Shore Conference Boys Lacrosse Top 10 for June 4

And then there were five.

There are just 10 days left in the 2025 high school boys lacrosse season with three rounds remaining until state champions are crowned. Five Shore Conference teams are still in contention ahead of Thursday’s sectional semifinals – Rumson-Fair Haven, Manasquan, Southern, Toms River East and Wall.

There may be an all-Shore final in the South Group 2 section if Manasquan and Wall both win on Thursday, but outside of that there will be no more head-to-head games between conference teams. The rankings are nearly set, but meaningful changes can still occur based on what happens in the upcoming championship games.

Since our last rankings, Rumson-Fair Haven emerged as the victors in a highly competitive and entertaining Shore Conference Tournament. The dramatic 15-14 win over Manasquan vaulted the Bulldogs to the  No. 1 spot in the Shore Sports Insider Top 10.

Scroll through below to see the rest of the boys lacrosse top 10 for June 4.

 

1. Rumson-Fair Haven (15-8). Previous ranking: No. 2

After an up-and-down regular season, the Bulldogs have caught fire at the perfect time. Since a three-game losing streak a month ago, Rumson has won seven straight games, secured a conference title, and advanced to the NJSIAA South Group 2 semifinals. Rumson won 15-6 over Holmdel in the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals, avenged a loss to Shore with a 16-7 win in the SCT semifinals, and then staged a wild rally to beat Manasquan, 15-14 in overtime, to win its 10th SCT championship. In the state tournament, Rumson has cruised into the sectional semifinals with dominant wins over Middle Township (21-2) and Haddonfield (11-2). Next game: Thursday vs. Glen Ridge in the South Group 2 semifinals.

 

2. Manasquan (16-3). Previous ranking: No. 1

The Warriors drop one spot after falling to Rumson, 15-14 in overtime, in the Shore Conference Tournament final. Two of Manasquan’s three losses this season have been to Rumson with the other coming from Group 3 title contender Moorestown. In the SCT title game, senior Brandon Kunz scored what is believed to be a championship-game record seven goals. The Lehigh signee is one goal shy of a second straight 50-goal season. Since the SCT final, Manasquan has dusted itself off with two lopsided state tournament wins. The Warriors won 20-1 over Nottingham and then 18-4 over Cinnaminson to reach the South Group 2 semifinals. They are the defending champions in the bracket. Next game: Thursday vs. Allentown in the South Group 2 semifinals.

 

3. CBA (11-10). Previous ranking: No. 4

The Colts did not have a great conclusion to their season with a 1-5 record in their final six games, but a strong body of work and a head-to-head win over Shore has CBA in the No. 3 spot. Following a three-game losing streak in early May that included a stunning 10-6 loss to Red Bank, CBA answered with a 10-3 win over Wall in the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals. The Colts then fell to Manasquan, 9-7, in the SCT semifinals and had their season come to an end via a 6-5 loss to Pingry in the second round of the non-public state tournament. CBA’s top wins this season include victories over four teams who have reached the sectional semifinals – Rumson, Wall, Southern and Eastern. Next game: Season complete.

 

4. Shore (12-6). Previous ranking: No. 3

The Blue Devils scored an impressive 17-4 win over Toms River East in the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals before falling to Rumson-Fair Haven, 16-7, in the SCT semifinals. A 15-9 loss to Group 4 contender Bridgewater-Raritan concluded their regular season. As the No. 4 seed in the South Group 1 section, Shore won its first round game with a 15-4 win over Lower Cape May but lost to Glen Ridge, 8-4, in the quarterfinals. Next game: Season complete.

 

5. Southern (14-5). Previous ranking: No. 5

The Rams opted out of the Shore Conference Tournament, preferring to focus on preparing for the NJSIAA state tournament. So far, so good. After a 10-6 win over Robbinsville, the Rams nearly took down undefeated Kingsway in a 6-5 defeat. In the first two rounds of the South Group 4 playoffs, Southern won 17-1 over Rancocas Valley and 15-3 over Cherry Hill East. Southern can get another shot at Kingsway in the sectional final if it can get past a tough Eastern squad in the semifinals. Next game: Thursday vs. Eastern in the South Group 4 semifinals.

 

6. Red Bank (9-9). Previous ranking: No. 6

The Bucs won five of their last seven games to close the season on a high note. The regular season was a true roller coaster ride for Red Bank as it lost its first four games, only to turn around and win its next four. A three-game losing streak followed, but then so did a three-game winning streak. A 10-6 win over CBA on May 5 got the Bucs rolling, and they followed with wins over East Brunswick and Barnegat before falling to Manasquan in the Shore Conference Tournament quarterfinals. After closing the regular season with a 10-4 win over Middletown North, Red Bank then went on the road and beat Princeton, 13-4, in the first round of the North Group 3 state playoffs. State powerhouse Summit ended the Bucs’ season with a 15-3 win in the quarterfinals. Next game: Season complete.

 

7. Toms River East (15-4). Previous ranking: No. 7

The greatest season in the history of Toms River East’s boys lacrosse program is still going after the Raiders defeated Northern Burlington, 13-1, in the South Group 3 quarterfinals to reach the first sectional semifinals in program history. Since losing to Shore in the quarterfinals of the Shore Conference Tournament and dropping a game to state-ranked Scotch Plains-Fanwood, East defeated Holmdel, 8-6, and beat Point Boro to clinch the outright Colonial Division title. The Raiders beat Steinert, 16-6, in the first round of the state playoffs before the win over Northern Burlington. Next game: Thursday at Shawnee in the South Group 3 semifinals.

 

8. Wall (10-11). Previous ranking: No. 8

The Crimson Knights are into the South Group 2 semifinals after defeating Absegami, 18-7, in the first round and dispatching Seneca, 15-3, in the quarterfinals. Like several of its American Division counterparts, Wall’s regular season was all over the map. They played a great schedule, however, and earned notable wins over teams like Red Bank, Holmdel and Mainland, and they have a legitimate chance to reach a sectional final for another date with arch rival Manasquan. Next game: Thursday vs. Ocean City in the South Group 2 semifinals.

 

9. Holmdel (8-10). Previous ranking No. 9

The Hornets went on the road as the No. 10 seed in the North Group 2 section and defeated Somerville, 8-1, in the first round. They nearly upset the No. 2 seed but were defeated by West Morris, 10-7, in the quarterfinals to end their season. Junior goalie Jack Tiller recorded his 300th career save in West Morris game and senior Jack Powers concluded his career as New Jersey’s all-time leader in face-off wins with 1,129. Notable wins for Holmdel were over Middletown South, Manalapan and Howell. Next game: Season complete.

 

10. Howell (14-5). Previous ranking No. 10

After a rare sub-.500 season last year, the Rebels bounced back to win 14 games, finish second in the Colonial Division and advance to the South Group 4 quarterfinals. Howell tuned up for the state tournament with wins over Steinert and Lacey and a loss to state-ranked Hopewell Valley. They defeated Lenape, 12-2, in the first round before losing 16-2 to Eastern in the quarterfinals. Senior midfielder Vin Meehan recorded his 100th career point in the win over Lenape. Next game: Season complete.

 

Dropped out

None

 

Honorable mention

Middletown South (9-8)

Barnegat (18-4)

Manalapan (11-11)