Donnelly, Southern Boys Soccer Make Opening Statement vs. Freehold Twp.

FREEHOLD TWP. — Rob Muñoz is well aware of the lack of postseason accolades that Southern boys soccer — the program that he took over as head coach in 2022 — has collected during its history. There are division titles marked on the boys soccer banner in Southern’s gymnasium, but when it comes to Shore Conference and NJSIAA Tournament titles, the list is empty.

Muñoz believes his team has a chance to do something no other Southern team has done this season, but he hasn’t had to say a word about it. His players are thinking big all on their own.

Southern — ranked No. 4 in the Shore Sports Insider preseason rankings — opened its season Wednesday with a 2-0 win at Freehold Township behind a pair of first-half goals by senior striker Aidan Donnelly. The Rams played a dominant first half that netted them two goals from their leading scorer in 2023, and that was enough for senior goalkeeper Ryan Schweigart to nail down the shutout in net.

“I was fortunate enough to walk into a program when these guys were freshmen, and the whole coaching staff knew that this group was going to have a chance to be special when they were seniors,” said Muñoz, who was an assistant coach under Guy Lockwood before the two coaches switched roles. “It’s impressive because they don’t even all play on the same club team, but they love playing with each other — whether it’s soccer, tennis, anything. They are like brothers, which you can tell because sometimes they fight like brothers. But there is a real bond there, and you can see it on the field.”

Donnelly went to work on Freehold Township’s back line in the early going and put the defense and goalkeeper Klaud Martyna under duress. The Patriots kept Southern at bay for the first 15 minutes with an effective offsides trap, but in the 18th minute, Donnelly timed up his first successful run.

Southern at Freehold Twp: Aidan Donnelly has been a problem all game and he gives Southern a 1-0 lead over Freehold Twp in the 18th minute. Shane Holden with the precision ball to free him up. pic.twitter.com/GoYbhkCY7N

— Matt Manley (@Matt_Manley) September 4, 2024

Rams senior center back Shane Holden settled the ball near midfield and skipped a pass through the defense. Donnelly stormed past the last defender to run onto the ball and knocked it into the lower right of the goal for a 1-0 lead.

“We knew walking into it, the first game of the season, there is going to be a lot of energy, a lot of intensity, a lot of passion,” Donnelly said. “Overall, I think we just brought more of it.”

Donnelly made it 2-0 in the 32nd minute after senior center midfielder Nick Prosperi settled the ball, carried it toward the Freehold Township box and slipped another pass to an open Donnelly, who quickly settled it and ripped a far-post finish before the last defender or Martyna could encumber him.

Make it 2 for Aidan Donnelly, this time from Nick Prosperi in the 32nd. Southern leads Freehold Twp 2-0. pic.twitter.com/qVmo5fePUF

— Matt Manley (@Matt_Manley) September 4, 2024

Southern outshot Freehold Township, 10-2, in the first half. Freehold Township’s only quality chances were a header over the bar off a corner kick and a scramble in front of the net that did not lead to a shot on goal after Schweigart came far off his line.

“Sometimes it takes teams a little bit of time to find their groove,” Muñoz said. “We had a good first half, started really well. It’s kind of hard to have ball retention on this field, but I thought we handled it well. I thought the result was deserved and reflected how we played.”

Freehold Township kept Donnelly quiet in the second half and played a more even 40 minutes after the break. The Rams, however, kept the Patriots off the board, with Schweigart picking up four of his five saves in the second half. Martyna also prevented a third Southern goal with a point-blank save on a shot by Kaan Zenger midway through the half.

“The second half was an opportunity to get some of the younger guys in,” Muñoz said. “We all know when you get to the postseason, it all depends on how deep you are.”

Southern has never won a Shore Conference Tournament or NJSIAA sectional title, which this year’s team will be trying to change. The Rams won a Class A South co-championship in 2020 and won A South outright in 1989. No team from Ocean County has won the SCT in 19 years (Toms River North) and the last Ocean County team to win an overall group championship was Group IV in 2009 (Toms River South).

Last year’s Rams team finished 10-5-1 and second in the Class A South standings before losing to Middletown North in the SCT round of 16 and falling to eventual sectional champion Washington Township in the South Jersey Group IV quarterfinals. After graduating three starters from the 2023 team, the expectations are as high as they have ever been for the Rams, whose last team with this much talent came in the COVID-shortened 2020 season. That fall, there was no SCT and only a truncated, regional edition of an NJSIAA postseason.

“Over the last couple years, we got unlucky in the postseason, but I think that experience really has helped,” Muñoz said. “I don’t have to talk to them about too much technical and tactical stuff. It’s small details, because they grasp it. It’s a great group to work with.”

“We have all been playing together since we were 10 years old,” Donnelly said. “We have been waiting for this year for as long as we can remember, and we’re going to make the most of it.”