Playa Bowls 2026 Shore Conference Girls Soccer Week 8 Top 10
Shore Conference Girls Soccer Week 8 Rankings presented by Playa Bowls
Special thank you to Playa Bowls for presenting the Girls Soccer Top 10 rankings for the remainder of the season!
1. Toms River South (12-3) Last Week: 4
Daniella Gordon scored in the second half for TRS against No. 6 Freehold Township. 9/1/26 (Photo by David Phillips/Framegrabs)
Toms River South returns to the top spot in the rankings after extending its winning streak to six games, a run that began with a victory over Trinity Hall two weeks ago. The Indians won three Shore Conference Tournament games this week to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2013.
The 10th-seeded Indians opened the tournament with a 6-0 victory over Manchester. Junior Daniella Gordon showed signs of returning to full strength, recording two goals and two assists in the win.
In the second round, Toms River South edged seventh-seeded Rumson-Fair Haven in penalty kicks following a 1-1 draw. Junior Emma Turnbach scored her 10th goal of the season in the first half, while junior goalkeeper Reese Lindemann made seven saves to help the Indians advance.
Toms River South saved arguably its best performance of the tournament for the quarterfinals, knocking off second-seeded St. John Vianney 4-1. The Indians erupted for three first-half goals against the Lancers, with Gordon and Turnbach each contributing a goal and an assist.
The Indians will face 11th-seeded Freehold Township in Tuesday’s semifinals at Summerfield Elementary School in Neptune. Toms River South defeated the Patriots 3-0 in the season opener and will look to repeat that result with a trip to the SCT championship game on the line.
2. Central (14-2-1) Last Week: 5
Despite entering the Shore Conference Tournament without two starters, Central battled its way to the semifinals for the first time since 2023. After a sluggish start against Ranney in the opening round, the Golden Eagles erupted for five second-half goals to cruise to a 6-0 victory. Seniors Leah DiCillo and Madeline Leppard and freshman Annie Napolitano each scored twice in the win.
Ninth-seeded Central faced a much tougher challenge in the second round, outlasting eighth-seeded Freehold Boro 4-3 in double overtime. Trailing 3-2 late in the second half, the Golden Eagles rallied to force overtime before delivering the game-winner in the second extra period. Leppard scored twice for the second consecutive game, while DiCillo added a goal and an assist.
Central continued its impressive tournament run in the quarterfinals, stunning top-seeded Red Bank Catholic in penalty kicks. DiCillo scored her 12th goal of the season in the second half to put the Golden Eagles ahead, but the Caseys netted the equalizer in the final minute of regulation. Central regrouped and prevailed 4-3 in the penalty-kick shootout to secure its spot in the semifinals.
The Golden Eagles will face fourth-seeded Trinity Hall on Tuesday at Summerfield Elementary School in Neptune. The two programs have developed a compelling postseason rivalry, with each of their last two SCT meetings decided by penalty kicks. Central will look to emerge victorious in another high-stakes showdown and advance to the championship game.
3. Trinity Hall (12-3-1) Last Week: 6
Anan Noble finished with 2 goals and 1 assist against Wall in the SCT Quarterfinal Round. 10/17/26 (Photo by Doug Phillips/Framegrabs)
For the second consecutive season and just the second time in program history, Trinity Hall has advanced to the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals. After earning a first-round bye as the No. 4 seed, the Monarchs opened their postseason run with a 1-0 victory over Manasquan in the second round. Sophomore Bette Kane scored the game’s lone goal in the second half off a pass from senior Grace Greene, while senior goalkeeper O’Neal Hile made five saves to preserve the shutout. It marked the first time this season Hile played all 80 minutes without splitting time with freshman Elle Dollar.
Trinity Hall’s offense came alive in the quarterfinals, erupting for four goals in a convincing 4-0 victory over Wall. Sophomore Anna Noble led the charge with two goals and an assist, while Kane added a goal and assisted on one of Noble’s first-half scores. Kane continues to lead the Monarchs offensively with eight goals and seven assists this season.
The Monarchs will face ninth-seeded Central in Tuesday’s semifinals at Summerfield Elementary School in Neptune, marking the third consecutive season the programs will meet in the SCT. Their previous two tournament encounters were instant classics, with both decided by penalty-kick shootouts. Trinity Hall will look to come out on top in another postseason showdown and advance to the SCT championship game for the second straight season.
4. Red Bank Catholic (11-2-1) Last Week: 2
Sophomore Nina Bicej sealed the victory for RBC against Howell with a goal late in the second half. (Photo by Tom Smith)
After earning a first-round bye as the top seed in the Shore Conference Tournament, Red Bank Catholic opened its postseason run with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over 17th-seeded Toms River East in the second round. Senior Mia Cupo scored her eighth goal of the season in the second half, while senior goalkeeper Heidi Wierman made three saves to record her eighth shutout of the year.
The Caseys suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the quarterfinals, falling to ninth-seeded Central in penalty kicks. Trailing late in the second half, senior Nina Bicej delivered a dramatic equalizer in the final minute of regulation, scoring her 10th goal of the season to keep RBC’s tournament hopes alive. The Caseys ultimately came up short in the penalty-kick shootout, bringing their SCT run to an end.
Red Bank Catholic will now shift its focus to the South Jersey Non-Public A sectional tournament, where it currently sits second in power points behind St. John Vianney. The Caseys will host the Lancers on Wednesday in an SCT consolation game, giving both teams an opportunity to strengthen their postseason positioning ahead of the state tournament.
5. Point Boro (12-2) Last Week: 1
Maddie Renna playing against Central in a Class A South game. 9/29/26 (Photo by Tom Smith)
After winning 12 consecutive games and earning a share of the Class A South division title, Point Boro saw its impressive winning streak come to an end in the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals against 10th-seeded Freehold Township. The Panthers trailed 1-0 at halftime before junior Maddie Renna scored midway through the second half to pull Point Boro even. Neither team could find the decisive goal, sending the game to penalty kicks, where Freehold Township prevailed to end the Panthers’ SCT run.
Point Boro had opened its tournament with a dominant 6-0 victory over Middletown North in the second round. Renna led the offensive attack with three goals and an assist, while senior Abby Crowell contributed a goal and two assists in the convincing win.
The Panthers will look to regroup when they host No. 8 Wall on Wednesday in a matchup that could serve as a preview of the Central Jersey Group 2 championship game. Point Boro currently sits third in the sectional power-point standings, with Wall close behind in fourth, making the contest an important test for both teams ahead of the state tournament.
6. St. John Vianney (13-3-1) Last Week: 3
Gabby Parker (left) scored two goals against Southern. 10/2/25 (Photo by Tom Smith)
After earning a first-round bye in the Shore Conference Tournament, St. John Vianney opened its postseason run with a 3-1 victory over Ocean Township in the second round. Senior Gabby Parker led the Lancers with two goals, bringing her season total to 14, while junior Delilah Joyce assisted on both of Parker’s goals.
The Lancers’ SCT run came to an end in the quarterfinals with a 4-1 loss to 10th-seeded Toms River South. St. John Vianney struggled to contain the Indians’ offense early, falling behind 3-0 in the first half. The Lancers pulled a goal back late in the half to trim the deficit to two, but Toms River South added another goal after halftime to put the game out of reach.
St. John Vianney will now turn its attention to the highly competitive South Jersey Non-Public A sectional tournament, where it currently holds the top spot in the power-point standings. The Lancers will travel to No. 4 Red Bank Catholic on Wednesday for an SCT consolation game that could provide a valuable test ahead of the state tournament.
7. Freehold Township (9-6-2) Last Week: Not Ranked
Morgan Notaro scored the game winner in the second half to beat Howell in the SCT 2nd Round. 10/15/26 (Photo by Doug Phillips/Framegrabs)
Much like last season, Freehold Township is finding its stride at the right time. A year ago, the Patriots’ late-season surge culminated in a Central Jersey Group 4 championship. Now, they have their sights set on capturing their fourth Shore Conference Tournament title since 2021.
Freehold Township opened the SCT with a 2-0 victory over Point Beach. Freshman Kayleigh Moore delivered a breakout performance, recording her first career goal and assist, while senior goalkeeper Violet Matthews made four saves to preserve the shutout.
In the second round, the Patriots knocked off familiar rival Howell 2-1 to keep their postseason run alive. Freshman Olivia Ramirez scored her first career goal to give Freehold Township an early lead before sophomore Morgan Notaro delivered the game-winner early in the second half, sending the Patriots into the quarterfinals.
Eleventh-seeded Freehold Township continued its impressive run in the quarterfinals, upsetting third-seeded Point Boro in a penalty-kick shootout following a 1-1 draw. Notaro opened the scoring early in the first half with her 16th goal of the season, but the Panthers responded with an equalizer after halftime. Neither team could break the deadlock through two overtime periods, and the Patriots prevailed 4-3 in penalty kicks to secure their spot in the semifinals.
Freehold Township will face 10th-seeded Toms River South on Wednesday at Summerfield Elementary School in Neptune, looking to avenge a 3-0 loss to the Indians in the season opener. As the Patriots demonstrated against Point Boro, regular-season results offer no guarantees when the postseason arrives.
8.Wall (12-6) Last Week: 10
Sloane Biggie marking Megan Farrell (left) in the SCT Quarterfinal round. 10/17/26 (Photo by Doug Phillips/Framegrabs)
Wall advanced to the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals as the No. 12 seed, opening its postseason run with a 3-0 victory over Red Bank. The Knights carried a 1-0 lead into halftime before adding two insurance goals in the second half to secure the shutout. Three different players found the back of the net, with senior Bridget Petillo contributing a goal and an assist to lead a balanced offensive attack.
In the second round, Wall knocked off fifth-seeded Middletown South 1-0 behind a first-half goal from sophomore Nora Farrell. Her sister, Megan Farrell, provided the assist, her team-leading ninth of the season. Junior goalkeeper Angelica Arcila-Montoya made seven saves to record her fifth consecutive shutout and ninth overall, helping the Knights preserve the narrow victory.
Wall’s tournament run came to an end in the quarterfinals with a 4-0 loss to fourth-seeded Trinity Hall. The Knights conceded two first-half goals and struggled to generate quality scoring opportunities against a strong Monarchs defense.
The Knights will travel to face No. 5 Point Boro in an SCT consolation game that could serve as a preview of the Central Jersey Group 2 championship. Wall currently sits fourth in the sectional power-point standings, one spot behind Point Boro, making the matchup a valuable test for both teams ahead of the state tournament.
9. Rumson-Fair Haven (9-5-1) Last Week: 9
After earning a first-round bye in the Shore Conference Tournament, Rumson-Fair Haven saw its tournament run end with a hard-fought loss to 10th-seeded Toms River South in the second round. The Bulldogs pushed the Indians, who held the No. 1 ranking for much of the early season, to the limit before falling in a penalty-kick shootout. Trailing 1-0 at halftime, senior Summer O’Malley delivered the equalizer in the second half to force overtime. Neither team could break the deadlock, and Toms River South prevailed 4-1 in penalty kicks.
Rumson-Fair Haven will travel to Freehold Boro on Monday for an SCT consolation game as it prepares for the state tournament. The Bulldogs currently sit ninth in the Central Jersey Group 2 power-point standings. With the state tournament beginning Nov. 3, Rumson is expected to be without standout Jordyn Sullivan until potentially the third round, as the U-17 World Cup does not conclude until Nov. 7.
10. Howell (7-6-1) Last Week: Not Ranked
Isabella Farinick scored in the first-half against Freehold Township in the SCT 2nd Round. 10/15/26 (Photo by Doug Phillips/Framegrabs)
After earning a first-round bye as the No. 6 seed in the Shore Conference Tournament, Howell saw its championship hopes end with a 2-1 loss to rival Freehold Township in the second round. The Rebels fell behind early but responded before halftime when junior Isabella Farinick scored the equalizer. Freehold Township regained the lead early in the second half, and Howell was unable to find another answer.
The Rebels bounced back with a 4-3 victory over Middletown South in an SCT consolation game. Farinick and Peyton Parsons led the offensive attack with two goals apiece, helping Howell earn a valuable win in the Central Jersey Group 4 power-point standings. The Rebels currently sit fourth in the section, less than one power point behind third-place South Brunswick.
Howell will travel to Marlboro on Thursday as both teams continue preparing for the state tournament. The Mustangs currently occupy eighth place in the Central Jersey Group 4 standings, making the matchup another important opportunity for both programs to strengthen their postseason positioning.
Bubble:
Middletown South, Ocean, Manasquan, Howell
