Shore Sports Insider Final 2024 Girls Soccer Top 10 Rankings

 

One of the craziest and unpredictable girls soccer seasons has come to an end. The Shore Conference finished with one NJSIAA Group champion and three sectional champion. Nine teams that were in the preseason rankings finished in the final rankings. The one team who was not ranked when the season started? The team who finished the season No. 1.

 

Jersey Shore Sports Insider Girls Soccer Final Top 10 Rankings

1. Point Boro (20-2-2) Last Week: 1 – Point Boro put the exclamation point on their great season with their first ever state title. The road was not easy to get there, having to win in a shootout in the Central Jersey Group 2 final against Wall. After running through Haddonfield in the Group 2 semifinal round, 4-0, the Panthers defeated Madison, 3-1, to become the Group 2 champions. 

2. Wall (18-3-1) Last Week: 3 – Wall fell one penalty kick short of making it three straight Central Jersey Group 2 titles. The Crimson Knights fell to eventual Group 2 champions, Point Boro, 2-2, and 4-3 in the shootout. Wall was one of the most consistent teams all season, with the seniors leaving their mark with two sectional championships and two trips to the Group 2 finals. Wall had a good blend of seniors and underclassmen this season. The Knights will be looking for the next group of players to step into bigger roles to replace the players who are graduating. 

3. Middletown South (16-5-1) Last Week: 2 – Middletown South returned to North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 for the first time since the 2019 season, in which they won the sectional title. Unfortunately, this season, the Eagles did not have the same result, losing in the sectional final to Chatham, 5-1. Middletown South graduates several key players, especially on the backline, but the Eagles bring back a talented roster in 2025 that will put them in contention for a Shore Conference Tournament title. 

4. Freehold Township (12-7) Last Week: 4 – Freehold Township started the season losing their first four games against some of New Jersey’s top teams. The Patriots, who graduated several key players over the last two seasons, got on track and won their third Shore Conference Tournament in the last four years. Similar to this year, next year Freehold Township will have to replace key players who will be playing soccer in college. 

5. Lacey (18-3-1) Last Week: 5 – The season did not end the way Lacey was hoping, but they had a great season that included a trip to the Shore Conference Tournament semifinal round. The Lions fell in the South Jersey Group 3 quarterfinal round to Moorestown in a shootout. The senior class won the SJG3 sectional as freshmen in a shootout in 2021, but lost, 3-1, in this year’s state tournament shootout after battling to a 1-1 tie over 100 minutes. Lacey graduates a majority of their offense with Natalie McGovern, Reece Paget and Mackenzie Brotherston scoring 59 out of the team’s 75 goals in 2024. 

6. Central (17-4-1) Last Week: 8 – Many thought Central would be going through a rebuild this season with the talented class that graduated last year. That ended up not being the case, with the Golden Eagles returning to the South Jersey Group 4 final for the second straight season. Central fell, 4-3, in a shootout against Eastern after scoring the equalizer with less than two minutes left in regulation. Central will return all but three seniors next season and will be one of the front-runners in the Shore Conference Tournament and another deep run in SJG4.

7. Manalapan (13-10-1) Last Week: 6 – Manalapan was another team that was going through a rebuild with a strong graduating class last year. Players from last year had different roles this season and new faces had bigger roles then last year. The Braves, at times, would look like one of the Shore Conference’s best and proved that in the Central Jersey Group 4 tournament. As the No. 6 seed, Manalapan upset No. 3 Howell in the quarterfinal round and advanced into the CJG4 final, where they lost in a shootout to Monroe. Manalapan only has one senior on the roster, which could make them one of the favorites next season in the Shore Conference Tournament and CJG4. 

8. Howell (13-6) Last Week: 7 – Howell has become one of the most consistent teams in the Shore Conference since Coach Miguel Arroyo took over the program. Despite batting several key injuries in the second half of the season, the Rebels made it to their third straight SCT semifinal. Howell will have to replace key players who have been an important part of their run the last three seasons, but the Rebels always have someone waiting to step into a bigger role. 

9. Red Bank Catholic (11-8-2) Last Week: 10 – RBC started a new era with Coach Brian Blue taking over the program. With only three seniors, the Caseys had a complete reboot with several new starters compared to last year’s team. At times, RBC looked like one of the top teams in the Shore Conference and finished second in Class A North, which might be the hardest division in the state. RBC had its season ended by Paul VI, who eventually won the Non-Public A state title. The Caseys will have to replace All-Shore defenders Tess Beams and Isabelle Melilli next season, but will be well-experienced throughout the rest of the pitch. 

10. Rumson-Fair Haven (15-6) Last Week: Not Ranked – Rumson finished second in Class A Central, falling to rival Wall in overtime. All the Bulldogs’ defeats came against Shore Conference teams ranked inside the top 10 this season. Rumson has a lot of seniors that will be graduating this year, but had one of the deeper teams in the Shore, which will help next season with this year’s bench players moving into starting roles next year. 

 

On the Bubble: Trinity Hall, Jackson Memorial, Point Pleasant Beach