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2013-10-16 / Sports
Colonials have a lot to play for when postseason soccer begins
For the Freehold High School girls soccer team, the season begins this week.
On Oct. 16, the Colonials host Wall High School in their last real challenge of the regular season. With a win, Freehold (12-0) will all but clinch the Shore Conference B North Division championship.
Freehold won at Wall (9-2) in September, 1-0, on Jenna Huskey’s second half goal to give the Colonials their one-game lead.
Since this is Freehold’s final B North match of the season, a win brings them the championship outright.
Although it is one of their goals for the season, a repeat B North title is not what’s driving the 2013 Colonials. Instead, it is success in the postseason tournaments.
Freehold lost the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III finals at home two years ago to Matawan Regional High School and was beaten in the Shore Conference Tournament finals last year by Toms River High School North. Those setbacks, are driving this year’s club, which has seven seniors who are determined to finish the job this year.
“[The] season has been going great. We are doing well, but of course need to keep ourselves focused for the end of conference and postseason,” Colonials head coach Elyse Ingui said. “The team has been fun to work with. They are hard workers and have a lot to prove, especially with not getting the job done the past two years in the finals.
“We, of course, are looking forward to having a fun and successful postseason, and pick up some of the pieces where we left off the last two years,” she added.
Freehold has been averaging five goals a game while ringing up its 10 straight wins, but the real force has been in the net, where Meghan Hurler has stepped in and filled some pretty big shoes. She’s replacing the graduated Sara Cobb. Thus far, she has continued the Freehold tradition of excellence in goal.
“Meghan Hurler has been awesome in net,” Ingui said. “She has come up with some big saves for us. I’m really excited she’s our main goalie and learned so much from Sara last year.”
The junior has been helped by the Colonials’ commitment to defense first. Ingui noted that every player on the field hustles to be in good position to help their teammates.
“Our defense, from our forwards to our goalkeeper, is as good as ever,” Ingui said. “We play 11-player defense.”
Juniors Lindsay Cerio and Sophia Duffy, as well as senior Christina Stabile, are the core of the Colonials’ backfield.
Huskey, who is only a sophomore, and senior Meghan Holtz, have been fueling the Colonials’ offense. They are two of the leading scorers in the conference. Huskey has 12 goals, which was tops in the Shore heading into this week’s action, and one assist, while Holtz has been the team’s playmaker with seven assists to go with three goals.
Sarah Grave Johnson has eight goals and three assists for the high-powered Freehold offense, and Ally McNamee, one of the team’s newcomers this year, has contributed five assists with one goal. In all, 14 Colonials have scored goals this year.
The real challenge for Freehold begins next week, when the Shore Conference Tournament (SCT) gets underway. The Colonials appear headed for the top seed if they can remain undefeated.
The SCT begins on Oct. 23 with first round games for the lower seeded teams. High seeds, like Freehold, start play in the second round on Oct. 25. The quarterfinals are on Oct. 28 on the home pitch of the higher seed. The semifinals are on Oct. 30, and the championship finals are on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. The semifinals and finals will both be played at Neptune High School’s varsity field. The SCT seeding committee meets on Oct. 21.
Freehold Township High School, Howell High School and Manalapan High School will all be in the field and likely seeded in the top 10. Teams must be .500 as of Oct. 21. Colts Neck High School (5-4-1) has a good chance to be in the field as well.
On Oct. 16, the Colonials host Wall High School in their last real challenge of the regular season. With a win, Freehold (12-0) will all but clinch the Shore Conference B North Division championship.
Freehold won at Wall (9-2) in September, 1-0, on Jenna Huskey’s second half goal to give the Colonials their one-game lead.
Although it is one of their goals for the season, a repeat B North title is not what’s driving the 2013 Colonials. Instead, it is success in the postseason tournaments.
Freehold lost the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III finals at home two years ago to Matawan Regional High School and was beaten in the Shore Conference Tournament finals last year by Toms River High School North. Those setbacks, are driving this year’s club, which has seven seniors who are determined to finish the job this year.
“[The] season has been going great. We are doing well, but of course need to keep ourselves focused for the end of conference and postseason,” Colonials head coach Elyse Ingui said. “The team has been fun to work with. They are hard workers and have a lot to prove, especially with not getting the job done the past two years in the finals.
“We, of course, are looking forward to having a fun and successful postseason, and pick up some of the pieces where we left off the last two years,” she added.
Freehold has been averaging five goals a game while ringing up its 10 straight wins, but the real force has been in the net, where Meghan Hurler has stepped in and filled some pretty big shoes. She’s replacing the graduated Sara Cobb. Thus far, she has continued the Freehold tradition of excellence in goal.
“Meghan Hurler has been awesome in net,” Ingui said. “She has come up with some big saves for us. I’m really excited she’s our main goalie and learned so much from Sara last year.”
The junior has been helped by the Colonials’ commitment to defense first. Ingui noted that every player on the field hustles to be in good position to help their teammates.
“Our defense, from our forwards to our goalkeeper, is as good as ever,” Ingui said. “We play 11-player defense.”
Juniors Lindsay Cerio and Sophia Duffy, as well as senior Christina Stabile, are the core of the Colonials’ backfield.
Huskey, who is only a sophomore, and senior Meghan Holtz, have been fueling the Colonials’ offense. They are two of the leading scorers in the conference. Huskey has 12 goals, which was tops in the Shore heading into this week’s action, and one assist, while Holtz has been the team’s playmaker with seven assists to go with three goals.
Sarah Grave Johnson has eight goals and three assists for the high-powered Freehold offense, and Ally McNamee, one of the team’s newcomers this year, has contributed five assists with one goal. In all, 14 Colonials have scored goals this year.
The real challenge for Freehold begins next week, when the Shore Conference Tournament (SCT) gets underway. The Colonials appear headed for the top seed if they can remain undefeated.
The SCT begins on Oct. 23 with first round games for the lower seeded teams. High seeds, like Freehold, start play in the second round on Oct. 25. The quarterfinals are on Oct. 28 on the home pitch of the higher seed. The semifinals are on Oct. 30, and the championship finals are on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. The semifinals and finals will both be played at Neptune High School’s varsity field. The SCT seeding committee meets on Oct. 21.
Freehold Township High School, Howell High School and Manalapan High School will all be in the field and likely seeded in the top 10. Teams must be .500 as of Oct. 21. Colts Neck High School (5-4-1) has a good chance to be in the field as well.
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