Seniors Lead Freehold Township Back to SCT Championship

NEPTUNE — They say it is not how you start the season, but how you finish it. That is the mindset Freehold Township had to take this season after starting the season 0-4. On Saturday, the Patriots showed the Shore Conference that they are still the team to beat and proved all doubters wrong after they defeated Point Boro, 1-0, in the Shore Conference Tournament final. 

The Patriots had a different hero each round as they kept advancing. The senior leaders, who won their third SCT in four years, rose to the occasion when they needed to. In the championship game, it was four-year starter in goal Ashley Moore who was the star of the match. She posted her seventh shutout of the season, second SCT final shutout and 50th shutout of her career. 

“It is bittersweet being my senior year and not making it to the finals last year,” Moore said. “Just to make it back here this year and to be able to win it feels so amazing and I am so proud of this team.”

Moore was tested early, making two saves in the first 14 minutes of the game. Moore made a save on a corner kick at the four minute mark and made a diving save on a Point Boro shot 14 minutes into the game. A combination of Moore and the Freehold Township defense prevented the Panthers from capitalizing on their corner kicks. 

“One of the things we emphasized with Ashley is we always have known Ashley was that player for us,” Coach Dave Patterson said. “ I told her it’s her turn now and it’s her turn to go and show the player you are and the goalie you are. That is exactly what she did. She made two amazing saves with the one she touched over midway through the second half and being the vocal leader. She was amazing today.”

After being outplayed for the first 15 minutes of the game, Freehold Township was able to pick up their play in the midfield and create a couple chances by working the ball down the sidelines. The Patriots had a scoring chance in the 23rd minute when Reese Metcalfe sent a cross into the box, but the shot sailed over the crossbar. Freehold Township then had a chance off a corner kick in the 24th minute, but it was cleared by the Point Boro defense. 

Freehold Township finally broke the scoreless game with 6 seconds left in the first half when senior Kayla Siortino sent a ball into the box from 30 yards out and Gaby Parker was able to get past the defender and head the ball into the corner of the net. That goal was Parker’s 26th of the season which sets the single-season scoring record for Freehold Township. The previous record was held by Jada Colbert who had 25 goals in the 2017 season. 

“She (Parker)  knows she is the opposing team’s scouting report,” Patteron said. “The fact she has been able to do what she has done, understanding that, is just a testament to what she is as a player. She is our Kobe and knows when the moment is going to be the biggest, she is going to be the one that we look to to make that happen and she did that today. We look to her for leadership, we look to her to make big plays, but we look to her for making big stops too.”

The Patriots did a good job of keeping the ball off Point Boro star Abby Hannemann’s foot in the first half. Hannemann leads the Shore Conference with 17 assists, but did not see much action in the first half. Hannemann’s best look on goal in the game came with seven minutes left in the first half, but Moore had no issues making the save. 

“It has been incredible to see them grow and gel together,” said Patterson about Freehold Township’s defense. “The job Mylie (West) and Kayla (Sciortino) have done in the middle, stemming every attack coming down the middle of the field and Gianna (Neron) and Christina (Celano) on the outside matching up on the one v one situations. They are all gelling together.” 

Freehold Township started the season losing their first four games, which is the total amount of losses they had the previous two seasons combined. Those losses helped prepare them for the SCT run they made, playing three teams ranked in the top 20 in New Jersey. The difficult schedule Coach Patterson scheduled to start the season will also help the Patriots as they start their state playoff march to their third straight Group 4 title.

“Starting 0-4 fueled us,” Moore said. “A lot of players had to step up, our outside backs had to step up, Christina (Celano) has been amazing, Reese (Metcalfe) has been amazing up top. I feel those losses made us gel together because we knew we needed to get back on track.”