Shore Conference Boys Lacrosse Top 10 for May 15

Chaos.

That’s the state of the Shore Conference boys lacrosse scene as we enter the quarterfinals of the Shore Conference Tournament. All the ranked teams have taken turns beating each other with Rumson-Fair Haven’s 10-8 comeback win over Manasquan on May 6 serving as the final blow to turn the conference on its ear.

Parity has reigned supreme this season to create the most wide-open SCT since the tournament’s inception in 2005. The familiar teams might still be the ones left standing at the end, but there has never been an SCT with this many teams having a realistic shot at reaching the title game.

It makes for great drama and storylines, but it also makes ranking these teams difficult. Head-to-head wins are no longer the favored currency, so it took a deeper dive than usual to get from one to 10. Despite the loss to Rumson, Manasquan holds onto the top spot thanks to its body of work. The Warriors have only one conference loss and own six wins over top-10 teams, and their only other loss came to state No. 9 Moorestown.

Scroll through below to see the latest Top 10 for May 15.

 

1. Manasquan (12-2). Previous ranking: No. 1

The Warriors had their unbeaten season come to an end via a 9-6 loss to state No. 9 Moorestown and then dropped a second straight game in a 10-8 loss to Rumson-Fair Haven. Manasquan bounced back with a 13-6 win over Ocean City and earned the No. 2 seed in the Shore Conference Tournament after Rumson jumped them via the head-to-head win. Next game: Thursday vs. Red Bank in the SCT quarterfinals.

 

2. Rumson-Fair Haven (10-8). Previous ranking: No. 4

The Bulldogs jumped two spots after back-to-back wins over Manasquan and Haddonfield snapped a three-game losing streak. Rumson has been up and down all season, but its win over Manasquan showed it can be a championship team if it plays up to its potential. This will be a telling week for the Bulldogs. Next game: Thursday vs. Holmdel in the SCT quarterfinals.

 

3. Shore (10-3): Previous ranking: No. 3

The Blue Devils lost in overtime to CBA but have since won three in a row with victories over Hillsborough, Peddie and Holy Spirit. They have a win over Rumson, nearly knocked off CBA, and were right there with Manasquan before a late surge by the Warriors in a 12-7 win on April 2. As the No. 4 seed, their road is the toughest in the bracket, but Shore can win the whole thing if it puts it all together. Next game: Thursday vs. Toms River East in the SCT quarterfinals.

 

4. CBA (10-8). Previous ranking: No. 2

The Colts were admittedly playing with fire during a three-game stretch where they lost to Manasquan in overtime and eked out OT wins over Southern and Shore. Since then, the Colts have lost three in a row, including a stunning 10-6 defeat at the hands of Red Bank. CBA then fell to St. Joseph Metuchen and LaSalle (Pa.) to limp into the SCT. They are talented and well-coached and can certainly turn it around, but they have one of the Shore’s hottest teams to contend with in the quarterfinals. Next game: Thursday vs. Wall in the SCT quarterfinals.

 

5. Southern (11-4). Previous ranking: No. 5

The Rams opted out of the Shore Conference Tournament, which is a shame because they had a legitimate chance to win it. Southern is on a six-game winning streak since a 6-5 overtime loss to CBA with notable wins over Red Bank (13-6) and Middletown South (9-1). The Rams will close out their regular season with two non-conference games in preparation for a run at the South Jersey Group 4 sectional title. Upcoming games: May 17 at Robbinsville; May 19 at Kingsway.

 

6. Red Bank (7-7). Previous ranking: No. 8

The Bucs are up two spots thanks to a three-game winning streak that began with a 10-8 victory over CBA, their first over the Colts in program history. After an 11-3 win over Greater Middlesex Conference Tournament finalist East Brunswick, Red Bank scored an impressive 17-7 win over a 15-win, division-champion Barnegat team in the SCT. Red Bank will now try to reverse a lopsided loss from earlier in the season when it faces Manasquan. Next game: Thursday at Manasquan in the SCT quarterfinals.

 

7. Toms River East (11-2). Previous ranking: No. 6

The Raiders dropping one spot has more to do with Red Bank’s win over CBA than their own results. East had its 10-game winning streak snapped with a 14-6 loss to Kingsway, which is the state’s lone undefeated team and just took down a top-five ranked Shawnee squad. The Raiders’ only other loss came to Southern on March 29. They rebounded from the Kingsway loss to defeat Manalapan, 10-3, in the SCT and now have a huge opportunity to make their first SCT final four. Next game: Thursday at Shore in the SCT quarterfinals.

 

8. Wall (7-9). Previous ranking not ranked

The Crimson Knights are back in the top 10 after ripping off four straight wins, including a 12-10 win over Holmdel and an 18-4 wipeout of Middletown South to avenge a one-goal loss to the Eagles from early in the season. Wall has played a tough schedule with its American Division games plus out-of-conference games against St. Joseph Metuchen, Haddonfield and Westfield, so the Knights are much more dangerous than their 7-9 record would suggest. They seem to be rounding into form at the perfect time. Next game: Thursday at CBA in the SCT quarterfinals.

 

9. Holmdel (7-7). Previous ranking No. 9

The Hornets earned a 12-11 overtime win over Manalapan, lost to Wall, 12-10, and then won three games in a row, capped by a 10-8 win over Howell in the SCT. All seven of Holmdel’s losses have to come against ranked teams, and they are firmly a top-10 team thanks to wins over Middletown South and Howell. Next game: Thursday at Rumson-Fair Haven in the SCT quarterfinals.

 

10. Howell (11-3). Previous ranking No. 7

A three-game winning streak from victories over Point Boro, Manalapan and Brick Memorial was snapped in a non-conference loss to Randolph and a 10-8 defeat at the hands of Holmdel in the SCT 8 vs. 9 matchup. Howell now turns its attention to the South Jersey Group 4 sectional playoffs. Upcoming games: Thursday at Steinert; May 19 at Lacey; May 22 vs. Hopewell Valley.

 

Dropped out

Middletown South (9-8, No. 10 last week).

 

Honorable mention

Middletown South (9-8)

Barnegat (15-3)