Friday, September 5, 2014

Game #2 - Jackson Memorial - 09/08/14

Mon, Sept. 8, 2014, 3:45 p.m. @ Jackson

Freehold Borough - 1
Jackson Memorial -0

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Johnson, Duffy spark Freehold Boro past Jackson, 1-0

by Gregg Lerner on Mon, Sep 8, 2014 8:39 PM
Updated Mon, Sep 8, 2014 8:57 PM
Freehold Boro could fill a compassionate ear with its lengthy ordeals. But one thing the Colonials are not is a side that will bore you with excuses. These days, they can’t afford to waste the breath.
Numbers are depleted on a usually-stocked roster, trimmed not by design but through a rash of crippling injuries, including the absence of junior midfielder Jenna Huskey, a constantly-looming staple in the attack. The type of shape most often discussed by the Boro generally revolves around its organized back line yet, these days, it refers to the importance of fitness.
The rotation is limited, leaving established veterans to shoulder a good deal of the load. SaraGrace Johnson, Sophia Duffy, Emma Smith and Lindsay Cerio don’t seem to mind. All four were instrumental on Monday as Freehold Boro rebounded from an unfamiliar result in its season opener with something more fitting – a 1-0 shutout over host Jackson Memorial.
The Colonials (1-1), who were nicked for just nine goals all of last year and have conceded a total of 15 over the past two season combined while posting 29 clean sheets in that stretch, were pinned with a 5-1 setback by Brick Memorial to open the campaign on Friday, an outcome that didn’t sit well with Duffy and her mates.
“It was really frustrating and embarrassing,” the senior defender said. “It’s hard to tell people to keep it together when everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. There were no excuses.”
And, no reason for any on Monday. Playing with the kind of rigid grit that has always been her trademark, Duffy set a tone in the defensive third similarly subscribed to by Cerio, Smith and Kayla Julianna. The backline limited looks for Jackson (0-1), enabling sophomore keeper Jordan Cerio to need just three saves to notch her first career shutout in her initial start.
“I don’t know where it comes from,” Duffy said of her rugged style. “You can’t go into a tackle unless you know you’re going to get a foot on it and go through it. Someone needs to step up and do that and I think we all do.”
“All I can say is thank God she is on our team,” Freehold Boro coach Elyse Ingui expressed regarding Duffy. “When she goes in for the ball, you know she’s coming out with it. She goes in hard every time and plays with so much heart.”
“She’s probably the toughest girl I know,” Johnson added. “We try and stay away from each other in practice in order not to hurt each other.”
Not a bad idea considering their value to the Colonials. It was Johnson who needed just eight minutes to seize a lead that Freehold Boro never relinquished. Quickly showing to a ball played by sophomore midfielder Kaleigh Rudic, the senior striker turned on a shot from 30 yards out that squeezed just under the crossbar for a sudden 1-0 advantage.
The defense handled the rest, protecting the slim margin for error with maintenance of form that allowed few intrusions. Senior midfielder Ana Mastrokalos, who accounted for three of the four shots Jackson put on frame, unloaded two testers that were denied. The first, a crackling blast in the 17th minute that rang off the woodwork and the second, a quick, short strike answered by quicker reflexes from Cerio, who managed to deflect the line drive over the top with 10 minutes showing in regulation.
Despite the result, Jackson could feel good about its quality of play. The Jaguars repeatedly connected passes to feet and possessed with confidence. Mastrokalos, junior Daria Jones and freshmen Allison Wanzor and Madison Taylor rhythmically distributed through the neutral third on numerous occasions and pressed Freehold Boro into a defensive posture for most of the final 10 minutes.
“We gave up a goal but I thought we played well,” Jackson coach Drew Gibson noted. “There were a lot of good things to take away from this one. We just have to attack more in the last third and connected those final passes. But, we’ll take away positives, especially for a young group.”
Freehold Boro (1-1)                1          0 --- 1
Jackson Memorial (0-1)           0          0 --- 0
Freehold Boro: SaraGrace Johnson (Kaleigh Rudic) 8th minute
Saves: Freehold Boro: Jordan Cerio 3. Rachael Colt 4.
Shots: Jackson 10-9.

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