Boys Soccer NJSIAA Tournament Preview: The Shore in Group 3

From 2015 through 2019, the Shore Conference dominated the Central-South Group III landscape in the boys soccer NJSIAA Tournament. During that period, a Shore team was responsible for five consecutive Central Jersey Group III championships and Toms River South also won a South Jersey Group III championship in 2015 before going on to win back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017 in Central Jersey.

Ocean and Wall both figured prominently in that run of excellence by the Shore Conference, but one look at the field of teams below reveals that neither Ocean nor Wall are in Group III any longer. Group III has a different look this year, with Ocean moving to Group II, Long Branch, Jackson Memorial and Lakewood dropping from Group IV into Group III, and Middletown North shifting north to the North Jersey Section 2 bracket. In South Jersey, meanwhile, Toms River East, Toms River South and Lacey remain the Shore’s torch-bearers.

Through all of the realignment, the Shore still has 13 teams competing in three Group III sections and with Colts Neck and Toms River East in the midst of special seasons, plus Middletown North competing in a section without a dominant top seed, there is a chance the Shore could regain its standing as a Group III powerhouse this November.

Central Jersey Group III

Shore Teams in the Field: No. 1 Colts Neck, No. 4 Middletown South, No. 6 Red Bank, No. 9 Long Branch, No. 11 Brick Memorial, No. 12 Neptune, No. 13 Jackson Memorial, No. 14 Lakewood, No. 16 Freehold Boro
Top Seed: Colts Neck
Defending Champion: Robbinsville (No. 2 in 2024 Central Group II)
Favorite: Colts Neck.

Dark Horse: No. 10 Lawrence. The winner of the 7-vs.-10 game between No. 7 Burlington Township and Lawrence will be a serious threat to reach the final, so a lot will be at stake during Tuesday’s round one. Both teams have played challenging schedules and Lawrence has a recent 2-1 loss to No. 3 Steinert, which is a potential sectional semifinal opponent of the Cardinals should they make that run. The other side of the bracket will be trickier for the underdogs with Colts Neck looming as a heavy favorite. Long Branch and No. 8 Hopewell Valley will be tough outs, but big underdogs vs. Colts Neck nevertheless. Of the other round-one Shore road teams – Brick Memorial, Neptune, Jackson Memorial, Lakewood and Freehold Boro – Neptune has been the sharpest of the bunch lately, while Jackson Memorial is the most battle-tested of the group.

Bracket Breakdown: With nine Shore Conference teams in the field – including an undefeated No. 1 seed – the odds are in the Shore’s favor to bring home a CJ III championship for the first time since 2019. Wall’s 2019 title was significant because it marked the fifth straight season in which a Shore Conference team won Central Group III and none of the five champions – Ocean (2015 and 2018), Toms River South (2016 and 2017) and Wall – are still in the section. The 2014 season, coincidentally enough, was the last time Red Bank won a state tournament game and the Bucs made it all the way to the sectional final before losing to Princeton. This year’s Bucs team will host Brick Memorial and try to make another surprise run to the final, which is in play thanks to landing a draw on the side of the bracket opposite Colts Neck.

Championship Prediction: Colts Neck over Steinert. Speaking of Colts Neck, the Cougars are poised to make a serious run at their first sectional title since winning the overall Group I championship in 2000. The Cougars have validated themselves as a championship outfit at every opportunity this season, most recently with a Shore Conference Tournament championship win over CBA, followed by a 4-4 draw at defending Group IV champion Princeton. Steinert is the team that eliminated Colts Neck from last year’s state tournament, so there will be no shortage of motivation for the Cougars if this is indeed the final. Of course, the Cougars have to get through their side of the bracket, which includes dangerous Hopewell Valley and Long Branch sides, plus a Middletown South team that has already challenged Colts Neck in a 1-0 Cougars win in which the lone goal was scored on a penalty kick.

South Jersey Group III

Shore Teams in the Field: No. 2 Toms River East, No. 6 Toms River South, No. 7 Lacey
Top Seed: Shawnee
Defending Champion: No. 11 Clearview
Favorite: Shawnee.

Dark Horse: No. 13 Ocean City. South Jersey Group III has four double-digit seeds with potential to ride to the second week of the tournament. Ocean City has the worst seed of the bunch, but the draw will give the Red Raiders a chance to win at least one game, starting with a first-round match against a Hammonton team Ocean City beat during the regular season. No. 12 Cherry Hill West has beaten West Deptford – the No. 1 seed in South Jersey Group II. No. 11 Clearview – Toms River South’s first-round opponent – has beaten Washington Township, Kingsway and Eastern. No. 10 Delsea owns wins over Clearview and Deptford. It is a deep pool of potential underdogs with a real chance to do damage particularly the teams on the side of the bracket opposite Shawnee.

Bracket Breakdown: As formidable as some of the double-digit seeds may be, there is a distinct favorite in the field as the No. 1 seed and two strong contenders seeded Nos. 2 and 3. Shawnee has lost just twice all season while playing a challenging schedule, which is common among teams with championship aspirations heading into the season. Toms River East has also stared down some of the top teams from the Shore and beyond, with the Raiders earning a scoreless draw vs. Westfield to go with wins over Holmdel, Southern, Manalapan, Marlboro and St. John Vianney. No. 3 Moorestown went on a 12-game unbeaten streak that culminated in a win over Cinnaminson – the No. 1 seed in a loaded Central Jersey Group II section. The rest of the field has a number of threats, not the least of which is a surging Lacey side, but those three teams have credentials that stand above the rest.

Championship Prediction: Shawnee over Toms River East. Toms River East will have a hard road to travel to win the section, which could require beating Lacey and Moorestown before the Raiders even get a crack at the top-seeded Renegades. Shawnee is coming off a South Jersey Coaches’ Cup championship, which ended with victories over Moorestown and previously-undefeated St. Augustine. Like Colts Neck in Central Jersey, Shawnee is already a championship team with the chops to barrel its way to a sectional championship.

North Jersey Section 2, Group III

Shore Teams in the Field: No. 10 Middletown North
Top Seed: Summit
Defending Champion: Summit
Favorite: Summit

Dark Horse: No. 13 Millburn. The Millers don’t have any wins that jump off the page, but they have battled good competition throughout the season and will be a worthy first-round opponent for No. 4 Rahway. Middletown North could definitely fit this description this coming week as the No. 10 seed: the Lions have a tough road game at Chatham to open the tournament, but a second-round game with either South Plainfield or Somerville would be one Middletown North could handle.

Bracket Breakdown: Every team in the field is flawed in some manner, which should make for some wild proceedings over the next two weeks. The Chatham-Middletown North winner has a great chance to reach the semifinal, while No. 3 Cranford will have an opportunity to take advantage of a nice draw. Rahway has a tough first-round draw, but has also been through enough tough games to handle an early challenge and go on a run.

Championship Prediction: Summit over Cranford. In what looks like it could be an unpredictable bracket, the most likely champion is the one that is the No. 1 seed, would play at home all the way through the state final and is also the defending sectional champion. Summit has not always been dominant, but the Hilltoppers have only been defeated once this season.