No. 1 Manalapan passes test with a 4-2 win over No. 4 Red Bank Catholic

RED BANK – What a difference a year can make. Expectations entering a season change year to year for some teams depending on who graduates and who comes in. Last season, Manalapan did not know what to expect with a strong graduating class, but by the end of the season they were one of the last teams standing in the Shore Conference. 

Entering this season, the Braves have high expectations after returning to the Central Jersey Group 4 final for the third straight year. The Braves enter the fall as the top-ranked team in the Shore Sports Insider Girls Soccer Top 10. 

Manalapan had its first test against a ranked opponent on Tuesday and showed why the Braves are the No. 1 team in the Shore. Playing division rival and fourth-ranked Red Bank Catholic on the road, the Braves built a one-goal lead at halftime and won 4-2.

“I think this year we are really trying to focus on starting strong early, which we did not do well last year,” Manalapan head coach John Rogers said. “We have a ton of weapons on the field, when we work as a team to come out fast we present ourselves with a lot of opportunities to score like we did.”

The Braves (2-0) were able to score the game’s first goal after an RBC player committed a hand ball in the box. Senior Daniella Butash buried the penalty shot five minutes into the game. After Manalapan controlled a good part of the first 15 minutes, the Caseys (2-1) were able to go on the attack. They scored the equalizer in the 19th minute when sophomore Grace Pauwels headed the ball into the back of the net off a Penny Foye cross into the box. 

After RBC controlled the ball for a few minutes, Manalapan was able to strike in the 26th minute when Butash got into the box and ripped her second goal of the game to go up 2-1. One minute later, Vanessa Salinas was able to finish from inside the box off a pass from Kayla Sasso. 

The Caseys were able to score with 2:23 left before half on a questionable penalty call inside the box. Defender Constantina Papadakis appeared to go shoulder to shoulder with Pauwels, but the referee called a foul. Pauwels capitalized and had just enough power on it to get past a diving Aryanna Lake, who got her hand on the ball. 

“That is a learning experience for us,” Rogers said. “I think last year we would let those little moments get the best of us and let it affect us for the rest of the game. We said at halftime the call happened, and it is what it is. We have to flush it and respond in the second half. We were focusing on not letting it be a 3-3 game, and let’s get the next one.”

Manalapan added an insurance goal on a corner kick with 28:35 left in the game. Guilianna Naletillic, who is proving to be a dangerous weapon on set pieces, served the ball into a crowded box, and Devan Rosenweig was able to find the back of the net.

 

Being the No. 1 team in the Shore Conference comes with a target on your back. Manalapan will be tested every game playing in Class A North, which had all but one team ranked in the preseason top 10, and that team was on the bubble. 

The Braves have their sights set on a fourth consecutive sectional final appearance, drawing motivation from last season’s heartbreaking shootout loss to Monroe. While it was disappointing at the time, a valuable source of experience was gained. 

“The message has always been to never forget the feeling from last year after the PKs against Monroe,” Lyla Ottenheimer said. “We need to stick together and if we ever feel like we are working hard, we need to work even harder.”