Boys Soccer Shore Sports Insider Top 10, Week 1
The boys soccer season is, essentially, one week old and there have already been some seismic shifts in the rankings and the overall landscape of the Shore Conference. The preseason No. 1 team has already been unseated, albeit by a familiar team, which has shifted the order of the preseason’s “big three.”
Meanwhile, Ocean County might have a surprising new front-runner after its eye-opening start to the season. The top teams in Class B South may be close in talent to whichever teams end up at the top of Class A South, which remains a mystery through one week.
The only teams to fall out of the rankings this week were near the bottom of the preseason rankings, but there are still a couple of tumbles in the rankings to note as two new teams move into the picture.
Colts neck senior Ben Kazani. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)
1. Colts Neck (2-0, 2-0) Last Week: 3
The defending Shore Conference Tournament champions entered the season looking to replace five starters, but with top scorer Sean Moore back. Through two games, Moore has not been phased by the extra defensive attention he has faced, and the supporting cast has not been a drop-off from last year’s group, leading to wins over Rumson-Fair Haven and Manalapan. There is a long way to go, but the Cougars have an early leg up in the Class A North race.
2. Christian Brothers Academy (1-1-2, 1-0-0) Last Week: 2
Speaking of the Class A North race, CBA got on track in its first Class A North game Monday night in Marlboro. The Colts tied two games against out-of-state opponents in the final days of August and dropped their in-state debut in overtime against Monroe this past Saturday, but facing the Shore Conference proved to be the elixir.
3. Manalapan (0-1-1, 0-1-0) Last Week: 1
The Braves are still searching for their first win after tying Freehold Township and dropping a 1-0 match to Colts Neck. They are also still waiting on a full lineup after returning starters Ethan Rosenfeld (personal) and Edoardo Russo (red card) missed the loss to Colts Neck, so the Braves do not fall past the third spot in the rankings. With that said, Manalapan will be looking to get back on track against Point Boro on Wednesday.
4. Middletown South (2-0, 1-0) Last Week: 7
Of all the teams in the preseason Top 10, Middletown South might be the most impressive out of the gate. The Eagles have handled both Holmdel and Shore, and between the two games, have scored seven unanswered goals. The return of senior Luke Strada from MLS Next has been a game-changer, but the emergence of junior Connor Saul (five goals in two games) has been the headline by the numbers early on.
Middletown South junior Connor Saul. (Photo: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com)
5. Ocean (3-0, 1-0) Last Week: 10
The schedule has not yet ratcheted up for Ocean, but convincing wins over Matawan, Red Bank and Wall suggest the Spartans are once again primed for a deep tournament run or two. Senior Brandon Cosentino has returned from the academy ranks and made a major impact on the attack. Ocean’s defensive reconfiguration has yielded just one goal allowed so far, which came in the early minutes of a 4-1 win over Wall on Monday. The schedule picks up with Jackson (4-0) on Wednesday.
6. Brick Memorial (2-0, 1-0) Last Week: Not ranked
Winning the program’s first division title in 22 years last fall was a big accomplishment for a team trying to find its footing, but a spotty record of results outside of Class C South did not sit well with the Brick Memorial players – many of whom returned this season. With an experienced team, the Mustangs have shown, to this point, they are ready to compete with the name-brand programs of the Shore after knocking off Toms River North and Toms River South to start the year.
7. Manasquan (2-0, 1-0) Last Week: Not ranked
The Warriors are the other new name in this week’s Top 10, and unlike Brick Memorial, Manasquan does not have a lot back in the starting lineup. The one marquee returner back from 2024 is All-Shore striker Cruz Farkas, and the Warriors are off to a 2-0 start without Farkas contributing a goal yet. In fact, five different Manasquan players have scored their five goals, and their two wins are on the road are over defending Group IV champion Southern and preseason No. 9 St. John Vianney.
8. Toms River North (1-2, 1-0) Last Week: 5
Two 1-0 road losses were tough to swallow for the Mariners to open the season, and they were facing another road challenge at Lacey with the prospect of 0-3 staring them in the collective face. Toms River North, however, showed the mettle of a champion by striking twice in the first half and pitching a shutout for a 2-0 win that gives the Mariners an early leg up in their pursuit of a sixth straight division title in Class A South.
9. Long Branch (1-0-1, 1-0-0) Last Week: 6
It has only been two games, but Long Branch is already in a better position than it was a year ago, when it started the season 2-10 before catching fire during the postseason. The Green Wave went the distance with Rumson in a scoreless draw – an improvement on last year’s overtime loss to the Bulldogs – and picked up a 2-0 win over Matawan to get off on the right foot in Class B North play.
10. Lacey (1-2, 0-1) Last Week: 4
After a 7-0 rout of Ewing to open the season, the Lions are licking their wounds following losses to South Brunswick and Toms River North. Neither loss is enough to boot Lacey from the Top 10 entirely, but enough teams made enough noise this week that the Lions will have to prove themselves to stay in going forward. The schedule does not get any easier, with Middletown South coming to town for Wednesday’s SCT Group Stage game and an equally desperate Central team heading to Lacey for a Class A South rivalry game to close the week.
Dropped Out
Central (0-2, 0-1) Last Week: 8 – While Brick Memorial climbed into the rankings with a 2-0 showing against a pair of Toms River teams, Central drops out after losses to Toms River South and Toms River East to open the season.
St. John Vianney (1-1-1, 0-1-0) Last Week: 9 – The Lancers are off to a mixed start, with a five-goal explosion against Matawan, a 2-2 draw against an up-and-down Red Bank side and a 3-0 loss to Manasquan, which effectively took over SJV’s spot in the Top 10 this week.
The Next Five
Toms River East (2-0, 1-0) – Defense was supposed to be the strong suit for Toms River East, but the Raiders have put up seven goals in two games to power their 2-0 start.
Jackson (4-0, 1-0) – The schedule has not yet picked up, but it has been a harmonious start for the new Jackson squad, which has gotten major scoring contributions from the former Jackson Liberty trio of Serhii Hryhoriak, Yousef Abdelmalak and Rafael Cruz.
Rumson-Fair Haven (1-1-1, 1-1-0) – Scoring may not come easy for Rumson this season, but the Bulldogs have shown early on that they can defend and will be dangerous on throw-ins, which should keep them competitive against a rugged schedule.
Raritan (2-0, 1-0) – The Rockets have exploded for 10 goals in two games, with senior Owen Brackett going for six of them. That is almost halfway to his entire 2024 total of 14.
Southern (1-1, 1-1) – The Rams are a work in progress after graduating most of their 2024 scoring and with returning midfielder Brody Nacarlo working back from a preseason knee injury, but they should not be counted out in Class A South or the SCT.
