Girls Soccer SCT Semifinal Preview and Predictions

Shore Conference Tournament Semifinal Preview

 

Tuesday, October 20, 2026

At Summerfield Elementary School, Neptune 

 

(11) Freehold Township  vs (10) Toms River South, 4 p.m.

 

Freehold Township (9-6-2)

Head Coach: Dave Patterson

 

Road to Semis:

1st Round: Defeated (22) Point Beach 2-0

Round 0f 16: Defeated (6) Howell 2-1

Quarterfinal: Defeated (3) Point Boro 1-1 (4-3)

 

Freehold Township’s run in the SCT has been fueled by their underclassmen. Freshman Kayleigh Moore had her first career goal and first career assist in a 2-0 win over Point Beach. Senior Violet Matthews made four saves to earn her 5th shutout of the season.

In the second round against rival Howell, it was freshman Olivia Ramirez’s turn to score her first career goal. Sophomore Morgan Notaro scored the game-winner in the second half for the Patriots.

In the quarterfinal round, Notaro was able to score an early first-half goal to put Freehold Township up 1-0. Although Point Boro tied the game in the second half, the Patriots held on and sent it to penalty kicks. Matthews showed her big-game experience and made eight saves for Freehold Township.

 

Outlook:

Last year, with an almost entirely new team, Freehold Township clicked at the right time and won the Central Jersey Group 4 title. With only three seniors on this year’s roster, the young Patriots are clicking once again at the right time. Notaro is emerging as one of the best big-game scorers in the Shore Conference. Sophomore Adele Moy controls the midfield and creates chances for the forwards. She leads the team with 8 assists. Matthews, who had one of the best goalkeeper performances in the CJG4 final last year, has the experience and ability to shut down any team. Even after losing to TRS 3-0 in the first game of the year, Coach Patterson is one of the best at making adjustments and getting the Patriots ready to play.

 

Toms River South (12-3)

Head Coach: Kacey Woram

 

Road to Semis:

1st Round: Defeated (23) Manchester 6-0

Round of 16: Defeated (7) Rumson 1-1 (4-1)

Quarterfinal: Defeated (2) St. John Vianney 4-1

 

TRS scored four first-half goals in the opening round of the SCT. Junior Daniella Gordon picked up where she left off when she returned from injury. She scored two goals and added two assists in the opening round, and Samantha Fallon added two goals. The Indians’ defense and goalkeeper Reese Lindemann earned their fifth shutout of the season.

TRS was taken to the limit on the road against Rumson in the second round. Junior Emma Turnbach put the Indians up 1-0 in the first half, but the Bulldogs scored the equalizer in the second half. TRS made their first four shots in the shootout rounds, and Rumson was only able to put one ball into the net. Lindemann made seven saves for TRS.

In the quarterfinal round, TRS showed why they were the No. 1 team for much of the season. The Indians jumped out to a 3-0 lead and led 3-1 at halftime. TRS scored an insurance goal in the second half to reach the SCT semifinal for the first time since 2013. Gordon and Turnbach both had a goal and an assist in the win.

 

Outlook:

TRS was the preseason number one team until rival Point Boro defeated them. The Indians went through a span of three losses in four games, but they were without star forward Daniella Gordon. Gordon has scored five goals since returning from injury to lead the team with 12. Turnbach has set a career-high 10 goals this season and has become a dangerous second option. The Indians are one of the fastest teams in the Shore Conference and use that to their advantage, getting up and down the field quickly led by senior Ava Knight. Knight helps control the midfield and is quick to start the TRS attack. When Lindemann is on her game in net, she is one of the conference’s best goalkeepers. Against Central, she made a season-high 10 saves to prevent the Eagles from mounting a comeback.

Prediction:

Toms River South 2, Freehold Township 1

 

(9) Central vs (4) Trinity Hall, 6:30 p.m.

 

Central (14-2-1)

Head Coach: Marykate Sullivan

 

Road to Semis:

1st Round: Defeated (24) Ranney 6-0

Round of 16: Defeated (8) Freehold Boro 4-3 2OT

Quarterfinal: Defeated (1) Red Bank Catholic 1-1 (4-3)

 

After a slow start against Ranney, Central scored five second-half goals to win 6-0. Freshman Annie Napolitano scored two goals and had two assists, and Leah DiCillo and Madeline Leppard both scored two goals in the first round.

Central was given a scare in the second round, losing to Freehold Boro late in the second half. After tying the game 3-3 late in the game, Leppard scored the game-winner in double overtime to send the Golden Eagles into the quarterfinals. The senior leadership stepped up in crunch time for Central, with DiCillo scoring a goal and assisting another, Leppard finishing with two goals, Brianna Daly scoring a goal, and Logan Lisewski having an assist.

After playing a game that went to double overtime, Central’s quarterfinal game went even further. The Golden Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the second half on a goal by DiCillo, but conceded the equalizer in the final minute of play to top-seeded RBC. Down players due to injuries, Central fought hard in overtime to force penalty kicks, which they won 4-3.

Outlook:

When Central is healthy, they are one of the best teams in the Shore Conference. The Golden Eagles have played the SCT down two starters and might be down a third for the semifinal. After losing half their defense and a player in the offseason, Coach Sullivan made changes, with goalkeeper Addison Frulio moving to defense and Gianna Lawrence becoming the full-time starter in net. Senior Logan Lisewski’s return this season after missing last year to injury has helped the back line, and her ability to support the attack helps keep the ball in the attacking zone. Leah DiCillo is one of the best playmakers in the conference and leads the team with 12 goals and 12 assists.

 

Trinity Hall (12-3-1)

Head Coach: Patrick Trombetta

 

Road to Semis:

1st Round: Bye

Round of 16: Defeated (13) Manasquan 1-0

Quarterfinal: Defeated (12) Wall 4-0

 

Trinity Hall is the only team to earn a bye to the final four in the SCT. In the second round, sophomore Bette Kane scored a second-half goal off an assist from senior Grace Greene to send the Monarchs marching into the quarterfinal. After splitting time all season, senior O’Neal Hile has played every minute of the postseason. She made five saves against Manasquan to earn the shutout.

The Monarchs offense exploded for four goals against Wall in the quarterfinal round. Sophomore Anna Noble scored two first-half goals for Trinity Hall and assisted Kane’s second-half goal. Hile made four saves to help Trinity Hall put up their 10th shutout of the season.

Outlook:

Trinity Hall has one of the toughest defenses in the Shore Conference. They have had only two games in which they conceded more than one goal, led by senior Grace Greene. Greene moved back to defense after playing midfield last season and has led a young backline to 10 shutouts. O’Neal Hile has not allowed a goal since the first game of the season against Rumson, which was scored by Jordyn Sullivan. Trinity Hall has six players with three or more goals this season. With teams focusing on Kailyn Fitzgerald, Bette Kane has stepped up and leads the team with 8 goals and 7 assists this season. The Monarchs play smart soccer, limiting penalties and taking advantage of opponents’ mistakes.

 

Prediction:

Central 0, Trinity Hall 0 (Central advances 6-5 in penalty kicks)