No. 2 Point Boro Tops No. 1 St. John Vianney, Makes Its Case for the Top Spot
HOLMDEL — Teams have an opportunity to make a statement when they face the No. 1 team in the conference. Beating a top-ranked opponent shows you belong in the conversation with the best teams in the area.
But when you beat two No. 1 teams in a span of 10 days, it goes beyond making a statement. It’s a clear indication that you belong at the top.
That’s exactly what No. 2 Point Boro did Saturday, defeating No. 1 St. John Vianney in a non-divisional matchup. The victory came just 10 days after the Panthers knocked off the previous No. 1 team, Toms River South, 1-0 on September 23rd.
“It is a big statement win for us,” senior Khloey Cilento said. “We want to show everybody we have been good the last couple of seasons. We felt people kind of counted us out this year and we wanted to make a statement and show that we are still the same team we’ve always been.”
After an evenly played first half in which each team controlled the action for roughly 20 minutes, Point Boro broke the scoreless tie in the 48th minute. Junior Megan Viggiano battled her way along the goal line toward the net before firing a shot that Lancers goalkeeper Lillie Lazzari was unable to handle.
Megan Viggiano going against Freehold Boro in a SCT Group 8 game. 9/11/25 – Photo by Tom Smith
“Meg (Viggiano) is special,” Point Boro head coach Mike Edolo said. “She puts the hours in. She is usually at practice before I am there playing with the ball and that is the sort of thing that you want from every single one of your players. There was a diagonal ball hit and Meg came from about 70 yards from the opposite flank to chase it to the corner. That is the effort she puts in, you chase everything. She has the mentality to want it bad enough.”
Point Boro did not get off to a strong start, as SJV controlled the opening 20 minutes and generated several scoring opportunities off corner kicks and set pieces. The Panthers began to find their footing midway through the first half and created chances of their own, but Lazzari came up with the necessary saves to keep the game scoreless.
Lillie Lazzari in goal against No. 2 Point Boro in a non-division game. 10/3/26 (Photo by Nick Lowe)
“We had to get comfortable with what they were doing,” Edolo said. “The kids on this team really understand the game well enough where I do not have to tell them stuff. They are able to sort it out on their own. They were able to find the spaces and they started to shut down what SJV wanted to do.”
The victory marked the fourth shutout of the season for Point Boro and senior goalkeeper Stella Stevenson. Stevenson made four saves and helped organize the back line, limiting SJV’s quality scoring opportunities throughout the game.
Stevenson worked throughout the offseason to make her way back from a serious leg injury and return in time for the season.
Stella Stevenson making a save against Central in a Class A South game. 9/29/25 (Photo by Tom Smith)
“She (Stevenson) is a year older, a year more mature, a year wiser and she puts the work in, Edolo said. “ She broke her leg pretty badly in the spring and it took her all summer to get back. Her hands are great and you saw that she wasn’t giving up any rebounds on some difficult crosses today. That is all credit to her and the work she has put in.”
It was also the Panthers’ third 1-0 victory of the season and their sixth game decided by a single goal. Consistently playing in tight, highly competitive games has given Point Boro valuable experience that could pay dividends when the postseason arrives.
“Battle tested we are,” Edolo said. “Winning 1-0 in a lot of these tough games. That is a testament to their focus. They do not lose focus and that is something I harp on. That comes from the coaches who coached me, you can not tune out for ten seconds. It can be easy to slip out of focus, but my mantra and something I’ve always told them is “you got to know where you are and now why you’re there.”
Point Boro’s defense has also held firm in those close games despite undergoing significant changes. Along with Stevenson, Cilento spent the offseason working her way back from an ACL injury suffered during last year’s postseason. Sophomore Julia Collins has stepped into the starting lineup at center back this season, while senior Abby Crowell and junior Grace Tansey provide experience on either side of her.
“It is a new back line for us,” Cilento said. “We are still gaining experience with it as the season goes on, but as we keep playing harder teams, it is making us better and teaching us how to work better together.”
One of those 1-0 victories came on the road against Toms River South. The win knocked Toms River South out of the top spot in the rankings and helped Point Boro secure at least a share of the Class A South title. Junior Maddie Renna, who leads the Panthers with 14 goals this season, provided the difference by scoring her 11th goal of the season.
Maddie Renna playing against Central in a Class A South game. 9/29/26 (Photo by Tom Smith)
“This year she (Renna) has been straight up dominant,” Edolo said. “She had that edge to her, her whole life, wanting to compete with whoever it is.”
Point Boro’s only loss of the season came on opening night against rival Central, a 1-0 defeat in a hard-fought, back-and-forth battle.
The rivalry began in 2024, when Point Boro captured the division title in its first season in Class A South. Central answered by winning the division title last season, and this year the two rivals will share the championship after finishing with identical 4-1 division records.
Since that opening-night loss, Point Boro has rattled off nine consecutive victories. After knocking off two different No. 1 teams during that stretch, the Panthers will now take their turn atop the Shore Sports Insider Top 10 rankings.
During the Freehold Borough vs Pt Pleasant Borough Shore Conference Soccer Match at the Freehold Boro HS Soccer Field in Freehold, New Jersey. 9/11/25 Photo Credit: Tom Smith | tspsportsimages.com
“It was a tough first game to have,” said Renna about the Central game. “It is always a tough game because they are a really good team. I do wish we could get that game back. Maybe during the Shore Conference Tournament we can get them again, but I know if we do get them again, we’re going to give 100% effort.”
Point Boro has been a consistent presence in the top 10 over the past several seasons. The Panthers captured the Group 2 state championship in 2024 before falling just short of another deep postseason run last season, losing to Allentown, 2-1, in overtime in the Central Jersey Group 2 sectional.
Point Boro’s challenging schedule continues next week when the Panthers travel to face No. 10 Freehold Township on Monday with the top spot in SCT Group 9 on the line. Point Boro is 3-0 with nine points, while the Patriots are 2-0 with six points.
The matchup adds another chapter to a recent history between the two programs. Point Boro defeated Freehold Township, 2-1, in the second round of last year’s SCT, while the Patriots earned a 1-0 victory over the Panthers in an instant classic in the 2024 SCT championship game.
Games against opponents of that caliber have helped prepare Point Boro for deep postseason runs.
“Playing games out of division, games like this, really helps us get ready for the Shore Conference Tournament and states,” Renna said. “I think that really sets us up for success playing great teams like this and Toms River South last week. Even Central, that was our first game of the season.”
