson-Fair Haven and Toms River South.
8. Colts Neck (8-6, 3-3) Last Week: 4
After breaking the all-time goals record in the Shore Conference the prior week, Sean Moore broke the overall scoring record last week with two goals in a win at Middletown South. There is one more milestone to reach for Moore and that is the 100-goal mark for his career. With three more goals, Moore will become the first Shore Conference boys player ever to reach the plateau, but the primary focus of Moore and his team this week will be advancing in the SCT. Hoping to make its third straight trip to the tournament final, the Cougars will host Freehold Boro on Wednesday hoping to advance to a road game at Jackson on Friday.
9. Point Pleasant Beach (13-0, 5-0) Last Week: Not ranked
The schedule does not measure up to the other teams in the Top 10, but Point Beach has spent the entire season dominating just about every opponent. In its third game, Point Beach had to come back from a 3-1 second-half deficit to beat Central, 4-3, and that remained the only game the Garnet Gulls have won by fewer than three goals until Monday’s 4-3 win over Ranney. The Coaches Cup will provide at least a couple chances for Point Beach to strengthen its Top 10 case so when it comes to finishing in the top 10, it could be championship or bust for the Garnet Gulls.
10. Ocean (8-3-2, 2-2-2) Last Week: Not ranked
Ocean has a similar case to Shore, Howell, Jackson and Rumson as a Top 10 team and the Spartans get the nod thanks to a win over No. 5 Toms River East – the lone win the Raiders have suffered this season. After finishing first in its group, Ocean is the No. 6 seed in the Shore Conference Tournament and could be looking at a redemption tour to the semifinals. The Spartans’ first game will likely be a rematch of a 1-0 loss to Freehold Township and a quarterfinal trip could mean a visit to Manasquan, which beat Ocean, 2-1, during the regular season.
Ocean senior Luciano Ibarra wins a head over Shore junior Bryan Silveira and Ocean senior Edgar Escobar Gonzalez. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)
Dropped Out
Shore (8-3-2, 2-2-2) Last Week: 8 – A loss to Barnegat in what amounts to a warm-up game is a harsh way for the Blue Devils to get bumped, especially after tying Ocean and winning their group, but that is how little separates the teams at the bottom of the rankings.
Howell (13-2, 6-0) Last Week: 9 – With losses to Shore and St. John Vianney in SCT group play, a convincing win over Freehold Township, and a 6-2, red-card-aided win over Ocean, Howell’s Top 10 case is also a complicated one as well.
The Next 10
Jackson (12-1-3, 3-1-1) – Jackson is next in line for a Top 10 spot thanks to a win over Freehold Township. The only reason the Jaguars are not in that spot now is the schedule: their six wins since beating Freehold Township are all against teams with three wins or fewer.
Rumson-Fair Haven (8-4-3, 2-1-3) – The Bulldogs held it together vs. Freehold Township until the final 12 minutes on Monday and will now look to make their Top 10 case in the SCT, which starts with hosting Toms River South on Wednesday for the right to play at Toms River North on Friday.
Southern (4-5-2, 2-2-1) – A hard-fought win over Matawan propelled Southern into the field and a win over No. 4 Manasquan sets up the Rams to climb into the Top 10 if they can do it again in the SCT round of 16. First, Southern will have to get by St. John Vianney on Wednesday.
Lacey (8-5-1, 3-1-1) – With a team that leans on a lot of non-senior scoring, Lacey has looked like a team finding itself in October: a 6-0 win over Point Boro, a tight, 1-0 loss vs. Toms River East and a 1-0 road win at Cherry Hill East (7-4-1).
Matawan (9-3-1, 6-0-0) – Two of Matawan’s losses are by one goal (Southern and Jackson) and the other was a one-sided defeat at No. 6 Freehold Township. A win over St. John Vianney is the Huskies’ best win, so a clash with Point Beach in the Coaches Cup final would be their next chance to make a Top 10 impression.
St. John Vianney (8-7, 2-4) – Since a 0-5 start to the season, the sophomore-heavy Lancers are 8-2 with their only two losses coming to No. 1 Manalapan and No. 3 Marlboro. That was fueled by an otherwise light schedule up until last week, when SJV handed Howell its second loss to take second place in SCT Group 8.
Toms River South (6-6-1, 2-2-1) – The Indians’ last four losses are all to teams ranked in the top seven of the SSI rankings and their last three wins are all 1-0 to Middletown North, Freehold Boro and Central. Toms River South will look to make an SCT statement at Southern on Wednesday and earn a second shot at Toms River North in the next round.
Middletown South (5-9, 1-5) – Injuries have fed a disappointing regular season for the Eagles, but they did just enough to earn a first-round bye in the SCT and they just welcomed back senior scorers Connor Saul and Grant Pipercic on Monday. Middletown South will host the winner of Wednesday’s SCT game between CBA and Red Bank on Friday.
Barnegat (11-4, 4-0) – The Bengals could not keep up with the first three Top 10 opponents they faced, but a 2-1 win over Shore was the result Barnegat needed to boost the team’s confidence heading into the postseason. That will begin with the Shore Coaches Cup, in which Barnegat is the No. 3 seed.
Wall (8-5-1, 4-2-0) – The Crimson Knights’ only win vs. a team with a winning record is over 7-6 Freehold Boro and they have three losses to teams with five wins or fewer (Middletown North, Middletown South and Central). That win over Freehold Boro and Long Branch’s similarly-mixed resume gets the Crimson Knights the nod as the last of the next 10 heading into an SCT first-round match vs. Lacey.
