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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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