 |
2014-10-23 / Sports
Colonials win A North soccer; conference tournament next
I t took an extra match and further anxiety, but the Freehold High
School girls soccer team finally nailed down the Shore Conference A
North Division title. The Colonials’ 1-0 win at Manalapan High School on Oct. 17 secured the division title. The Colonials could have clinched the title on Oct. 15 at rival Freehold Township High School,
but the two teams played another epic double-overtime game, in which
the only thing that was settled was that they were both outstanding
teams with an unshakable will to win. The 2-2 tie in Freehold Township left the Colonials needing to beat
dangerous Manalapan before they could capture the A North Division crown
in their inaugural season there. The Braves had played the Colonials to
a 1-1 tie earlier in the season.
It wasn’t until the 72nd minute that Freehold finally broke through. Ashley Latona cashed in on a pass from Kaleigh Rudic for the match’s lone goal. Goalkeeper Jordan Cerio made the goal stand up, and the Colonials could finally celebrate a championship. Freehold (12-2-2 overall) went 10-0-2 in A North, while Freehold Township (13-2-1) finished 10-1-1.
Head coach Elyse Ingui said the championship was quite an accomplishment for her team. “They have worked hard and have made some big adjustments to be successful. We are still a work in progress, but they are willing to put the hard work in,” she pointed out. Moving up to A North this fall provided the Colonials with a new challenge of playing in a league that was very competitive top to bottom. “It’s been such a whirlwind this season because every game is a contest,” Ingui said. “It’s very good for our girls to stay on their toes and have to come to play every game. There is no room for an off day.” The reason the Colonials didn’t slip in any game was their usual steady defensive play. “We are definitely strong in the back this year. With Sophia Duffy, Lindsay Cerio and Jordan Cerio being at the core of the defense, we have been able to hold strong and contain most of the offensive pressure we see,” Ingui said.
Like the defense, offense has been a team effort for the Colonials. Their leading scorer, Latona, has six goals, while their top playmaker, Lindsay Cerio, has four assists. “This year, our offense is producing a lot more than we normally are able to,” Ingui said. “We work hard to expose the weak sides and try to create using everyone on the field. The girls work very hard as a unit to produce offense and then recover defensively. But there are always the opportunities that we should be finishing.” Also helping Freehold play so well this year has been the way some have adjusted to new positions. “I am so pleased with the players who have stepped up and filled the spots that needed to be filled,” Ingui said. “Emma Smith is such an asset to the team, playing in any position she is asked to play in. Meghan Hurler coming out of the net to play on the field helps us tremendously also. Ashley Latona’s solid play has gotten us through a lot of games, with the hard work and heart she puts out on the field.”
There was a lot of heart in the Freehold vs. Freehold Township match, with both teams playing with urgency. Freehold Township could move into first place with a win, while Freehold could clinch the title with a win. Sam Lotti gave the Patriots a quick 1-0 lead, scoring just five minutes into the match. Lindsay Cerio knotted it up for Freehold later in the half. Duffy put the Colonials up 2-1, scoring on a rocket shot through traffic from 35 yards out. It stayed 2-1 in favor of Freehold until just five minutes remained in the match. Nicole Whitley lofted a shot from just outside 18 yards into the upper right-hand corner of the goal to tie it at 2-2. It stayed that way through two overtimes, and both teams found themselves in the same position they were when the match started.
Freehold Township made sure that Freehold had to beat Manalapan by defeating Howell High School, 4-1, on Oct. 17. Whitley, Kiersten Reszkowski, Alyssa Reszkowski and Victoria Coppa all scored.
There’s a very good chance that Freehold and Freehold Township could meet again. Both will be among the top four seeds for the Shore Conference Tournament (SCT) that begins with preliminary round matches on Oct. 22. The second round is scheduled for Oct. 24 and the quarterfinals on Oct. 27. All of those games are at the home of the higherseeded team. The semifinals are scheduled for Oct. 29, and the finals are on Nov. 1 at Neptune High School’s Memorial Field. Then there is always the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV playoffs, where both teams again will be high seeds.
At 7-6, Howell will be in the SCT field and will be a tough out. Marissa Hamilton, Sierra Enea and Bethany Feinstein lead Howell’s attack
It wasn’t until the 72nd minute that Freehold finally broke through. Ashley Latona cashed in on a pass from Kaleigh Rudic for the match’s lone goal. Goalkeeper Jordan Cerio made the goal stand up, and the Colonials could finally celebrate a championship. Freehold (12-2-2 overall) went 10-0-2 in A North, while Freehold Township (13-2-1) finished 10-1-1.
Head coach Elyse Ingui said the championship was quite an accomplishment for her team. “They have worked hard and have made some big adjustments to be successful. We are still a work in progress, but they are willing to put the hard work in,” she pointed out. Moving up to A North this fall provided the Colonials with a new challenge of playing in a league that was very competitive top to bottom. “It’s been such a whirlwind this season because every game is a contest,” Ingui said. “It’s very good for our girls to stay on their toes and have to come to play every game. There is no room for an off day.” The reason the Colonials didn’t slip in any game was their usual steady defensive play. “We are definitely strong in the back this year. With Sophia Duffy, Lindsay Cerio and Jordan Cerio being at the core of the defense, we have been able to hold strong and contain most of the offensive pressure we see,” Ingui said.
Like the defense, offense has been a team effort for the Colonials. Their leading scorer, Latona, has six goals, while their top playmaker, Lindsay Cerio, has four assists. “This year, our offense is producing a lot more than we normally are able to,” Ingui said. “We work hard to expose the weak sides and try to create using everyone on the field. The girls work very hard as a unit to produce offense and then recover defensively. But there are always the opportunities that we should be finishing.” Also helping Freehold play so well this year has been the way some have adjusted to new positions. “I am so pleased with the players who have stepped up and filled the spots that needed to be filled,” Ingui said. “Emma Smith is such an asset to the team, playing in any position she is asked to play in. Meghan Hurler coming out of the net to play on the field helps us tremendously also. Ashley Latona’s solid play has gotten us through a lot of games, with the hard work and heart she puts out on the field.”
There was a lot of heart in the Freehold vs. Freehold Township match, with both teams playing with urgency. Freehold Township could move into first place with a win, while Freehold could clinch the title with a win. Sam Lotti gave the Patriots a quick 1-0 lead, scoring just five minutes into the match. Lindsay Cerio knotted it up for Freehold later in the half. Duffy put the Colonials up 2-1, scoring on a rocket shot through traffic from 35 yards out. It stayed 2-1 in favor of Freehold until just five minutes remained in the match. Nicole Whitley lofted a shot from just outside 18 yards into the upper right-hand corner of the goal to tie it at 2-2. It stayed that way through two overtimes, and both teams found themselves in the same position they were when the match started.
Freehold Township made sure that Freehold had to beat Manalapan by defeating Howell High School, 4-1, on Oct. 17. Whitley, Kiersten Reszkowski, Alyssa Reszkowski and Victoria Coppa all scored.
There’s a very good chance that Freehold and Freehold Township could meet again. Both will be among the top four seeds for the Shore Conference Tournament (SCT) that begins with preliminary round matches on Oct. 22. The second round is scheduled for Oct. 24 and the quarterfinals on Oct. 27. All of those games are at the home of the higherseeded team. The semifinals are scheduled for Oct. 29, and the finals are on Nov. 1 at Neptune High School’s Memorial Field. Then there is always the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV playoffs, where both teams again will be high seeds.
At 7-6, Howell will be in the SCT field and will be a tough out. Marissa Hamilton, Sierra Enea and Bethany Feinstein lead Howell’s attack
No comments:
Post a Comment