Keeper was the difference in PK shootouts
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
How does a team go 220 minutes without scoring a goal and win two tournament matches?
“We have Sara Cobb,” was the answer of Freehold High School girls soccer coach Elyse Ingui.
With Cobb at the top of her game, the Colonials advanced to the Oct.
27 Shore Conference Tournament championship game by beating Manalapan
High School in the quarterfinals (Oct. 22) and Red Bank Catholic High
School in the semifinals (Oct. 24) in penalty kick shootouts after the
teams played to scoreless ties through regulation and overtime.
“You just go for it. The adrenalin is flowing,” said Cobb, a senior, of her approach to the shootout.
Cobb was magnificent against fourth seeded Red Bank Catholic, the A
Central Division champions. She denied the Caseys’ most dangerous
player, MacKenzie Cowley, on at least a half-dozen occasions as she
stood on her head to keep the Caseys (16-1-1) off the board.
For her part, Red Bank Catholic goalkeeper Jackie Robinson also did
her job, holding off a 20-minute barrage by the Colonials in the second
half. Once the game went to a shootout, the edge went over to the
Colonials.
“We have Sara Cobb. That’s what we tell the girls,” said Ingui.
Ingui added that Cobb’s presence helps relax the Colonials’ shooters
because they don’t have to be perfect. They know that Cobb is going to
make saves in the shootout, which she did against the Caseys by stopping
three consecutive penalty kicks to help Freehold roll to a 3-1
advantage.
“Against [Red Bank Catholic], you don’t know what to expect,” said Cobb. “You go with your gut. If you’re right, you’re right.”
She was right on three straight kicks from the Caseys, sending the
Colonials to the Shore Conference Tournament final for the first time
since 2006. That year, they began their run of three-straight trips to
the NJSIAA Group III state championship game (winning in ‘06 and ‘07).
All those sparkling saves in regulation and overtime were the perfect prescription for Cobb for the shootout.
“It got me confident,” she said.
That was the last thing the Caseys needed in their failed attempt to
get penalty kicks past a goalie with 14 shutouts on the season who
excels against penalty kicks. Lindsay Cerio, Ashley Latona and Cori Ahde
were Freehold’s scorers in the penalty kicks.
Against Manalapan, the Colonials won the shootout 4-2 with Cerio, Latona, Delaney Boyer and Ahde scoring.
SCT Final Story - Click Me or Read Below!
Mariners top Colonials in SCT soccer title match
First loss for undefeated Freehold girls
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer
Freehold High School’s girls soccer team won’t have the pressure of
an undefeated season on its shoulders when play starts in the state
playoffs this week. That’s because Toms River High School North handed
the top-seeded Colonials their first loss of the season in the Shore
Conference Tournament final, 2-0, played on Oct. 27 at Neptune High
School’s Memorial Field.
The two goals were the most surrendered by Freehold in a single game
this season. The Colonials had allowed only two goals all season and
none in the Shore Conference Tournament prior to the championship game.
Freehold’s superb all-around defender Chelsi Bender said the
Colonials were beginning to feel the pressure of being undefeated and
were playing not to lose.
“We came out flat,” said Bender, who is Mississippi State University-bound. “They were beating us to the ball.”
That was evident from the get-go, as the Mariners, the No. 2 seed and
Class A South champions, were quicker to the ball and constantly
putting pressure on the topseeded Colonials’ defense with their speed.
The Mariners were also disrupting the Colonials’ possession game, as
they couldn’t click on their passes to build an attack, which is their
forte.
Mariners forward Erika Pita sent a signal that it was going to be a
long night for Freehold when she broke past the Colonials’ defense twice
only to be thwarted by Freehold’s brilliant goalie Sara Cobb.
The third time proved to be the charm for Pita, as she put a shot
away inside the 18 as she again got past the Freehold defense in the
middle with just 3:16 left in the first half.
The Mariners knew that scoring first was critical. Freehold had not
scored a goal in its previous two Shore Conference Tournament matches
when it defeated Manalapan High School in the quarterfinals and Red Bank
Catholic High School in the semifinals on penalty kicks. Cobb rose to
the occasion both times.
Getting that first goal put added pressure on a Colonials offense
that had been struggling since its leading goal-scorer Sarah- Grace
Johnson (12 goals) was injured in the first round of the tournament.
In the 63rd minute, Pita was at it again by beating the Colonials to
the ball with her speed, dribbling the ball along the end line and then
crossing the ball in front of the Colonials’ goal, where Shannon Groffie
tucked it away for the backbreaking goal.
“They were quick. We had to pass the ball around them,” said Groffie.
Pita said the gameplan on attacking a team that had only allowed two goals was constant motion.
“You can’t stand still,” she said. “You have to keep moving and
pressure them. I was fortunate to work my way through a couple of
times.” Pita and Groffie both pointed out that “we knew this could be
our year” and winning the Shore Conference Tournament did just that. The
Mariners improved to 17-1 on the season.
Toms River North beat Freehold Township High School, 2-1, in overtime
in the semifinals. Freehold Township, the defending champions, won the
wild A North Division.
Freehold fell to 16-1 as they looked ahead
to the start of the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III tournament, where
the Colonials are the No. 1 seed and will play all matches on their home
pitch. They will play No. 16 Woodbridge High School in the first round.
Hurricane Sandy has delayed the start of all state games.
Although
it was a disappointing loss for Freehold, reaching the Shore Conference
Tournament final for the first time since 2006 was further proof that
the Colonials are back as one of the
top 20 teams in the state.
Earlier this year, they captured their second straight B North Division
crown. Seniors like Bender and Cobb can find solace that under their
watch, the Colonials re-emerged as a state power.
“I am really fortunate and I’m glad to be a part of this team,” said Bender. “We are definitely a good team and we work hard.”
Bender said what she and her senior teammates have tried to instill a
philosophy in this young team, which starts mostly freshmen and
sophomores, to “put all of your heart into it.”
It has brought the Colonials a long way with more soccer to play.
