9/18/18 Volume-X Issue-17 2018 Shore Sports Network Shore Conference Soccer Preview Program

September 18, 2018 Volume-X Issue-17

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 Web Site 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) and Facebook, we keep fans posted on the latest scores and news n Established leading portal for local high school coverage.

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SPORTS SATURDAYS IN SPRING LAKE

By Kevin Williams - Shore Sports network Director

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ormer NFL stars and one of the greatest soccer players in United States history will be featured during a quartet of specially themed sports events this fall in Spring Lake.

incredible 18-year career. Pearce was captain of the team from 2008-2015 and also played in two American professional leagues before finishing up her career with Sky Blue FC in 2017.

The mother of two daughters, Pearce Actor Ricky Aiello, NHL veteran Nick Fotiu, NFL veteran Lee Rouson, recently formulated a strategic partnership Peter Grandich, NHL veteran Brian Propp & all-time NY Jets great with Peter Grandich and Company and also Joe Klecko.

Hosted by Peter Grandich and Company at his office at 219 serves as a member of the Trinity Financial Morris Avenue the “Fan Appreciation Days” kick-off on Advisory Board. On October 27 she will Sports Fan Day” with former Eagle linebacker and radio talk Saturday, October 27 with the first to appear at the office on Morris Avenue from show host Garry Cobb. Then on November 17 it’s “Gang highlight the Monmouth University Hawks 1-3pm along with “Shadow”, the official Green Day” with J-E-T-S legend Joe Klecko, whose number and feature soccer legend Christie Pearce mascot of the Monmouth Hawks. The 73 was retired by the Jets in 2004 when he became just the Rampone. event is free and open to the public and third member of the Jets Ring of Honor. visitors are invited to take photographs Pearce was a multi-sport standout at “We have a fantastic series of events coming to our Spring and have a few select items autographed Point Pleasant Borough High School and Lake storefront this fall and these athletes appearing will and there will be a sports memorabilia later Monmouth University and while best certainly make for a great time on each occasion” said Peter drawing as well. known for her soccer prowess some might Grandich, Managing Member of Peter Grandich and not know she was an outstanding field The focus of the fan appreciation days Company. hockey and basketball player. Of course shifts to football in the month of November it is on the soccer pitch where she gained The company provides business, retirement and estate as Saturday, November 3 is “New York her greatest fame as a member of the Giants Big Blue Day” featuring five-time planning services to individuals, business owners and United States National Women’s Team, Pro Bowl linebacker and current Assistant professional athletes. winning three Olympic gold medals and Peter Grandich & General Manager Jesse Armstead. On For more information visit PeterGrandich.com. two FIFA World Cup titles during an Christie Pearce Rampone Saturday, November 10 its “Philadelphia

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very week this regular season, Jersey Mike’s and Shore Sports Network will be selecting a Team of the Week based on its performance over the past weekend.

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he Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week for Week 1 is Toms River North, which defeated Manalapan, 15-14, with a thrilling rally in the final minute. Shore Sports Network was at practice on Tuesday to present the Mariners and head coach Dave Oizerowitz with a special game ball and a $500 Jersey Mike’s gift card.

Coming off a 1-9 season, Toms River North faced a tough test right out of the gate in a Manalapan program that was 20-2 over the last two seasons and ranked No. 7 in the Shore Sports Network Preseason Top 10. The Braves were poised to emerge victorious

after Nico Santorelli busted loose on a 73-yard run that set up Dale Sieczkowski’s 1-yard touchdown run with 46 seconds left, giving Manalapan a 14-7 advantage.

Toms River North responded immediately, however, when Dashawn Wilder returned the ensuing kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown to trim the deficit to 14-13. The Mariners were an extra point away from improbably tying the game, but Oizerowitz had other ideas. Toms River North decided to go for the 2-point conversion, and it was Wilder who secured the winning points when he hauled in the conversion pass from sophomore quarterback Jake Kazanowsky.

Toms River North’s victory snapped Manalapan’s 16-game Shore Conference winning streak and also bounced the Braves from the SSN Top 10.

Trailing 16-0, Pinelands rallied for the thrilling victory thanks to an offensive line that paved the way for a 397-yard rushing performance. Senior running back Evan Burton ran for 261 yards and three touchdowns on 29 carries and sophomore running back Nik DiLeo ran for 133 yards and a touchdown on 20 carries.

Matawan jumped put to a 16-0 lead in the first quarter thanks to a 40-yard fumble return touchdown, a touchdown pass and a safety, and the Huskies looked like they were going to put the game away early. Pinelands' defense buckled down, however, and Burton began the rally with a 3-yard touchdown run in the second quarter and added a 2-point conversion run to cut Matawan's lead in half entering halftime.

DiLeo scored on a 1-yard touchdown run early in the third quarter, but the 2-point conversion attempt failed, leaving Matawan in front, 16-14. Burton's 3-yard touchdown run gave Pinelands its first lead of the game before Matawan responded with a touchdown run to pull back in front, 22-20. Burton's 20-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter put the Wildcats ahead, 26-22, and completed the comeback.

It's been a season filled with adversity already for the Wildcats, who are without a school and a home field for 2018. Pinelands Regional High School is undergoing construction, which has forced the teachers and students to move across the street to a now jam-packed junior high school. The Wildcats' football field is also being redone, so they were not supposed to have any home games this season. Saturday's game vs. Matawan was played at the Little Egg Harbor Sports Complex.

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he Jersey Mike’s Team of the Week for Week 2 is Pinelands, which rallied for a 26-22 victory over Matawan for its first win of the season. Shore Sports Network was at practice to present the Wildcats and head coach Matt Fuller with a special game ball and a $500 Jersey Mike's gift card.

Pinelands began the season with a 41-8 loss to Mater Dei Prep, which is now ranked No. 2 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10. A 31-0 loss to Shore followed to put the Wildcats in an 02 hole, but the Week 2 win over Matawan could be the spark the team needed to begin to turn things around.

The Wildcats will try to keep the momentum going when they take on unbeaten Barnegat (2-0) in Week 3.

FOR SSN ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 4

steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

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very week this regular season, Shore Conference football fans will have their chance to vote for the Orthopaedic Institute of Central Jersey/ Shore Sports Network Football Player of the Week on our website, with tens of thousands of votes cast already this week.

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Player of the Week winner is

Brick senior linebacker R i c h T a l l m a d g e , who led the way

for a Dragons’ defense that was dominant in shutting down Brick Memorial’s tripleoption offense and spearheading a 30-7 victory.

Tallmadge made 16 tackles and had one pass deflection, but his biggest play came early in the game when he returned a fumble 37 yards for a touchdown on Brick Memorial’s first play from scrimmage. The defensive touchdown gave Brick a 7-0 lead and set the tone for the Dragons’ sixth straight win in the all-time series. Brick held Brick Memorial to just 130 yards of offense.

Tallmadge was a Shore Sports Network Second Team All-Shore selection last season when he made 131

tackles with 11 hits for a loss, two fumble recoveries and one sack to help Brick reach the Central Jersey Group 4 semifinals and finish as the No. 8 defense in the Shore allowing 15.3 points per game. He was also selected as the Class A South co-Defensive Player of the Year last season and was an SSN Preseason All-Shore pick heading into this season.

Tallmadge secured 25.41 percent of the votes to win the poll over Rumson-Fair Haven running back Alex Maldjian and Barnegat fullback Brian Ewan.

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Player of the Week winner was

Red Bank Catholic sr. defensive end Gino Tartamella Photo by

Brick sr. linebacker Rich Tallmadge

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Richard O'Donnell www.richardodonnellphotography.com

he Jersey Mike’s Game of the Week returns to the Shore Sports Network this fall with the regular season broadcast schedule to begin on Friday, September 7 when Jackson Memorial takes on Southern Regional, 7:00pm at Southern Regional High School.

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and the annual Thanksgiving Day meeting between rivals Manasquan and Wall. As in the past, coverage will include NJSIAA Playoff games right through to championship weekend in e a r l y D e c e m b e r. A l l g a m e s c a n b e h e a r d on 92.7 WOBM and will be streamed live on shoresportsnetwork.com and through the new Shore Sports Network app.

Matt Harmon is back as the play-byJersey Mike’s Subs returns as the title sponsor of the game broadcasts and will play voice of the game broadcasts and a l s o s p o n s o r t h e p o p u l a r Te a m o f t h e w i l l b e j o i n e d b y l o n g t i m e p a r t n e r s K e v i n Williams and Ed Sarluca. The trio have Week program throughout the season. been together for nearly 20 years calling The schedule includes a weekly Friday Shore Conference football games in night b r o a d c a s t , O c e a n a n d M o n m o u t h C o u n t y.

Friday Friday Friday Friday Friday Friday Friday Friday Friday Friday *Thr

8/31 9/7 9/14 9/21 9/28 10/5 10/12 10/19 10/26 11/2 11/22

*Game to be broadcast on 1160/1310AM)

Brick Memorial Jackson Mem. Wall T.R. East Middletown South Rumson-Fair Haven T.R. South T.R North Point Boro NJSIAA Playoffs Wall NJSIAA Playoffs

49 14 6

at at at at at at at at at (TBD) at TBD

Central Southern Jackson Mem. T.R. South Central Brick T.R. North T.R. East Donovan Cath.

Manasquan

0 0 12

(11am)

Schedule is subject to change ngineer/Producer: Brad Burascano

All games broadcast on 92.7 wobm and streamed live at shoresportsnetwork.com and on the FREE Shore Sports Network App

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ust one change to the Shore Sports Network Top 10 for Week 2, but it’s a significant one.

St. John Vianney, which began the season No. 2 before falling out of the rankings following two lopsided losses, returns after a 21-7 victory over previous No. 4 Brick. The Lancers were 0-2 and in dire need of a win, and now we’ll see if they can get on a roll.

The rest of the top-10 residents remain the same, but there is some shuffling based on Week 2 results.

Red Bank Catholic (3-0) Senior quarterback Steve Lubischer threw for 156 yards and four touchdowns in just two quarters of action – connecting with M.J. Wright, Kevin Degnan, Jaden Key and Kevin Bauman on scoring passes – while junior running back Billy Guidetti ran for 146 yards and a touchdown and senior fullback John Columbia ran for a score as the Caseys defeated Toms River South, 45-7. Senior kicker Ryan O’Hara added a 44-yard field goal, the longest in the Shore this season. This week: Week-3: Friday at Red Bank (2-0)

Mater Dei Prep (3-0) The Seraphs cruised to a 42-7 win over Jackson Liberty. They have won 14 straight games against Shore Conference teams and have outscored their opponents 118-15 this season.

Week-3: Saturday vs Shore (1-1).

Rumson-Fair Haven (2-0) Senior fullback back Alex Maldjian ran for 140 yards and two touchdowns on just nine carries and Tommy Solano and Pete Crowley also ran for touchdowns as the Bulldogs walloped Middletown North, 42-7.

Junior quarterback Collin Coles completed 7 of 10 passes for 122 yards and senior tight end Ian O’Connor caught four passes for 64 yards.

Week-3: Friday at Brick Memorial (1-2)

Long Branch (2-0) The Green Wave had a bye in Week 2. They defeated Hammonton, 41-14, in Week 0 and defeated Toms River East, 41-6, in Week 1.

Week-3: Friday at Ocean (1-2)

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Toms River North (2-0) The Mariners jump two spots in the top 10 after a 48-0 win over Howell.

Sophomore quarterback Jake Kazanowsky completed 14 of 19 passes for 182 yards and three touchdowns and junior running back Jarrod Pruitt ran for 141 yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Pruitt scored on runs of 3, 8 and 10 yards while Kazanowsky had a 9-yard touchdown pass to Dominick Jacob, a 67-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Craig and a 15-yard touchdown to Will Marsh. Jordan Gray added a 4-yard touchdown run.

Week-3: Saturday vs. Central (0-3)

Manasquan (2-0) Rashid Tuddles, Canyon Birch and James Pendergist each had touchdown runs as the Warriors rallied from a 10-0 deficit to avoid an upset bid by Neptune and escape with a 21-10 victory.

Week-3: Saturday vs. Raritan (2-0)

Middletown South (2-1) Senior Chris Kaldrovics kicked a 20yard field goal as time expired to lift the Eagles to a thrilling 17-14 win over Manalapan in a key American Division game. Junior Matt Krellin had a key 36-yard catch to put Middletown South in field goal range. Vincent Condito’s 2-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter tied the game at 14 and Jamie Petrillo had a 1-yard touchdown run in the first half.

Week-3: Friday vs. Howell (1-1)

St. John Vianney (1-2) Sophomore quarterback Josh East tossed touchdown passes to sophomore wideout Jayden Bellamy and senior tight end Andrew McGimpsey as the Lancers knocked off last week’s fourth-ranked team, Brick, for their first win of the season. Junior running back Kavon Chambers added a 44-yard touchdown run late in the game.

Week-3: Friday at Middletown North (0-2)

Freehold (2-0) Senior quarterback Matt Krauss ran for 172 yards and two touchdowns and threw for 167 yards and a 2-point conversion, while senior Jake Hurler kicked field goals of 21 and 40 yards to help Freehold edge Brick Memorial, 20-17.

Week-3: Friday at Brick (1-1)

Jackson Memorial (2-0) A short touchdown run by fullback Michael Fiore and a fourth-down stop by Hunter Rose delivered the Jaguars a nail-biting 12-6 overtime victory over Wall in a key Constitution Division matchup. Justin Burkert kicked field goals of 27 and 24 yards in regulation while junior defensive end Collin McCarthy led a stout defensive effort with 13 tackles, including six tackles for loss and two sacks.

Week-3: Saturday at Lakewood (0-2)

Teams to watch: Lacey (3-0) Barnegat (2-0) Donovan Catholic (2-0) Raritan (2-0) Red Bank (2-0) Wall (1-1)

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By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

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f the ultimate goal for any team in any sport is to win the last game of the season and bring home a championship, the Shore Regional girls soccer team is in the midst of a run of three straight ultimate seasons. The Blue Devils are three-time defending NJSIAA Group I champions and the current seniors are aiming to make it four championships in four years.

For the first time during the run, however, that Group I title is not necessarily the No. 1 goal for the Shore players.

D e s p i t e capturing state championships and 20 wins in three straight seasons under coach George Moutis, Shore has been unable to make a significant dent in the Shore Conference Tournament – a matter this year’s group of Blue Devils hopes to settle by winning the one of the state’s toughest conference tournament in advance of a fourth straight group title JR. Julia Eichenbaum run.

“We’re more known for our state championships than what we’ve done in the Shore Conference but I think winning Shore Conference might be an even bigger deal for us,” senior Frankie McDonough said. “You never hear of a Group I team winning it. It’s always a bigger school or a private school.”

In reaching the Group I final in six consecutive seasons, Shore has never advanced past the quarterfinals of the loaded Shore Conference Tournament. As an example of the area’s prowess in girls soccer, there was one Shore Conference team in each of the four public group finals last season, with two of the teams winning and another winning a cochampionship. That was not an anomaly, either: the same thing happened in 2015, with two teams winning and another winning a co-championship.

Shore has been a shining example of its conference’s success but has yet to play on the same level as the best teams in the conference during the SCT. With most of last year’s team back, including three of the Shore’s top goal-scorers in junior Julia Eichenbaum and seniors McDonough and Hannah Birdsall, Shore goes from the underdog Group I school to the odds-on favorite to win the Shore Conference title.

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“This year, we have more potential to do it,” Eichenbaum said of winning a conference title. “In previous years, we would just get killed by Group IV schools but I think we’re much more prepared to face those kinds of teams this year.”

definitely made things easier for me,” Eichenbaum said. “If teams want to doubleteam me or triple-team me, Frankie and Hannah are going to score.”

Goal-scoring will again be a strength of Shore’s team but the key to the Blue Devils’ season will be its defense in front of senior goalkeeper Julia Valinoti. Shore gave up three or more goals nine times last year and still managed to go 4-4-1 in those games. Along those same lines, the Blue Devils were 16-0-1 when allowing two goals or fewer.

SR. Hannah Birdsall “In the back, I think we’re really stepping up and communicating a lot better,” senior center back Marissa DeSantis said. “(Junior) Nicole Generelli, this is her first year starting and I think she’s been handling herself really well under pressure against these big schools. She has done a really good job communicating with Julia, me and Ashley (Davidson) and I think it’s allowed us to really gel as a group.”

“None of our first four games were against Group I schools and we gave up four goals and (quadrupled) the amount of goals scored against us,” McDonough said. “I think that speaks to the defense. They have done a great job shutting these forwards down and even last year, I don’t think they got enough recognition for the job they did.”

Whatever happens this year, McDonough, Birdsall, DeSantis, Valinoti, Davidson and midfielder Lauren Mendillo have been a part of the kind of success few programs in the state can match when it comes to winning state titles. Now seniors, the group has a chance to cement a legacy as one of the best Group I teams in the history of the state – one capable to taking down any program on its schedule and finishing among the state’s topranked teams by late November.

If there was any doubt that Shore’s returning talent was enough to establish the Blue Devils as the favorite to win both the Shore Conference Tournament title as well as the Group I crown, Shore put that to rest in its 5-2 opening-day win over defending Group IV co-champion Freehold Township.

Nothing Shore’s players can say conveys their collective expectations better than the out-of-division schedule the Blue Devils lined up for this season. On top of playing Freehold Township, Shore has showdowns with Group IV powerhouse Hunterdon Central, defending Shore Conference and Group II champion Wall, Colts Neck and Mount St. Mary’s.

On top of once again proving its superiority in Group I, the Blue Devils want to show they can hang with the biggest schools in the state. Last year, Shore went 0-4 against the Group IV quartet of Freehold Township, Lenape, Ridge and Toms River North so the win over Freehold Township is already a sign the Blue Devils have made significant strides in closing that gap.

“We’re going into those games with no pressure,” Birdsall said. “We know we’re a smaller school but we have the talent to beat a lot of bigger schools so we just go in with nothing to lose and I think that mentality is what has helped us so far against teams like Freehold Township and Brick.”

“We’re also a lot deeper this year,” McDonough added. “When we bring players off the bench, they can score. Having confidence when you have to go to the bench is huge and being a Group I school, we don’t always have that.”

Shore’s dynamic trio of Eichenbaum, McDonough and Birdsall give the Blue Devils a legitimate chance to climb their way into the state’s top 10.

McDonough and Birdsall are four-year varsity starters with impressive overall career numbers. McDonough entered the Sept. 17 game at Hunterdon Central with 91 career goals and 56 assists, while Birdsall has amassed 53 goals and 38 assists in that same span.

McDonough is coming off a 35-goal season as a junior and entered Monday with five in four games.

As torrid as McDonough’s goalscoring pace has been during her varsity career, Eichenbaum has kept up a similar pace. The University of Illinois commit entered her junior season with 50 career goals after scoring 32 as a sophomore, the last of which was a game-winning goal with nine seconds left in the Group I final.

“You didn’t hear a lot about us as a trio until last year just because we hadn’t all played together until Julia was a freshman,” McDonough said.

“Since then, we’ve gotten so much closer, both personally and on the field, that I think it makes it so much easier to connect and play with each other. We know where each other wants the ball.”

“Having Frankie and Hannah has sR. Frankie McDonough

For that to happen, a Shore Conference Tournament championship will likely be part of that resume.

“The last two years, coach (Moutis) has been telling us we’re the team everybody wants to beat based on the state championships we’ve won,” McDonough said. “Now, that’s going to be even more the case after beating a team like Freehold Township. We have never been ranked and now we’re No. 15 in the state, so that makes it an even bigger target on our backs.

“But that’s what we want.

We want to be ranked, we want to face the big teams and have to play under pressure and I think, so far, we have shown we can handle the pressure.”

Photos by:

Doug Bostwick

WWW.SPORTSHOTSWLB.COM

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ne of the major themes throughout this Shore Conference soccer season is the continued examination of how the new schedule will affect teams both in their preparation and in their profiles come tournament time. When it comes to the top 10, one of the side effects that has become apparent is that increased number of crossover games could cause more confusion than clarity.

By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

That currently being the case, the latest installment of the top 10 is going to look perplexing to a handful of teams that figured they would be in after some big wins last week. With so many teams beating one another, the default is to reward the teams with the big wins and the most excusable losses.

Beyond that, it’s pretty tough to decipher one team in the bottom five from an unranked team, so consider the current version of the top 10 extremely volatile, particular outside the top four.

Holmdel (4-0, 2-0)

Even without defending Shore Sports Network Player of the Year, Holmdel has been a juggernaut. After Anthony Arena left Saturday’s game against Colts Neck with a hamstring injury, the Hornets put up three goals in a win over Colts Neck and three more in a win over previouslyunbeaten Monmouth with Arena still sidelined.

Through four games, Holmdel has outscored opponents 17-0.

Christian Brother Academy (4-1, 2-0)

Howell

(3-1, 1-1)

Another team that lost doesn’t get punished too much for a loss, Howell is helped by the fact that it responded to a loss to a top-10 team (Freehold Township) with a win over a top-10 team (Freehold Boro). The Rebels also lost without standout keeper Shane McBride, who returned to action right after the Freehold Township loss and immediately recorded two shutouts. Howell gave up two goals in each of the first two games with McBride sidelined.

Neptune

(3-0, 2-0-0)

CBA’s second week of the season included a narrow win over Long Branch and a 3-0 loss to a St. Benedict’s team ranked No. 1 in the country according to USA Today. The Colts managed to reach halftime against the Gray Bees 0-0 but could not keep up in the second half. After that kind of challenge, the next stretch of games should be more manageable, even up at the Delbarton Invitational this weekend.

The Scarlet Fliers debut in the top 10 with a resume that looks better and better with each passing day. They got off to a slow start and rallied to tie fellow unbeaten Lakewood, beat both St. John Vianney and Colts Neck and hammered a Manasquan team that knocked off Ocean. With a senior-laden team that includes one of the Shore’s top scorers – Wilby Alfred – Neptune will be tested on Thursday against that very Ocean team.

Jackson Memorial

Freehold Township

(5-0, 2-0)

The Jaguars move up to No. 3 and now have CBA in their sights for the No. 2 spot. There is not much margin for error, however, so Jackson Memorial will have to keep rolling through opponents like they have and come through when it gets a shot against an A North team. Jackson lost a game vs. Howell due to rain, but the Jaguars still have Freehold Township and Freehold Boro in a three-day span in early October.

(2-1-1, 1-1-0)

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loss to a suddenly-dangerous Manalapan team on Monday slowed Freehold Township’s momentum in Class A North, but the Patriots still have a win over Howell that both keeps them in the top 10, as well as in the mix for the A North public title. With many of the A North public teams cannibalizing one another, it’s looking more and more like the second place team in A North will be fighting off the rest of teams behind it for the public title rather than pushing CBA to the limit for the overall title.

Ocean

(4-1, 2-0)

Despite slipping up against Manasquan last week, the Spartans only fall one spot based on their still-strong record, 13-3 goal differential and pedigree over the last several years. It also helps Ocean that it is still early in the season and there are plenty of teams either with slip-ups or who have yet to be tested by their schedule yet.

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Freehold Boro (3-2, 1-1)

The Colonials had a chance to gain the inside track in the A North public race, but dropped a tightly-contested, 1-0 overtime game at Howell on Monday. Both of Freehold Boro’s losses are to top-five teams and the Colonials have three solid wins to boot, so they don’t suffer much of a drop following the loss to the Rebels.

Manasquan (4-1, 2-0)

Losing 6-0 to Neptune and narrowly beating Brick Memorial, Red Bank Catholic and Rumson-Fair Haven aren’t reassuring results when considering Manasquan for a top-10 spot, but a 3-2 win over an Ocean team that still looks like a clear top-four team is as good a win as there is at the Shore this season other than CBA’s win over Delran. The Warriors are still on the young side and have some new pieces working into the formation, so the improvement over the first two-plus weeks plays to their advantage.

Monmouth (5-1, 1-1)

Although Monmouth’s best wins don’t match that of teams like Long Branch, Southern and Manalapan and Toms River North and Lakewood are still unbeaten, the Falcons hold on to a top-10 spot because their loss is to the best team in the Shore Conference. They could run into trouble down the line because Holmdel was the only team on their schedule ranked in the preseason, but now that Manasquan and Neptune are off to strong starts, Monmouth will, in fact, have a few more marquee games on its slate.

On the Bubble: Lakewood (4-0-1, 3-0-0) - The Piners are right on the top 10 doorstep but with Barnegat and Asbury Park on the schedule between now a Saturday, this likely won’t be the week they kick the door down.

Long Branch (4-2, 1-1) - After battling CBA and

winning overtime thrillers over Southern and Middletown South, Long Branch is close to sliding in despite a loss at Middletown North. If the Green Wave keep stepping up against a challenging schedule, they will be in before long.

Southern (4-1, 2-0) - Were it not for a loss at Long

Branch on Saturday, Southern likely would have debuted in the top five, which means leaving them unranked might be a little cruel. As it is, it’s still hard to place them without knowing what Toms River South is, although Manalapan’s recent performance might make the case.

Manalapan (2-2-1, 2-0-0) - Manalapan looked like

a lost team after being outscored 12-2 over its first two games, but has responded with A North wins over Marlboro and Freehold Township and a scoreless draw against a Bridgewater-Raritan team that began the season in the state’s top 20.

Wall (3-1, 1-0) - After dropping its opener to Freehold Boro, Wall has handled its business vs. St. Rose, Rumson and Red Bank.

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By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer assists so far, with McStay assisting a goal in each of Holmdel’s first three wins.

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resh off the program’s best season ever, the Holmdel boys soccer players are talking about being even better this season and the early results indicate that could be the case. The Hornets outscored their opponents 14-0 over the first three games and their No. 2 ranking in the state, according to NJ.com, is the highest in school history.

The new starters have added an element that has not been a defining characteristic of Holmdel teams during Nacarlo’s tenure. While he has had resourceful, scrappy teams over the year, this one has an element of toughness and recklessness toward 50-50 balls that no other Holmdel team has had.

"This team loves to go after headballs, which has not been the case in past years," Holmdel coach John Nacarlo said. "We've typically been a smaller team that likes to keep in on the ground but these guys want to win the ball in the air and that has added another element."

Their head coach, however, isn’t sold just yet.

“Last year’s team was a freak of nature,” 16th-year head coach John Nacarlo said of a team that went 22-1-1 with two tournament titles and a 122-14 goal differential. “With the goal differential, winning multiple championships, guys scoring from all over the field – it’s hard to get much better than that team.”

The goal, however, is not to score more goals than last year’s team or to surpass last year’s goal differential or to supply more highlight-worthy finishes than the loaded 2017 team. It remains the same as last year: add to the trophy case with another Shore Conference Tournament and NJSIAA Group II titles.

With that in mind, Nacarlo and his players know that have a great chance of matching last year’s team.

“As good as last year’s team was, I think this year’s team is even more disciplined,” senior captain Joe Arena said.

“If I say something or coach (Nacarlo) or (assistant) coach (Ron) Poll, everybody is listening.

The new guys might have been a little intimidated at first, but they listen and they work hard and they have bought in to what we do as a team.”

Despite returning four First-Team All-Shore players in Anthony Arena, Joe Arena and Torre Avitabile, the Hornets graduated four field players who combined for 64 goals as starters last year. That has not, however, stopped them from holding three opponents scoreless while racking up 14 goals over the first three games of the season.

Anthony Arena, the reigning Shore Sports Network Player of the Year, opened the season with four goals and three assists in the first two games alone and Joe Arena has helped out with a goal and an assist while dominating the midfield. Returning starter Jack Russo also has a goal to his name, which returning junior starter Mark Walier assisted.

The rest of the scoring has come mostly from new starters junior Jack Giamanco and senior Ryan Ferguson. Giamanco recorded his first career hat trick in a 7-0 win over Raritan and Ferguson scored twice in an opening-day win over Middletown South. Both also scored in a 3-0 win over Colts Neck on Saturday, Sept. 15.

Senior Mark McStay and junior Eric Hinds also came off the bench last year and have combined for five

Sr. Joe Arena 14

Sr. Anthony Arena

If any one player sets that tone, it is Joe Arena. The senior has been a starting center midfielder since his freshman season and has matured from an undersized, skilled fighter to one of the strongest, savviest, skilled

midfielders in the state. He showed his toughness last year while playing through a groin injury in the final two games of the season, even scoring the fourth and final goal of Holmdel’s Group II championship win over Dover.

“If I’m not going hard, you’ll probably see the other guys on the field not going hard,” Arena said. “It’s definitely an energy we have where one guy comes alive and then the next guy comes alive, all in unison. So I take it as my responsibility to always play hard to set the tone for everybody else.”

“If we’re ever concerned about getting outmanned in the middle of the field, my response is always, ‘We have Joe,’” Nacarlo said. “I obviously think very highly of Joe. I think he is an incredible player and he is playing with a lot more poise on the field, which is nice to see. He is under control and he is just doing a lot of great things out there for us.”

Holmdel’s strength on loose balls makes an airtight defense and experienced goalkeeper Jack Murray even tougher to crack. Avitabile is the anchor at center back while Russo and Walier provide both marking and scoring ability on the outsides. New starter Peter Vassilakos also gets in on the scoring with his long throw-ins.

"I've been saying this for the last few weeks: this is the best defensive unit I've had since I have been here," Nacarlo said. "All four guys are great one-v.-one defenders and Walier and Russo do a great job making themselves dangerous coming out of the back. Then you have Jack in goal, who was our keeper two years ago and a center back for us last year, so he has a great understanding of how the entire defense works."

Murray, meanwhile, has been the ultimate swiss-army knife for Nacarlo, moving from goalkeeper to center back when Matt Lionette emerged in goal last season after starting as a sophomore. Now a senior, Murray is back in goal with a full understanding of how his defense best functions in front of him and how to handle the few shots that do make it to his doorstep.

Action Photos by :

Paula Lopez

www.palimages.com

"I really feel like this team has a chance to be better than it was last year and a big reason is our defense," said Russo who is committed to play at St. John’s University. "We have so much chemistry and so much trust in each other right now."

Conference Tournament final and Holmdel gaining a measure of revenge with a 2014 regular-season win at CBA. The showdown between the current No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 falls exactly three weeks from the day Arena injured his hamstring, so the chances of him being back in the lineup for that game – while uncertain – would figure to be good.

Ultimately, however, just as scoring more than 120 goals again and dominating the postseason are less important than repeating as champions, defeating CBA in early October is less important than beating the Colts – or whichever Shore Conference team stands between Holmdel and a second straight SCT title – is more important.

The emergence of players like Giamanco and Ferguson coupled with the defensive mindset of this year’s team have been especially important given that Holmdel might have to play a stretch of games without their player of the year. Anthony Arena pulled up lame with a left hamstring injury in the 23rd minute of the win over Colts Neck and did not return.

Despite the loss of its nearlyunstoppable forward, Holmdel still managed three goals in the win – all of which came after Arena limped off.

“The goals are the same and I think the fact that most of these guys were here last year, even if they weren’t starters, they were a part of the success and they understand what it’s going to take,” Nacarlo said. “It’s a different team than last year, but I think it’s a team that has a chance to go as far as we did last year. It doesn’t matter how we get there, we just want to get there.”

The Hornets’ schedule outside of Class A Central includes opponents like Toms River South, Pinelands, Christian Brothers Academy and Pingry – all of which entered the season with high expectations. With or without Anthony Arena, Holmdel will aim to make a statement in those games, particularly against CBA on Oct. 6.

The two teams have met only twice in the last decade, with CBA’s legendary 2011 team beating Holmdel, 4-0, in the Shore

Joe Arena (5),

torre Avitabile (4),

Jack Murray (1),

Jack Russo (15)

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Anthony Arena (10)

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By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer

T

he Christian Brothers Academy soccer team started its season against Group II power Delran in a game that started off nearly perfectly, took some twists and turns before ending with the Colts pulling out the win on a late goal.

If that opening game turns out to be a microcosm of the season, the CBA seniors will leave the Academy in the spring of 2019 very happy.

“Now that we have a year under our belts, we kind of understand each other a little better,” third-year CBA head coach Tom Mulligan said. “When I yell out an instruction or go over something at halftime, I think they understand a little quicker.

“We have a lot of improvement, but it’s still September.

It’s not November so we have a long way to go.”

The opening-day 2-1 win over Delran was a strong

With seven starters and most of its scoring back from a 2017 team that went 20-3-1 and reached the NJSIAA Non-Public Group A final, CBA is once again eyeing a season that ends with the Colts as Shore Conference and Non-Public A champions, which they did with a seniorladen 2016 squad.

The 2016 team did its best to stake out a position as one of the best teams in Shore Conference history and one of the two or three best CBA teams ever and while those standards are a lot to ask of a team that has a few new starters in key spots, the Colts want to end the season the same way all of the greatest CBA sides have.

Seniors Jack Gill, Dom Belomo and Joe Lozowski are all off to solid starts this season on the attack, along with junior Luke Pascarella. Seniors Jack Hempstead and Liam Mulvey are back on the defense and senior Eric Wnorowski is now starting in goal after backing up two different All-Shore keepers in Aedan Boriotti in 2016 and Shane Keenan last year.

Sr. Jack Gill 16

Sr. Joe Lozowski

statement to start what will be a difficult regular season that has already proved to be trying. After handling the Peddie School, 5-0, CBA had to scratch and claw to escape with a 2-1 win over a young, hungry Long Branch team and then went up to Newark and swallowed a 3-0 loss to a St. Benedict’s squad ranked No. 1 in the country by USA Today.

Sr. Dom Bellomo See

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By Matt Manley - Senior Staff Writer win over Jackson Liberty and an 8-2 win over Manalapan.

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rmed with only two seniors and coming off a relatively disappointing season by its program’s standards, Jackson Memorial surprised in 2017 by reaching the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals and earning the No. 1 seed in the talent-rich South Jersey Group IV bracket in the NJSIAA Tournament.

This year, the Jaguars are hoping to surprise the Shore again – this time by winning a postseason tournament.

“Last year we made a run but even though we knew we were going to be good, it was kind of unexpected,” senior Ben Patti said. “This team is returning so many solid players, so we have the mindset that we are here, we’re here to win and we’re not here to be a second-level team.”

The statement win of the four Jackson wins was its opening-day, 2-0 win over Pinelands in a match that pitted the Jaguars against a Wildcats team that entered the season ranked No. 5 in the Shore Sports Network Top 10. Patti got his team going with a 30-yard shot that dipped under the crossbar and junior Dan Russo found junior Ed Jacoby for an insurance goal just before Pinelands went down a man with a second yellow card.

Just as he was when he scored 18 goals as a sophomore last year, Russo has continued to be a scoring machine for the Jaguars in the early going. The junior striker wracked up five goals and t h r e e assists in J a c k s o n ’s first three games, including a hat trick and two assists against Manalapan.

Jacoby, Patti, seniors Nick Schlageter, Logan Lewis and Andrew Keating and sophomore Drew Walenty have all been part of the goalscoring onslaught so far for the Jaguars. Schnaak, meanwhile, has led a back line that has both locked up opponents and contributed on the attack. Schnaak already has three goals

If its first four games of the season are any indication, Jackson Memorial has a deeper roster with eight returning starters who are a year better, both individually and as a collective unit. In those first four games, Jackson Memorial outscored opponents 24-2 with three shutouts, including a 10-0

Sr. Nicholas Kinzler Jr. Dan Russo

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Those games against Delran, Peddie and St. Benedict’s are part of a stacked nondivisional schedule that also includes out-of-state powers Chaminade (N.Y.) and La Salle (Pa.), as well as in-state notables Ocean, Holmdel and East Brunswick. Whatever the outcome of those games, the Colts expect to be fully prepared to play the likes of Holmdel, Ocean and Jackson Memorial in the Shore Conference Tournament and Bishop Eustace, Delbarton and Seton Hall Prep in Non-Public A. On top of the non-divisional schedule, CBA will still have to navigate through a traditionally strong Class A North schedule, although the reconfigured schedule now includes just one match per divisional opponent rather than the home-and-home set-up of previous years.

"It's always good to test yourself against the best competition and clearly Delran fits that description," Gill said following the win over Delran. "It's going to prepare us for the end of the season, when our goal is to win the Shore Conference (Tournament) and state (tournament). It's a game we can look back on and know we are capable of performing when we need to."

the Shore Conference goals leader through two weeks and has already matched his output from a year ago. With two more goals in a 4-3 overtime win over Middletown South, he extended his pace-setting mark to nine goals in six games.

Against Southern, Long Branch was coming off a loss to No. 2 CBA in which the Green Wave tied the Colts early in the second half on a goal by freshman Eduardo Ribeiro before ultimately conceding the winning goal.

Silva opened the season with a hat trick against Red Bank Regional and poured in a goal apiece in a loss to Middletown North and a win over Rumson-Fair Haven.

With Long Branch graduating 32 goals and 25 assists between Fernandes, Azevedo and Juan Carlos Merino, plus losing returning center midfielder Alex Tabisz indefinitely to a knee injury, the lift from Silva and the young core of newcomers has Long Branch off to a solid 4-2 start considering the circumstances.

Fresh Falcons:

Freshmen powering Monmouth’s start Coming off the program’s best season in at least nine years, with a healthy dose of returning talent and production, and against a schedule that included Mater Dei, Ranney and Central, it comes as no big surprise that Monmouth Regional started the 2018 5-0.

What is surprising is who some of the most regular contributors have been to the Falcons’ success.

Freshmen Kaan Pehlivan, Aiden Hicks and Ethan Wallace combined for six goals and four assists during the five-game streak to open the season. Each of the three rookies scored two goals in the first five games, with Pehlivan accounting for three assists. Wallace even scored the golden goal in a 2-1 win over Shore Regional.

Monmouth has also benefitted from considerable contributions from returners like senior Brian Waltsack, Hoover Cano, David Lopes, Mathias Quesada, Ryan Hoplock, Ryan Wolff and sophomore goalkeeper Dominick Santaniello.

Silva Star:

The Falcons lost 30goal scorer Joel Burgos to graduation but have, to this point, recovered thanks to that returning crop and a complement of freshmen who have not shied away from the varsity limelight.

Stiviny Storms Out of the Gate for Sr. Stiviny Silva Long Branch Stiviny Silva carved out a role as a secondary scorer last year on the Long Branch boys soccer team and complemented leading scorers Venancio Fernandes and Renan Azevedo by scoring seven goals.

This year, it took Silva only five games to reach the seven-goal plateau and he got there with a goal that delivered Long Branch an eye-opening result that is part of an impressive start for the young Green Wave.

Silva scored the game-tying penalty kick in regulation and scored the golden goal a minute into overtime to help the Green Wave hand Southern Regional its first loss of the season on Saturday, Sept. 15.

With his sixth and seventh goals of the season, Silva was

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David Lopes (1), Chris Anfuso (24), Brian Waltsack (10)

and

Ryan Wolff (20)

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T ime is Now

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and two assists this season while fellow junior Connor Lucas has also contributed to the scoring.

know we don’t have much time left here,” Patti said. “Even the juniors, they only have one more year after this and I feel like they have a lot of help this year with all of the seniors. They should be good going forward, but we have a great chance to win a championship this year so we have to do our best to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Seniors Chase Olejarz and sweeper Ronny Bantang have been the leadership and the muscle of the defense while returning All-Shore senior keeper Nick Kinzler has been the beneficiary with three shutouts to his name.

“I think we grew into it,” Schnaak said. “The younger guys have stepped up we have a lot of juniors on this team as well and we are coming into our own along with the seniors.”

Jackson Memorial’s two tournament runs in 2017 ended in disappointment – first with a 40 loss to Holmdel that was scoreless until just before halftime. The Jaguars never quite recovered and after barely getting past No. 16 seed Atlantic Tech, the No. 1 seed in the South Jersey Group IV bracket fell to No. 8 Atlantic City in the sectional quarterfinals.

That disappointment provided offseason fuel and the resulting effort has made the Jaguars – now the No. 3 team in the SSN Top 10 – look like a serious contender for any championship they seek.

“We’re a lot more serious this year because all these seniors, we

Daniel Russo (10), Ronny Bantang (23), Nicholas Kinzler (0), Joseph Schlageter (22) and ben Schnaak (15)

The Future is Now:

Southern’s Sophomore Core Already Paying Off The Southern Regional soccer team may have a lot of youth on the roster but don't call the Rams "rebuilding."

They may rely heavily on a talented core of sophomores, but the Rams also employ six senior starters within that young group that is off to a 4-1 start in 2018 – the third season under coach Guy Lockwood.

Southern won 12 games in each of Lockwood’s first two seasons and although this year’s team is younger than those first two, it’s shaping up to be a third straight winning campaign and perhaps the best season yet.

Within those wins in the first five games, Southern rolled over Atlantic Tech, Manalapan and Brick Memorial and also took down three-time defending NJSIAA sectional champion Toms River South in Toms River. Considering Class A South teams will play each other just one time each this year, the 1-0 win over the Indians could represent a changing of the guard as Southern sets its sights on making a run at Jackson Memorial for division title after Toms River South won it from 2014 to 2016 and finished second to the Jaguars last year.

Southern’s perfect start came to a halt on Sept. 15 with an overtime loss at Long Branch in which the Rams led, 1-0, entering the 67th minute.

The 4-1 start is all the more noteworthy given that even though Southern starts six seniors, it also relies on sophomores in some key spots, including in the center of the defense with Jon Paul Prosperi and Chris Rizzo and Kevin Kiernan in the middle of the field. Sophomore Nico Leonard also plays big minutes off the bench and scored three state tournament goals last season as a freshman.

Kiernan has been the early catalyst for Southern with a team best four goals through five games,

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Dylan Blauvelt (13), Braden Dugan (00) and Nico Wojdyla (10) with all four coming during a three-game stretch vs. Manalapan, Toms River South and Brick Memorial.

With that being said about the youth, seniors Dylan Blauvelt, Frank Ritchie, Nico Wojdyla, Jose Bonilla and Fernando Medina and Connor Feeney have all been key cogs so far and goalkeeper Braden Dugan has been steady as the last line of defense.

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Fut ure

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Throw in some talented juniors like Jonathan Touchihuitl and Augustin Lopez and the Piners have a mix of players that have a realistic shot at the program’s first division title since 2006.

Surprise Starts:

Lakewood and Neptune Opening Eyes Early

Heading into the third week of the season, there were eight unbeaten teams left in the Shore Conference. Most of that group includes some of the usual Shore Conference staples: Holmdel, Freehold Township, Jackson Memorial and Toms River North.

Monmouth also started 5-0 thanks, in part, to a manageable schedule and Point Pleasant Beach played only one game in the first two weeks.

The other two members of undefeated club through two weeks are no so easy to shrug off: Neptune and Lakewood.

The two surprise unbeatens actually played one another, with Neptune rallying for a 2-2 draw and Lakewood squandering a chance at a road win while playing the second game of a back-to-back in excessive heat.

Seamus M c Anee, mickenna Church, Wilby Alfred, David Galindo and Ryan Gallagher

Like Lakewood, Neptune’s 2-0-1 start is the product of a standout senior class that has been on fire since enduring a sluggish first half against Lakewood in the Scarlet Fliers’ season opener. Senior forward Wilby Alfred scored 18 goals as a junior and is at it again as a senior, posting five goals in Neptune’s first four games – including two apiece against Lakewood and Manasquan.

Neptune’s 6-0 pounding of Manasquan seemed solid enough at the time but now appears all-the-more noteworthy considering Manasquan later beat Ocean – the No. 3 team in the Shore Sports Network Preseason Top 10 – in overtime in come-from-behind fashion, 3-2.

Jersey Salazar (9), Junior Bravo (10), Moises GALVAN (11), Brian Morales (4) & Jorge Araiza (15)

Lakewood ripped off a 3-0-1 start to the season through four games, with convincing wins over Barnegat and Manchester, as well as a 1-0 win over Class B South nemesis Point Pleasant Boro. The surge out of the gate has a lot to do with Lakewood’s experienced, senior-heavy lineup, led by seniors Gio Hernandez, Junior Bravo, Josh Lemus, Kristian Talas, Jorge Araiza and goalkeeper Moises Galvan.

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Beyond Alfred, Neptune also has experience around the field in seniors Mickenna Church, Ryan Gallagher, Marlon Morales, David Galindo and keeper Seamus McAnee, as well as juniors Jett Tinik, Ryan Gannon and Dylan Schembri.

While there is still a long way to go, the senior leadership and a move from Class A North to Class B North has the Scarlet Fliers well set up for their first winning season in 10 years.

Steven Meyer www.shoresportsnetwork

Team Photos by:

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FOR SSN ADVERTISING INFORMATION Contact: Steven Meyer 732-233-4460 24

steve.meyer@townsquaremedia.com

Award-winning broadcasters Kevin Williams, Ed Sarluca and Bob Badders cover the entire Shore Conference from Matawan to Pinelands. Broadcast live each week the show features players, coaches and a preview of upcoming games.

Wednesday, 7-8pm on 105.7 The Hawk, www.1057thehawk.com & www.shoresportsnetwork.com.

The only weekly radio and online show that covers Ocean and Monmouth County High School Football

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very week this regular season, Shore Sports Network & Surf taco will be selecting a boys & girls player of the week based on there performance over the past week. Surf taco will present the winners with a surf taco backpack & a $25 gift card.

Toms River East Jr. Dane bodziak

T

he first “upset” of the season, at least according to the Shore Sports Network Preseason Top 10, was Toms River East’s wild 4-3, overtime win over Pinelands. Dane Bodziak was the catalyst in that win, racking up a hat trick that included the golden goal in overtime that sealed to seal the win.

The junior forward has since scored in a loss to division rival and three-time defending NJSIAA sectional champion Toms River South and has accumulated four goals and an assist through a 1-3 start for the Raiders, with all four games decided by a one-goal margin and one in overtime.

Bodziak won the closest Player of the Week vote in any sport since Shore Sports Network started running the contests. The Toms River East junior beat out Long Branch senior Stiviny Silva by a mere two votes, 305-303.

Monmouth Jr. Ranya Senhaji ith six goals and at least one in each of her team's first three games, Senhaji is off to the races in her junior season. Monmouth's attacking midfielder helped carry the Falcons to two wins to open the season by posting a hat trick in a 5-0 win over Ranney and hammered home two more goals in a win over Mater Dei Prep during the first week of the season.

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Monmouth took a significant step up in competition on Wednesday of this week, when the Falcons traveled to play a loaded Shore Regional side. While Shore handled the Falcons, 9-2, Senhaji showed she can score against the Shore Conference's best by scoring early in the second half to deny the Blue Devils a shutout.

Senhaji won this week's contest with more than double the vote total of the runner up. With 42 percent of the more than 23,000 votes cast, Senhaji beat out Howell's Julia Caccamo (20 percent) and Brick Memorial's Olivia Carney (18.5) for this the first Player of the Week award of the season.

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