Shore Sports Insider Girls Soccer Top 10, Sept. 30
Week four in the books and once again, there is a new number one team in the Shore Conference. Expect the top 10 to change every week with the parity of play this year. The Shore Conference Tournament is getting closer and more teams are showing they can contend to be one of the final four teams standing. Class A North has the top four teams, but Wall, Point Boro, Central and Lacey are in the conversation with the top teams in A North. After last week, Point Boro is the only remaining unbeaten team in the Shore Conference.
Shore Sports Insider Girls Soccer Week 4 Rankings
1. Middletown South (7-1-1) Last Week: 2 – Middletown South has looked like one of the most complete teams four weeks into the season. The Eagles played three strong teams last week and came out of the week 2-0-1. They opened the week with a 4-0 victory over division rival Manasquan. Freshman goalie Julianna Fiore posted her fourth straight shutout. Middletown South followed that with a 3-3 draw with No. 6 Red Bank Catholic. Both teams led at one point during regulation. The Eagles scored the equalizer with under five minutes to play to send it to overtime. Middletown South ended the week scoring three goals in the second half to defeat Bridgewater-Raritan 3-2 in a non-conference game. Middletown South plays two SCT Group games this week, hosting Asbury Park on Monday and traveling to No. 9 Toms River South on Saturday. Tuesday they travel to Shore Regional in a non-divisional game.
2. Howell (7-1) Last Week: 1 – Howell fell victim to the number-one-ranking curse. The Rebels had a dominant second half but fell 2-0 to No. 6 Red Bank Catholic. Howell rebounded with a 1-0 victory over Jackson Memorial in a non-divisional game. Junior Leila Shaw posted her fifth shutout of the season for Howell. Howell hosts Pinelands on Monday in a SCT Group game and travels to Trinity Hall on Wednesday in a Class A North match-up. Howell holds a slight edge in the division standings, so a win over Trinity Hall will keep the pressure on the rest of the division.
Howell’s Makenzie Memmolo against Red Bank Catholic. (Photo by Tom Smith)
3. Freehold Township (5-4) Last Week: 4 – The Patriots have won five straight since dropping their first four games. Both games last week were decided by one goal, starting with a -2-1 win over Rumson-Fair Haven in a non-divisional game and then a 3-2 comeback victory in overtime over division rival Trinity Hall. Bucknell commit Gaby Parker continues her great season, scoring all five goals last week for Freehold Township. The Patriots play two SCT Group games this week, hosting Raritan on Monday and No. 5 Wall on Saturday.
Senior Gaby Parker leads Freehold Township with 5 goals to start the season. (Photo by Tom Smith)
4. Red Bank Catholic (6-2-1) Last Week: 6 – The Caseys started the week handing then No. 1 Howell its first defeat of the season, 2-0. RBC was tested in the second half, but kept Howell off the board. RBC followed that with a 3-3 draw against No. 2 Middletown South. Trailing 2-1 in the first half, the Caseys took a 3-2 lead in the second half and held it until the Eagles tied it in the final five minutes. The young Caseys are starting to put it together and will be very dangerous come tournament time. RBC hosts Keyport on Monday and travels to Brick Memorial on Saturday in SCT Group action. On Thursday the Caseys travel to Manasquan in a Class A North match-up.
Sophomore Nina Bicej sealed the victory for RBC against Howell with a goal late in the second half. (Photo by Tom Smith)
5. Wall (7-1) Last Week: 5 – Wall has won four straight since its slip up against Manchester. When they are sharing the ball, the Crimson Knights have one of the best attacking front lines in the Shore Conference. The Knights play two SCT Group games this week, hosting Brick Township on Monday and traveling to No. 3 Freehold Township on Saturday. Wall hosts Monroe on Wednesday in a non-conference match-up.
Erynn Richey had the game winner against Marlboro on a corner kick. (Photo by Eric Braun)
6. Point Boro (7-0) Last Week: 7 – The last remaining undefeated team in the Shore Conference. In its first year in Class A South, the Panthers clinched at least a share of the division title. They have one remaining game against Jackson Memorial which was rained out this weekend. Point Boro has two SCT Group games, hosting Southern on Monday and traveling to Trinity Hall on Saturday. Tuesday, the Panthers host Manalapan in a non-divisional game.
7. Central (5-1-1) Last Week: 8 – Central has won five straight games since starting the season 0-1-1. The Golden Eagles’ biggest win came against then No. 3 Lacey, 3-2. After conceding a goal in the opening minute, Central battled back in a back-and-forth game and scored the game-winner with 1:05 left on the clock. Central hosts Long Branch on Monday and travels to Rumson-Fair Haven on Saturday to wrap up SCT Group play. On Wednesday, the Golden Eagles host Toms River North in a Class A South game.
8. Lacey (10-1) Last Week: 3 – Lacey was handed its first defeat last week to Central last week in a game that both teams battled for the full 80 minutes. The three-headed monster of Natalie McGovern, Reece Paget and Mackenzie Brotherston are giving defenses nightmares with a combined 35 goals in the first four weeks. Lacey hosts Freehold Boro on Monday in an SCT Group game. A win for the Lions will put them tied with Howell for the top spot. On Wednesday, they face off with division rival Toms River East. Both teams are undefeated and the game will decide Class B South.
Senior Reece Paget scored the first goal against Ocean Twp. (Photo by Eric Braun)
9. Manasquan (5-3-1) Last Week: Not Ranked – Manasquan is currently sitting 2-2 in their first season in Class A North. After falling to the current number one team, Middletown South, the Warriors defeated Manalapan, 2-0, in a division win and ended the week defeating Toms River North in a SCT Group game. The victory currently puts Manasquan in the top spot in the group. The Warriors wrap up SCT Group play on Monday against Lakewood. Manasquan will have a chance to move up the rankings on Thursday as they host No. 4 Red Bank Catholic.
Freshman Brooke Mack going up against Wall’s Erynn Richey. (Photo by Eric Braun)
10. Toms River South (6-2) Last Week: Not Ranked – Toms River South opened the week falling to No. 6 Point Boro, 1-0, but rebounded with a SCT Group win over Asbury Park. The Indians are currently tied with Middletown South for first place in Group I. The top spot will be decided this week with TRS hosting Jackson Liberty on Monday and Middletown South on Saturday. Toms River South travels to Jackson Memorial on Wednesday in a Class A South game.
On Bubble – Rumson-Fair Haven, Toms River East, Trinity Hall
