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Duo helps Freehold Boro blank Ocean
Lindsay Cerio covers ground in the heart of Freehold Borough’s defense at a pretty brisk pace.
A ball served to a forward springs the sophomore to challenge the approaching pass with a quick step and even faster distributing touch out the back that is delivered with an insightful idea. On the rare occasion her assistance is needed, she can range wide to provide support for her outside defenders when something begins to brew on the wings.
But, if you really want to gauge the truest sense of the wheels on the center back, just give up a restart in the proximity of the net and watch Cerio practically run out of her skin for a rare chance to get an offensive look on goal.
“I love getting forward,” Cerio said. “Playing defense, I never get many opportunities to score, so when one presents itself, I like to take advantage of it.”
It’s not like Freehold Borough is starving for goal scorers. One of the greatest traits of the Colonials is the extent of pressure they can apply on an opposing defense simply with the numbers available to thrust into the attack. The wealth of finishing presence is exactly the reason why 10 different players have been able to dontate at least a goal to the 26 accumulated so far this season.
But, sensing the understandable overload Ocean Township had to be experiencing, trying to account for all that weaponry, Cerio coyly hustled toward a spot at the back post and snapped home a header in the 28th minute that sparked a lightning-quick outburst.
“I took a cut and went and I think they lost sight of me,” said Cerio, who was unattended eight yards out and long enough to steer her nod into the back of the net.
SarahGrace Johnson added an insurance goal a minute later and Cerio retreated back to galvanize a defense that limited Ocean to just two shots as unbeaten Freehold Borough, No. 13 in the MSG Varsity New Jersey Top 15, registered a 2-0 victory over Ocean on Monday in Freehold.
While the contribution Cerio made in the final third was appreciated, it held no greater weight than the defense she was an instrumental part.
The Colonials flat-back four system with Cerio and Sophia Duffy in the middle, flanked by Chesli Bender and Christina Stabile on the outsides, has a number of redeeming qualities. Besides its rigid shape and overall speed of the group, Cerio has size in the center, making the idea of playing over the top of her a risky proposition. Duffy is always ready to mark runners in the center while Bender and Stabile neutralize any presence of speed with their own fleet feet and are also both timely in terms of making strong tackles on the ball.
Sophomore Taylor Racioppi made a bid in the fifth minute to pierce the Freehold Borough defense when she cracked a 25-yard shot that keeper Sarah Cobb helped over the crossbar. It wasn’t until 12 minutes remained in the match that Racioppi would craft one last ditch attempt at a goal only for it to be handled by Cobb.
As for its scheme on offense, Freehold openly looked from the inside out, getting balls into space, allowing junior outside midfielder Hayley Rice to collect with space and breakdown defenders on the ball. Once she did, Rice routinely made the Colonials dangerous, once that eventually led to Johnson’s team-leading ninth goal of the season.
“We try to start in the middle, look wide and then get it in,” Rice said. “From there, it’s our forwards to finish.”
Rice sent one of those feeds across in the 29th minute. Her turf-hugging pass was one-timed by Johnson to extend the lead to 2-0.
“The defenders are more concerned with looking at Hayley and the other outside mids,” Johnson said. “That really opens up the middle.”
Freehold Borough (7-0) outshot Ocean (7-2), which was coming off a 1-0 upset of No. 11 Red Bank Catholic, on Saturday.
Gregg Lerner covers girls soccer for MSG Varsity. Follow him on Twitter: @gregglerner
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