4-18-17 Issue - 8 Volume IX Shore Sports Network Journal

April 18, 2017 Volume-IX Issue-8

The first thing fans, players, coaches & parents want to know after the big game is always,

“Is this going to be on

?�

Shore Sports Network has established itself as a leader in scholastic sports coverage in Monmouth and Ocean counties, providing more video highlight clips, in-depth reporting, feature stories and regular updates than ANY OTHER OUTLET in the area.

Shore Sports Network Website Features

n Get Video Highlights of all the important games that Shore Conference fans will be talking about. n Catch up on the action you might have missed n Watch video clips of everything from the action early in the event to the big finish as well as video interviews with various athletes. n www.shoresportsnetwork.com is the most visited sports site in the Shore Conference during the scholastic year n Follow us on Twitter (over 16,000 followers) & Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

KevinWILLIAMS S h o r e S p o r t s N e t w o r k Director k ev i n . w i l l i am s @ t ow n s qu a re m ed i a. c om

SteveMEYER Shore Sports Network Director High School Division s t ev e. m e y er @t own s qu a re m edi a. co m 7 3 2 - 2 3 3 - 4 4 6 0

Senior C ontent Providers BobBadders // badders@allshoremedia.com MattManley // Mmanley21@gmail.com

S h o r e S p o r ts N e t w o rk J o u rn a l is published by: Townsquare Media 8 Robbins Street Toms River, NJ 08753

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WIN A 6-PACK OF TICKETS TO AN UPCOMING BLUECLAWS GAME

By Kevin Williams - Shore Sports Network Director

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he Shore Sports Network is giving a way 6-packs of BlueCla ws tickets all season long and it’s easy to win. Simply answer the BlueCla ws trivia question below at:

shoresportsnetwork.com/win-a-6-pack-of-tickets-to-an-upcoming-blueclaws-game and your entered into a random drawing for six tickets to an upcoming game and we’ll even let you pick the game (subject to availability). Deadline for this drawing is April 27, 2017.

HERE IS THIS WEEK’S QUESTION:

The BlueClaws play their home games in FirstEnergy Park but when the stadium opened in 2001 it had a different name.

What was initially named?

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Sho r e Spor ts Networ k To p t en , A pr il i7

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

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has only been two weeks – one of them rain-shortened – and the Shore Conference has just two unbeaten teams remaining out of the 47 in the field. With teams beating one another left and right, the top 10 has a chance to undergo some serious changes from week to week. For the time being, the top 10 remains relatively unchanged, with two new teams joining the field this week – one of which is returning to the top 10 after dropping out last week. There is, however, a new No. 1 and with the way things are going this year, it is going to be a tough spot to hold down.

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One of two remaining unbeaten teams left in the Shore Conference, Toms River South will get its toughest test so far Monday when the Indians travel across town to play Toms River North. The Indians have been dominant so far, shutting out Jackson Memorial in the opener, then scoring 37 runs in the next three games with an average margin of victory of 10 runs.

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Wall’s crop of underclassman has the Crimson Knights in contention in a loaded B North division, but the seniors have stepped up too. Matt Yard is rounding into form on the mound and Shane Richey, Kevin Lenneper, Ryan Megill and John Perrino have all come up with big hits for Wall, which has wins over Manasquan, Middletown North, Red Bank Catholic and Freehold Boro.

(4-2, 2-1)

Ocean remains in the top 10 after spending the week playing out-of-state competition in Myrtle Beach. The Spartans still have a win over Tommy Sheehan and Manasquan and their lone in-state loss was against Red Bank Catholic at Count Basie.

Ocean will have a chance to plant its flag at the top of the B North race this week when the Spartans take on Wall, Monmouth and Manasquan.

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(5-2, 3-2)

(5-0, 4-0)

St. Rose and Toms River South are the only two unbeaten teams left and the Purple Roses appear to have the ingredients to do damage in the Monmouth County Tournament.

With a light schedule so far, that will be their chance to make a significant jump up in the rankings, although three no-hitters in five games alone makes for a pretty compelling case.

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Yet another top-five team from the previous set of rankings to lose its first game last week, Toms River North has one high-scoring game under its belt and it came against Ras and Middletown North. The Mariners dropped a game to Southern to start the week and edged Brick Memorial, 2-0 to close it. The Toms River North pitching has performed to expectations so far and is lined up for a big week that includes game against Toms River South, Toms River East, Brick and Jackson Memorial.

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(3-1, 2-1)

(5-3, 4-2)

Two tight losses to CBA and another to Wall on Saturday account for Freehold Boro’s loss column and the Colonials are a tidy 4-2 in a competitive Class A North division. Lefthanders Dan Chiusano and Tom Holdorf at the top of the rotation are the strength of the team and both struggled last time out by their standards. Despite that, the Colonials still managed to go 1-1 in those games.

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CBA also suffered its first loss, a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Freehold Township.

CBA’s offense has had some slow days, but the Colts pitching and defense have been outstanding so far, evidenced by the 10 runs allowed in seven games. CBA has two wins over Freehold Boro – one each against top pitchers Dan Chiusano and Tom Holdorf – and got a no-hitter from sophomore Spencer Bauer against Neptune on Thursday.

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(6-1, 4-1)

(4-2, 3-2)

The Caseys hold at No. 6 this week despite losing a competitive game on the road against Wall. So far, RBC is 3-0 at home and 1-2 on the road, but the one win away from Count Basie was a dominant 20-6 drubbing of Middletown South on Thursday. If the pitching and defense come around, RBC and its deep lineup will still be in the running for multiple championships.

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(6-1, 4-1)

The Falcons did swallow their first loss this week, but it was against Manasquan senior left-hander Tommy Sheehan, who is heading to Notre Dame next year and had five Major League Scouts checking in on him the day he beat the Falcons. Monmouth knocked around Alabama commit Tyler Ras and Middletown North two days later and also has wins over Wall and Red Bank Catholic – which puts the Falcons at the top of the deepest division in the conference.

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The Eagles re-enter the top 10 this week on the strength of wins over Wall and Jackson Memorial over the past week. Middletown South has not had the pitching it did last year, but it has had its moments and the lineup has been productive. The Eagles scored at least nine runs in three of those games and put up six runs against RBC No. 1 Austin Nappi.

FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION

Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com Margaret Scheiderman 848.221.8155 margaret.scheiderman@townsquaremedia.com 4

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Toms River South Mashes Past Toms River North

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

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t’s no surprise to junior T.J. Scuderi and his Toms River South baseball teammates that the Indians have started the season on a five-game winning streak, not many of the players – Scuderi included – envisioned the top-to-bottom offensive machine that Toms River South has been at the start of this season.

For the fourth consecutive game, Toms River South – the No. 1 team in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 – overwhelmed the opposition at the plate when the Indians rapped 17 hits Monday in a resounding 11-2 win over No. 4 Toms River North.

“I don’t think we cared too much about the rankings,” Scuderi said.

“We just wanted to show that people should be scared of our lineup.

Even the bottom of our lineup is picking us up right now. It’s just fun.

It’s a lot of fun.”

The Mariners handed the ball to Penn State commit Brendan Mullins Monday and hoped the junior right-hander could turn in a performance similar to the one he authored in the Ocean County Tournament championship game, which Toms River North won, 2-1. This, however, was a different Toms River South lineup – many of the names were the same but the Indians offered a more relentless lineup that attacked at every opportunity.

“I’ll be honest: we did not expect the bottom of our lineup to do (what they’ve been doing),” Scuderi said. “We expected them to eat up some pitches and get into deep counts, but they’re all raking right now. Having that and then having the top of the lineup come up and drive in runs has been insane and if we keep doing that, we’re going to keep putting up nine runs every single game.”

bases-clearing, three-run double over the head of center fielder Alex Klalo to make the score 7-1.

Montenegro finished the game 3-for-5 with two runs scored and an RBI and also reached on an error as a result of a rope to the right side that normally-surehanded Mariners first baseman Jared Bellissimo could not handle.

Monday marked the fourth straight game in which the Indians have scored at least nine runs and the third with double-digit scoring. After Fall shut down Jackson Memorial in a 2-0 win on opening day, the Indians have scored 48 runs over the next four games. They hammered Barnegat 15-4, Toms River East 13-2 and Southern 9-1 before doing the same to

a Toms River North team that opened the season as the No. 1 team in the Shore Sports Network Top 10.

“Kwincinski, (Connor) Leatherman and (Dylan) Danelson, all three of them had hits today,” Toms River South coach Ken Frank said. “It’s tough right now. Mullins is a good pitcher and he’s going to be back. Whoever he pitches against next, I’m sure he’ll do a good job, but the lineup we have, if we keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to be pretty hard to slow down.”

Scuderi led the way by going 5-for-5 at the plate, including the second of back-to-back triples that started a five-run fifth inning that staked the Indians to a 7-1 lead. Senior third baseman Ben Montenegro lined a triple to the gap in right-centerfield to lead off the top of the fifth and trotted home when Scuderi launched an elevated 3-2 fastball from Mullins to the wall in dead centerfield to extend Toms River South’s lead to 3-1.

After Toms River south starting pitcher Justin Fall walked, senior shortstop Tom Campo bounced a single through the left side to plate Scuderi, which ended Mullins’s day.

Senior left fielder Jared Kwicinski drew a walk against junior right-hander Anthony Sasso TR South sr. Jared and Indians senior first baseman Matt Fitzpatrick broke the game open with a

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Toms River North threatened to jump back into the game in the bottom of the inning by loading the bases against Fall with nobody out, but the 6-foot-5 senior left-hander struck out Ian Mindas with a breaking ball low and in, induced a sacrifice fly by Sasso and, after a walk to load the bases, retired Klalo on a lineout to right field.

The fifth-inning escape was the second time Fall stranded the bases loaded. He escaped the second unscathed thanks to an outfield assist by Scuderi, who fired a onehop strike from right field to third base to nab courtesy runner Jonathan Giordano trying to go first-to-third on a single by Mindas. A single by Mullins and a walk loaded the bases, but Fall induced a ground out to end the threat.

Monday was not one of Fall’s sharper outings as the St. John’s recruit walked six and needed the maximum 110 pitches to get through 5 2/3 innings. He did, however, execute several pitches with runners on base and run his three-year varsity record to 13-1, including 3-0 this season. Fall allowed six hits, one earned run and struck out six before giving way to senior Matt Shiffer.

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“I have to limit my walks in the future,” Fall said. “Of course we played in the rain and it was tough to get any footing early on, but it’s on me to figure that out. I got in jams and worked out of it. It was important to keep us it because eventually we came around with the bats.”

In addition to grinding out a win on the mound, Fall opened the scoring with his fourth extra-base hit of the season – a two-run double in the top of the third inning. Fall saw just a smattering of at-bats as a junior last season, but came to camp this season showing eyeopening pop, enough to convince Frank to slot him in the cleanup spot in the order.

“He’s been big,” Frank said of Fall in the lineup. “He’s really come on and done the job.”

“I don’t really think about the other pitcher when I’m hitting,” Fall said. “I’m more just ‘See the ball and hit the ball.’

That’s pretty much all I think about.”

TR South Sr. T o m C a m p o

In each of Toms River South’s last four games, Fall has logged an extrabase hit. He tripled in the win over Barnegat, doubled to help his cause in a win over Toms River East and slammed

a three-run homer in the in over Southern.

Toms River South tacked on two runs in both the six and seventh innings, with Campo slamming an RBI double to left field to score Scuderi before coming in to score on the back end of a double steal.

Montenegro and Scuderi capped the scoring with consecutive RBI singles in the seventh, which began with the Nos. 8 and 9 hitters reaching. Senior catcher Connor Leatherman singled to lead off the frame and senior center fielder Dylan Danelson doubled to left to set Toms River South up with runners on second and third and none out.

The length in Toms River South’s lineup – which could go even deeper as promising sophomore Colin Mackle gets healthy and up to speed – has made the difference for an Indians team that boasted a balanced, talented pitching staff last year but did most of its offensive damage against the middle and back of opponents’ rotations. In these last three games, however, the Indians have beaten the returning No. 1 starter for each team – Nick DeGennaro of Toms River East, Nick Simone of Southern and Mullins on Monday.

TR South Sr. Connor Leatherman

“Doing what we did this week against (DeGennaro), then against Southern and now against North – it was a lot of fun,” Scuderi said. “I think a lot of people underestimated us.”

Photos by: Ray Rich Photography rayrichphotography.smugmug.com

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S h o r e S p o r t s N e t wo r k T o p t e n , A p r i l i 8

By Bob Badders – Senior Managing Editor

After a week filled with some surprising results we have a shakeup

in the Shore Sports Network Boys Lacrosse Top 10.

Manasquan had a big week on the road and remains at No. 1, and Rumson-Fair Haven holds onto the No. 2 spot by pushing its winning streak to seven. The big mover of the week is Southern, which jumps up three spots to No. 3 after a huge win over Freehold Township. The Rams are hot right now and seem to have put a shaky start behind them.

Beyond the top three spots there is a plenty of uncertainty. The next group has Christian Brothers Academy and Freehold Township with Wall, the only undefeated team in the Shore, right behind them. The Crimson Knights have their biggest test of the season, however, when they face off against Manasquan this week.

From there we’re getting into throwing-darts-at-the-wall territory. St. John Vianney has won fourth of its last five games and warrants moving up a spot while Ocean hasn’t done anything to cause a dismissal from the rankings. Howell’s stunning 10-9 overtime loss to Marlboro has the Rebels tumbling, the question is how far. Once again there’s the dilemma of who to put at No. 10.

All those questions get answered right here in the latest Shore Sports Network Top 10.

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The Warriors opened eyes around the state with a 2-1 week that included an 11-8 win over Moorestown, a 9-2 victory over Madison and a 6-3 loss to a Bridgewater-Raritan team that hasn’t lost a regular-season game since 2014. Manasquan moved up to No. 12 in the state in the NJ.com rankings and enters another important week rolling. This week: Wednesday vs. No. 6 Wall; Friday vs. No. 4 CBA; Saturday at Barnegat.

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The Rams jump into the top three after a 2-0 week that included a dominating 163 win over last week’s No. 3 team, Freehold Township. The Rams opened a 7-0 first quarter lead and ran away with a victory that had everyone in the Shore talking. They followed it up with an 11-2 win over Oakcrest to run their winning streak to four games where they are averaging 15.5 goals per game and allowing just 2.5 goals per game. Senior attackman Kyle Mulrane recorded his 100th career point. This week: Tuesday vs. Jackson Memorial; Monday vs. Red Bank.

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The Colts were defeated by IMG Academy during their trip to Florida, 14-6, before returning home and defeating Neptune, 19-1, for their first win of the season. Senior attackman Nick Casner recorded his 200th career point in the win over the Scarlet Fliers.

The jury is still out on CBA since it has played just four games and two within the Shore, but some clarity should come in the next seven days. This week: Wednesday at Middletown North; Friday at No. 1 Manasquan; Saturday vs. No. 5 Freehold Township; Monday vs.

Robbinsville.

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Two games last week produced two very different results for the Patriots. They were overwhelmed by Southern in a 16-3 loss, but rebounded by hanging 20 goals on Colts Neck in a 20-4 victory. A big week lies ahead for Freehold Township where it can take the outright lead in Class A North. This week: Tuesday at Toms River South; Wednesday at Marlboro; Saturday at No. 4 CBA; Monday vs. No. 7 St. John Vianney.

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After an 0-3 start to the season the Lancers have won four of their last five games.

They began last week with a 7-2 loss to Hightstown before consecutive wins over Toms River North (14-6) and Red Bank Catholic (19-6). Senior attackman Andrew Porretta recorded his 100th career point. This week: Wednesday vs. Ranney; Friday at Red Bank; Monday at No. 5 Freehold Township.

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The Crimson Knights won both their games last week to remain undefeated, edging Brick, 11-9, and walloping Jackson Liberty, 17-1. A massive test comes this week as they face arch rival Manasquan on the road. This week: Wednesday at No. 1 Manasquan; Monday at Donovan Catholic.

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The Bulldogs extended their winning streak to seven games with three dominating victories, taking down Red Bank, 17-3, Allentown, 18-3, and Ocean, 14-2. Rumson is ranked No. 19 in New Jersey and is averaging 14.4 goals per game over its last seven games. The Bulldogs’ smallest margin of victory this season has been seven goals. This week: Tuesday at Shore; Wednesday at Kinnelon; Saturday at St. Peter’s Prep.

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The Spartans split their games last week, getting past Holmdel with a 7-4 victory before falling to Rumson, 14-2. Senior goalie David Walk hit a career milestone with his 400th save and has made 40 saves in his last three games. This week: Wednesday vs. Red Bank Catholic; Saturday at Long Branch; Monday at Barnegat.

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The Rebels defeated Holmdel, 8-5, in a battle of ranked teams before being stunned in overtime by Marlboro, 10-9. Given they lost to a team that was 1-6 at the time the Rebels would, under most circumstances, drop out of the rankings. The problem is there aren’t teams beating on the door of the top 10 that have a better body of work. Howell still has a win over Southern, albeit on opening day. This week: Wednesday at No. 10 Colts Neck; Saturday vs. Red Bank; Monday vs. Brick.

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C olts N eck

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There were several possible candidates for the final spot this week and we decided to go with the Cougars. They just defeated Toms River North, 12-11, and also have a win over Shore, two other teams that were in contention here. Three of Colts Neck’s losses are to ranked teams (Manasquan, Freehold Township and Wall). This week: Wednesday vs. No. 9 Howell; Friday vs. Middletown South; Monday at Jackson Memorial.

Teams t o Watch St. Rose (4-1); Toms River North (5-3); Shore (5-2); Middletown South (4-1)

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By Bob Badders – Senior Managing Editor

his past week Manasquan had a chance to make a major statement with three road games against some of the state ' s best , and the Warriors did exactly that to prove themselves as legitimate state championship contenders .

Manasquan went 2-1 against Moorestown, Bridgewater-Raritan and Madison in a trio of games that tested the talented Warriors and showed the rest of New Jersey they will indeed be a force to be reckoned with in the postseason.

“We learned we can stick with anyone in the state,” said senior attackman Jarrett Birch, who is committed to Furman University. “I feel like these games really opened people’s eyes to let them know what we can do.”

The Warriors entered the week ranked No. 19 in the state by NJ.com and climbed all the way to No. 12 this week, and the first step was an eye-opening 11-8 win over a Moorestown team that was previously ranked No. 12. Manasquan jumped out to a 7-3 lead in the first half and pushed the advantage to 9-5 in the second half before holding off the Quakers for the three-goal win. The Birch brothers were fantastic again as sophomore attackman Canyon Birch scored five goals with two assists and Jarrett Birch scored three goals with two assists. Senior goalie Tom Pollock was stellar in goal with 15 saves.

Manasquan SR. Jarrett Birch

Moorestown has reached the NJSIAA Group III final in two of the past three seasons.

“What we really wanted to do was go beat Moorestown,” said standout senior defenseman Kyle LeBlanc, who is committed to Loyola University. “We lost to them last year in a tough game (11-6) so it was a test to see how good we really are.”

Next came a massive game against seventh-ranked Bridgewater-Raritan. The Panthers have not lost a regular-season game since 2014, and that includes winning the NJSIAA Tournament of Champions title with a 23-0 record in 2015. They have won back-to-back Group IV championships.

Manasquan pushed Bridgewater to the limit in heading to the fourth quarter down 4-3. The Panthers would pull away in the final 12 minutes for a 6-3

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Manasquan

What puts Manasquan on the level of its counterparts is a deep group of midfielders. Having two solid line of middies is a prerequisite to compete for a state title and the Warriors have that component. Felstedt and fellow seniors Devan Carroll and John Moran make up the first unit while sophomore Rutgers recruit James Pendergist leads the second unit with junior James McElduff. Once junior James Mele is ready to go after sitting out the required 30 days after transferring back from Red Bank Catholic, he’ll join the second unit. Add in defensive middie Brian Paturzo, juniors Evan Hilla and Thad Wiseman, sophomore Riley Callahan and standout senior FOGO Matt Thermann and its easy so see why Manasquan has been a powerhouse this season.

victory, but the point was made that the Warriors could hang with a team that could conceivably win it all this season. Senior midfielder Pat Felstedt scored twice for Manasquan and Jarrett Birch scored once.

There is still heavy lifting to be done for the Warriors, but last week was evidence they have what it takes. Big games remain in the regular season as Manasquan will host rival Christian Brothers Academy on Saturday and host state power Ridge on April 27. To win the Shore Conference Tournament and NJSIAA South Group II sectional titles they will have to once again get through conference rival Rumson-Fair Haven.

“That was a game we wanted to see how good we can really be,” LeBlanc said. “We took them 4-3 in the fourth quarter and then we kind of collapsed, but that really proved to ourselves we belong. Beating Madison was the stamp on it.”

It was a disappointing loss for the Warriors, but one they were able to bounce back from in a major way by closing the week with in impressive 9-2 win over Madison. The Dodgers were undefeated heading into the game and are an annual sectional title contender. They were in the Group I title game last season and, if not for powerhouses Mountain Lakes and Summit standing in their way most years in the North Jersey section, could have a boatload of titles to their credit.

The ingredients are there for a historic season at Manasquan. All that’s left is to put everything together.

Manasquan jumped Manasquan SR. Devan out to a 3-0 lead after the first quarter and never looked back, leading 4-1 at halftime and ultimately winning in dominant fashion, 9-2. Jarrett Birch had another big game with four goals and one assist to spearhead the offense, and the defense, led by LeBlanc, allowed only one goal in each half.

“Going up there we knew they were going to be low-scoring games,” LeBlanc said. “We wanted to keep them under five goals, and Bridgewater getting six is a little more than we wanted but keeping Madison to two was really good.”

Even more impressive was Manasquan having the week it did while traveling over an hour for each game and doing so with little practice time in between.

SR. Sr. Tom Pollock

Manasquan is as equipped as any team the Shore Conference has had to compete with the powers in North Jersey. Its attack line of Birch, Birch and senior Joe Tonkovich can score with the best of units and its defense of LeBlanc, senior Jack Mallett, sophomore Jack Fabean and senior LSM Tommy Meyer is talented and experienced in big-game situations. Pollock is one of the Shore’s best goalies and the Warriors also have sophomore Mike Lapoint, a Division I recruit and budding star.

Carroll

Bulldogs Rolling Under Moreau Manasquan isn’t the only Shore Conference team out to a fantastic start. After a 15-6 loss to IMG National, which is essentially a college team, Rumson-Fair Haven has ripped off seven straight wins each more dominant than the next.

Following the defeat on opening day, Rumson beat rivals Southern and CBA each by 9-1 scores and followed with victories over Notre Dame, Long Branch, Red Bank, Allentown and Ocean. The smallest margin of victory for the Bulldogs has been seven goals (16-9 vs. Notre Dame) and they are averaging 14.4 goals during their winning streak.

Although not the oldest program, Rumson is the establishment in the Shore Conference. The Bulldogs have have won six Shore Conference RFH SR. Bryan Tournament titles, including five of the last six, and remain the only area team to win

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Freehold Township has had an up-and-down season so far with a 4-3 record through seven games, but the Patriots should still be considered one of the best teams in the Shore Conference.

an NJSIAA state championship having won the Group I title in 2015. The feeder program is excellent and a culture of winning is firmly entrenched.

The 16-3 loss to Southern certainly took plenty of bloom off the rose, but the Patriots did bounce back with a 20-4 thrashing of district rival Colts Neck.

Freehold Township’s losses are to Manasquan, Robbinsville and Southern, none of which are bad losses in terms of opponent. They have the firepower at attack with seniors Drew Dunn and Josh Nastarowicz and junior Chris Novella, plus senior midfielder Mike Ferdinandi.

They also have one of the best poles in the Shore in senior defenseman/LSM Shawn Poole.

Rumson does have a new head coach this season as Marc Moreau has taken over for Andy Eastwood, who resigned in November after three seasons. Moreau is a highlyrespected coach who previously coached at Bernards and St. Joseph-Metuchen, leading the latter to the T.O.C. final in 2010.

A former All-American defenseman at Rutgers, Moreau is also the founder of Leading Edge Lacrosse.

Moreau didn’t drastically overhaul Rumson’s strategies, but his influence is evident. The Bulldogs are a more aggressive team on rides and their 6-on-6 defensive sets, so it will be interesting to RFH SR. Emmett Jennings see what kind of dividends it will pay down the road.

It’s all about consistency for Freehold Township. The good news is they still have a chance to claim the outright Class A North division title before the postseason.

The game that will likely decide the division comes on Saturday when the Patriots head to Middletown to face Christian Brothers Academy. The Colts are a tough team to get a good read one right now because they have played just four games. Their 1-3 record is deceiving because the losses are to Don Bosco Prep, Rumson and IMG Academy. Their win over Neptune is their only Class A North of the season so far, so they have a long way to go.

Rams Retaliate Relentlessly One of the most surprising results of the season came on April 12 when Southern throttled Freehold Township, 16-3, to vault to the No. 3 spot in the Shore Sports Network Top 10.

A season-opening loss to Howell, 11-9, lit a fire under the Rams. Since then, outside of a 9-1 loss to Rumson, Southern has crushed every team in its path in averaging 15.5 goals per game and allowing just 2.5 goals per game. The senior scoring tandem of attackman Kyle Mulrane and midfielder Will Johnson was expected to produce, and so far they’ve done so with 33 and 30 points, respectively, through seven games. The team leader in points is actually sophomore attackman Nick Fontana, however. He is enjoying a breakout season with 19 goals and 15 assists, providing the playmaking ability from X to compliment the scoring touch of Mulrane and Johnson.

Senior goalie Tristan Farina sets the tone for the whole operation from between the pipes, and he has been outstanding so far with a .751 save percentage.

Another critical component has been the play of junior FOGO Anthony Firmani. He has won 74 percent of draws this season and won at least 94 percent of face-offs over his last three games.

Southern Sr. Kyle

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This is big week for CBA with a huge back-to-back with Manasquan on Friday and Freehold Township on Saturday. They also have Robbinsville on Monday (April 24) so a lot of questions will be answered very soon.

Freehold Twp. Sr. Shawn Poole

A Month of Milestones Several players have reached career milestones during the first few weeks of the season, including but not limited to: Colts Neck’s Vinny Gargiulo becoming the program’s all-time leader in goals with 83 and counting; CBA’s Nick Casner recording his 200th career point; Howell’s Drew Bukowiec recording his 100th career point; Southern’s Kyle Mulrane scoring his 100th career goal; Brick Memorial’s Gavin Murphy reaching 100 career points; St. John Vianney’s Andrew Porretta scoring his 100th career point; Ocean’s David Walk making his 400th career save and Wall junior Mike McIntyre recording his 100th career goal.

to the photographers who supplied the photos seen throughout this issue

After a shaky start, Southern now looks it will have no problem winning its fifth straight Class A North division title and is a heavy favorite to reach the Mulrane SCT Final Four yet again.

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SPECIAL THANKS

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Ray Rich Photography rayrichphotography.smugmug.com Rob Samuels boofacephotography.com Paula Lopez palimages.com / 4/18/17

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Reverse Shoulder Replacement

By Dr. Jason R. Saleh - Professional Orthopaedic Associates

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lot of patients ask about a procedure called a reverse shoulder replacement, wondering what it is and what makes it different from a conventional shoulder replacement.

Most replacements are done for arthritis, a wearing away of the smooth joint surfaces. In a regular shoulder replacement, the ball and socket are replaced with metal and plastic, respectively. This results in excellent pain relief and improved motion and function.

Pa t i e n t s w h o h a v e a l a r g e t e a r o f s o m e o f t h e m u s cl e s a r o u n d t h e shoulder (the rota tor cuff) cannot ha ve a regular shoulder replacement because the torn rota tor cuff is not present to keep the ball centered in the socket. In a reverse shoulder, the socket is replaced with a metal ball and the ball is replaced with a metal and plastic socket. This implant has more constraint and therefore doesn’t need the rotator cuff to center the ball in the socket. The remaining muscles in the shoulder, namely the deltoid, can now take over and allow the pa tient to lift their arm.

Reverse shoulder replacements ha ve revolutionized the trea tment of arthritis and rotator cuff tears, giving hope to patients who previously had no good options.

Jason R. Saleh, MD Shoulder, Sports Medicine, Knee, and Elbow Jason R. Saleh, MD, is a board-eligible orthopaedic surgeon specializing in shoulder surgery and sports medicine. Dr. Saleh treats patients of all ages and activity levels with all conditions of the shoulder, including arthritis, rotator cuff tear, dislocation, and fracture as well as failed previous surgery. He also treats injuries of the knee, including ligament, meniscus, and cartilage damage.

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The standard-bearers for Shore Conference girls lacrosse are at it again

By Bob Badders – Senior Managing Editor

R umson-Fair Haven

F reehold Township Is 6-0 and has cruised to victory in each of its last four games, outscoring its opponents 63-11. MICHELLE PASCRELL leads the Patriots with 20 goals and 11 assists for 31 points while RAEGEN DUNN also has 20 goals after going off for nine goals in a win over Manalapan.

CAI MARTIN has 28 points on 18 goals and 10 assists.

Is off to another great start this season with a 5-1 record that includes five straight wins. After a season-opening loss to Moorestown, the defending Shore Conference Tournament and NJSIAA Group II champions have dominated.

Rumson is averaging 13.8 goals per game this season while allowing just 4.5, and in its two games last week outscored Shore and Ranney by a combined score of 32-2.

Leading scorer ASHLEY DELLAPIETRO (10 goals and 13 assists for 23 points) has helped Central to a 5-0 start for the first time in program history. MADISON DEMAND leads the Golden Eagles with 12 goals while NIKKI MASTRODOMENICO has 10 goals.

There wasn’t really a debate, but in case anyone had doubts the Bulldogs cemented their status as the Shore’s top team with wins over Red Bank Catholic, Holmdel, Manasquan Elizabeth Scarrone and Shore following the loss to Moorestown. Rumson is the lone Shore Conference team ranked in the state top 20 by NJ.com, coming in at No. 5 in the latest rankings.

Returning all-state selection ELIZABETH SCARRONE leads the team in scoring with 17 goals and 11 assists for 28 points while BRITTANY BRUNO has a team-high 22 goals and 26 points. KYRA WEINER has added 11 goals and 10 assists. All-stater CAITIE CLARK leads the defense in front of goalie SOPHIA BOCKLAGE.

A n o t h e r t e a m u n b l e m i s h e d s o f a r i s P o i n t B o r o , which is now 9-0 after wins over Donovan Catholic, Manchester, Marlboro and Barnegat last week. It’s a huge start for a program that has struggled mightily from 2009 to 2015, winning just five total games.

Since LAUREN CONTAY took over in 2016 the Panthers have been on the rise. They have already surpassed last season’s win total of seven and should certainly break the program record of 10 wins in a season set in 2006. KIERA MCNAMARA is one of the top scorers in the state with 24 goals and 17 assists for 41 points.

Stats leaders and Milestones • Through Sunday, April 16, Toms River South’s JENNIFER TOAL was the top goalscorer in the Shore with 28.

• Manasquan’s tandem of JANIE COWLEY (26 goals) and LOGAN HARMS (24) are also among the state leaders in goals, as is Red Bank’s Meghan Murray (24).

Brittany Bruno

Red

Photos courtesy of APP Doug Hood

• Ocean’s TARA PRITZLAFF has led the Spartans offense with 36 points and scored her 100th career goal on April 12.

Bank Catholic

Is the No. 2 team in the Shore, losing only to Rumson within the conference. The Caseys are 6-2 (the other loss coming to Mendham) and have wins over Shore, Ocean and Manasquan to their credit. Balanced scoring his been the key to the Caseys’ offense with OLIVIA FARRINGTON (21 goals and 11 assists) and AMANDA MURPHY (22 goals and 9 assists) leading the way. Add in MCKENZIE BOYLE’S 18 goals and 8 assists, ERIN MATTONE’S 19 goals and 3 assists and KRISTEN PEZZULLO’S 10 goals and 11 assists and it’s easy to see why the Casey’s offense has been difficult to slow down.

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• Manasquan’s ISABELLA FELDMANN was third in the state in assists with 26 and top 15 in the state in points (45).

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• Neptune goalie ALLIE KERWIN leads the state in saves with 108 and is part of a large group of standout goalies from the Shore that includes Southern’s CLARE MCCARTHY (88 saves), Holmdel’s SARAH FARAG (83), Middletown South’s NATALIE PUGLIESE (81), Jackson Liberty’s BAILEY HAVENS (69) and Ocean’s SHANNON ROSS (68 saves).

• ALLIE KERWIN reached 500 career saves as a junior after she made 30 against Freehold Township on April 12.

• NATALIE PUGLIESE made her 300th career save in a win over Long Branch.

• Freehold Township goalie LINDSAY SMITH recorded her 200th career save during a win over Howell on April 13.

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Shore Sports Network’s

Shore Community

HERE ARE SOME SHORE-AREA FAVORITES for you to support

Getting something to eat before or after a sporting event or looking for a local

business that might have some shore sports-related opportunity is part of our culture, and often it’s a spur-of-the-moment decision for a potential customer based on where they are at the time and what restaurants or local businesses they are familiar with.

The Shore Sports Network wants to put your business at the front of customer’s minds by featuring you on our sports-themed community page that will appear on both our website and in our bi-monthly Shore Sports Network Journal. Let our viewers and readers know you welcome them to stop in any time. These are often passionate fans and families who can be your customers through this customized, cost-effective marketing plan that puts your business front and center

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Community Feature Page Available from Feb – June & will consist of the following • 5.25w x 2.45h color ad in two issues of our Bi-Weekly SSN Journal Publications.

• SSN Publications distributed to the High Schools, all Jersey Mike’s Subs & Super WAWA locations within Ocean & Monmouth counties as well as local business and HS hot spots.

• Website Community page posting on SSN site • Digital link to your website/Facebook page

CALL TODAY Margaret Lynn Scheiderman 848-221-8155

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t least a few of you might find the title of his segment somewhat familiar as that’s the name of a daily feature I broadcast weekday mornings on 92.7 WOBM and Beach Radio 1160/1310AM. That two minute on air and on line piece is something I have done since 1997 and covers everything from politics to beach etiquette, road rage to television and can by serious, funny or sad. It’s my perspective on anything and everything and yes sports is often a topic as well.

Writing a column about sports is nothing new for me either as I did a weekly one for the Ocean County Observer a decade or two ago…can’t quite remember exactly when but I know I enjoyed it.

So now in this space for each issue of the Shore Sports Network Journal I will share my thoughts, mostly about high school sports which I have followed throughout my 38 year career (I was very young when I started).

I always felt bad for the athletes who compete in spring sports as they get the raw end of the deal. Think about it…they start in March which is often (like this year) miserable and offers cold, wind, rain and even snow which is not ideal for outdoor sports like baseball, softball, golf, tennis and others. Some teams spend a good portion of the first two weeks practicing in school gyms because of the weather and poor field conditions. Now we are in the later stages of April and clearly the weather has gotten better but by the time it gets really nice on a daily basis it’s time for many teams to pack away the equipment.

The two sports that probably get hurt the most are golf and boys tennis and I could make an argument that both should be played in the fall. Golf is the one that really stands out because most players don’t get opportunities to get on a course before practice begins and even after that their time is often limited. If they played in the fall they would have all summer to work on their game and be ready when the season begins. I believe the NJSIAA years ago discussed moving golf to the fall but

it was voted down with many of those opposed being high school football coaches who also coach golf and didn’t want to lose that gig.

I remember back when my son played high school baseball some of the coldest times I have spent were at those April and early May games when fans were bundled up in coats, hats, gloves, scarves and wrapped in blankets. If it was bad for us imagine how the players felt trying to grip a baseball or softball in those conditions.

Of course it all comes down to spring in New Jersey which brings you 35 degree temperatures one week and 65 the next…you just never know. There is no real solution because the season has to end by a certain point and when you factor in tournaments it means the division schedule is over by mid-May which is just about when the weather gets nice. Unfortunately for many teams their memories of the season will likely center around practices and games played when cold not heat was a factor.

A year from now I will have much more interest in the NFL Draft because its very likely Mike Gesicki will have his name called. The former Southern Regional High School three-sport standout is getting ready for his senior season at Penn State after flirting with the idea of becoming eligible for this year’s draft in Philadelphia (April 27-29). Gesicki became one of the nation’s top tight ends during a junior season in which he caught 48 passes for 679 yards and 5 touchdowns and displayed his athleticism with leaping scoring receptions in big games down the stretch as the Nittany Lions won the Big Ten title. After losing weight during the season Gesicki hit the weight room hard this winter and sports 258 pounds on his 6’6 frame and is said to be in the best shape of his life. Penn State concludes spring practice with their annual Blue-White game on April 22 and while open the regular season on September 2 against Akron.

Former Southern Regional 3-Sport Standout Mike Gesicki

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