Second-Half Surge: Jackson Breaks Out in 6-1 Win Over Manchester

MANCHESTER — It was the type of performance Jackson had been waiting for after a slow start to the season. After dropping four of their first five games, the Jaguars broke out offensively with a 6-1 victory over division rival Manchester.

Tied 1-1 at halftime, Jackson erupted for five goals in the second half to pull away. Senior Makenna Perez led the surge, scoring twice and adding an assist after the break.

“We came out with more intensity,” Perez said. “During halftime we realized we needed to get it together and we needed to come out and play how we know how we can play.”

Jackson broke the tie with goals off back-to-back corner kicks in the 55th and 57th minutes. Perez delivered what proved to be the game-winner in the 55th minute, bending a corner kick directly into the goal to give the Jaguars a 2-1 lead. Two minutes later, freshman Piper Tevis headed home a corner from senior Ella Cooke to extend the advantage to 3-1.

Perez struck again just two minutes later, scoring her second goal in a four-minute span. She fired a shot from 25 yards out that floated inside the far post to give Jackson a 4-1 lead.

“Those are huge momentum swings,” Jackson head coach Sean Bayhe said. “We talk about it all the time that set pieces win games, especially when you are pretty even with your opponent. Makenna has a real gift and is good at it. Not just on corners, but services into the box.”

Cooke added a goal of her own in the 67th minute off a pass from senior Victoria Tandari, giving her a team-high four goals this season.

Jackson had five different players find the back of the net, beginning with senior Brooke Lavezzo in the 21st minute. Lavezzo opened the scoring with a shot from 25 yards out that sailed just beyond the fingertips of Manchester senior goalkeeper Gabriella Dew.

“It is important to get everyone involved,” Perez said. “We need to get some of the players’ confidence up and realize they can shoot and they can score. They should take their chances because you never know what can happen.”

Manchester responded quickly to Jackson’s opening goal. Junior Jesse Sarana finished a cross from senior Mya Giaccone in the 22nd minute to tie the game at 1-1.

The Hawks generated only one other dangerous scoring opportunity, which came in the 15th minute when a shot from inside the box went just wide. Jackson’s defense limited Manchester’s opportunities the rest of the way, shutting down the Hawks’ counterattack and keeping much of the action in Manchester’s half.

“We played closer to our potential in the second half,” Bayhe said. “We kind of dominated the first half, but we were not finishing. In the second half we came out with more intensity and a little more fight.”

Jackson has endured a difficult start to the season, but the Jaguars still have their sights set on a Class B South division title. Defeats to Ranney and Middletown North have made qualifying for the Shore Conference Tournament a long shot, shifting Jackson’s focus toward the division race.

With the win over Manchester, Jackson (2-4) improved to 2-1 in Class B South and does not face Toms River North until Oct. 17. The Mariners currently sit atop the division with a 3-0 record.

“It’s obvious we have had a rough stretch here,” Bayhe said. “Three games into the season we knew we were not going to make the Shore Conference Tournament because we lost two games and it was going to be very difficult to make that. We set our goals to win the division, and then we stubbed our toe against Barnegat. Now we know we have to win out. We know what is in front of us and now we just have to go out and do it.”

Jackson now enters a stretch over the next 10 days with an opportunity to build momentum as the postseason approaches. The Jaguars host winless Lacey in a non-divisional game Friday before welcoming Manasquan, which has faced a challenging schedule to begin the season, on Monday. The Jaguars then host Pinelands on Tuesday in SCT Group 6 play. The Wildcats are 0-1 in group play following a loss to Ranney.

“This was a good foot to get off on,” Perez said. “We still have so much of the season left. We really needed this win to kick start our season off. We did come off a couple of losses with games we should have won, but I think we really needed this. I think this is going to carry on throughout the season.”