Saturday Scores

B North
Neptune 1, Monmotuh 0 (OT) - (NEPT) Fitzsimmons G, Roddy 15 SV.
Long Branch 3, Ocean 2 - (LB) Monsalve 2 G, GWG in 96', Sousa G; (OCN) Lowy 2 G.

B Central
Point Beach 6, Mater Dei 0 - (PB) Stuhler 2 G.

Non-Conference
Jackson Mem. 4, Jackson Lib. 0 - (JM) Weissman 2 G.

Friday Scores

Class A North
#1 Howell 1, Midd. North 0 - (HOW) Kappock G.
#3 Manalapan 3, Marlboro 1 - (MAN) Semen 2 G
#5 CBA 3, Midd. South 2 - (CBA) Mergenthaler, A. Liapis G, A each; (MS) Roura G, A.
#4 Freehold Twp. 4, Colts Neck 3 - (FT) Foley G, A, Noesges 2 A, Egan GWG at 74'; (CN) Colonna 2 G.

Class A South
#2 Jackson 2, TR North 0 - (JAX) Weissman, Gorr G each.
#9 Brick 3, #7 TR South 1 - (BRK) Smith GWG at 62', Brandsdorfer G, A; (TRS) Martin goal.
#6 TR East 5, Southern 0 - (TRE) Fitzsimmons 2 G.
Lacey 2, Brick Mem. - (LAC) Plaschke 2 G.

Class B Central
#10 Rumson-FH 5, St. Rose 4 - (RFH) Five different scorers (Alter, Robertson, Giustiniani, Kean, Portman); (STR) Casagrande 2 G, A, Wildeman G, A.

Class B South
Donovan 6, Manchester 0 - (MOND)T. Thompson-Sevcik 4 G, Hojnacki 4 A.
Lakewood 2, Pinelands 0 - (LAKE) Morales, Cotte G each, Mendez shutout in first start.

Other
Allentown 4, Jackson Lib. 0.

Thursday Scores

Class A Central
RBC 1, Manasquan 0 - (RBC) Nesci GWG, Bailey 10 SV.

Class B North
#8 Monmouth 2, Wall 1 - (MONM) Mackin G, Flynn GWG w/ :24 left; (WALL) Powell G.
Long Branch 3, Freehold 0 - (LB) DaSilva 2 G, Sousa 3.
Neptune 5, Ocean 0 - (NEPT) Fitzsimmons 2 G, A, Riozzi G, 2 A.

Class B Central
Shore 8, Mater Dei 0 - Novoa 2 G, McKenzie, Kahle G, 2 A each.
Rumson-FH 6, Asbury Park 0 - (RFH) Portman 2 G, 2 A.
Point Beach 2, St. Rose 1 - (PB) McElwee 2 G, GWG at 77'; (SR) Clark G.

Wednesday Scores

A North
Colts Neck 2, #1 Howell 1 - (CN) Talcott, Rivera G each; (HOW) Parella G.
Marlboro 8, #10 Midd. North 2 - (MARL) Clemente, Stone 2 G, A each, Gorskie 26th career assist (Marlboro record); (MN) Dulin, Morgan G each.
#3 CBA 2, #5 Freehold Twp. 2 - (FT) Clark, Fiorletti G each; (CBA) LaMura G, A, Rafferty G.
#4 Manalapan 1, Midd. South 0 - (MAN) A. Rice G.

A South
#2 Jackson 0, Brick Mem. 0
Brick 0, Lacey 0
#6 TR South 5, Southern 1 - (TRS) Leissing 2 G, A.
#8 TR East 3, #7 TR North 2 - (TRE) Zeller 2 G, Lenahan GWG; (TRN) O'Donnell 2 G.

B South
Lakewood 2, Central 0 - (LAKE) Palacios, Vinueza G each.
Point Boro 3, Manchester 2 - (PB) Crownign G, A; (MANC) Cahill, Agudelo G each.
Monsignor Donovan 5, Pinelands 0 - (MD) Thomsen 4 G, Hojnacki G, 2 A.

Non Conference
Barnegat 3, Jackson Lib. 0 - (BARN) Siciliano G, A.

Tuesday Scores

I'm not in the office and don't have access to the scoring from today, but I did manage to get the game scores. I'll update the stats when I get to the office. I'll also start posting the standings and stats later this week.

A Central
Red Bank 2, SJ Vianney 0
Raritan 3, RB Catholic 0
Mansquan 1, Holmdel 0

B North
Freehold 2, Neptune 0
Monmouth 5, Matawan 2

B Central
Shore 5, St. Rose 1
Point Beach 8, Asbury Park 0
Mater Dei 7, Henry Hudson 5

On the good side, Red Bank is playing great lately. I don't have it in front of me, but I think that's six straight after losing their first two. Good wins for Shore and Freehold, and kudos to Mater Dei for beating a B Central team not named Asbury Park.

On the other end, bad losses for Henry Hudson and Neptune. Hudson looked like they were on the way up after a win over St. Rose, while Neptune has not been able to snap out of it since losing to Monmouth in their second game. As for St. Rose, they are a lot of trouble. There's no shame in losing to Shore, but their losing too many of these division games and the postseason is starting to slip through their grasp.

Monday Scores

Class A North
#1 Howell 2, #5 Freehold Twp. 0 - (HOW) Calafiore, O'Neill G each.
#4 Manalapan 3, #3 CBA 0 - (MAN) Quintano G, A, B. Rice 1st career G.
#10 Midd. North 2, Midd. South 0 - (MN) Falanga G.
Marlboro 4, Colts Neck 0 - (MARL) Stone 2 G, Gorskie, Rangel G, A each.

Class A South
#2 Jackson 5, Lacey 0 - (JAX) Allen 2 G, Gorr G, A.
#7 TR North 2, TR South 0 - (TRN) O'Donnell 2 G, DeMichele 12 SV.
#8 TR East 2, Brick Mem. 1 (OT) - (TRE) Fitzsimmons G, A, LaPinta GWG; (BM) Reilly G.
Brick 7, Southern 0 - (BRK) Durnian, Barr 2 G each.

Class B South
Pinelands 0, Point Boro 0 - (PINE) Yaede 9 SV; (PB) Bowldy 9 SV.
Donovan 4, Central 0 - (MD) Thomsen 3 G, Hojnacki 3 A.
Manchester 3, Barnegat 0 - (MANC) Cahill G, 2 A.

Inter-Divisional
SJ Vianney 2, Rumson-FH 1 - (SJV) Gilpin, Moller G each; (RFH) Giustiniani G.

Monday Schedule

CBA at Manalapan, 3:45 p.m.
Marlboro at Colts Neck, 3:45 p.m.
SJ Vianney at Rumson-FH, 3:45 p.m.
Mater Dei at Red Bank, 3:45 p.m.
TR East at Brick Mem., 3:45 p.m.
Jackson at Lacey, 3:45 p.m.
Brick at Southern, 3:45 p.m.
Monsignor Donovan at Central, 3:45 p.m.
Midd. South at Midd. North, 3:45 p.m.
Point Boro at Pinelands, 4 p.m.
Freehold Twp. at Howell, 4 p.m.
Barnegat at Manchester, 6:30 p.m.
TR South at TR North, 7 p.m.

Donovan McNabb: Uniter, Not Divider

A lot was made Sunday of Donovan McNabb's 384-yard, four touchdown game after the comments he made regarding the added scrutiny black quaterbacks face as opposed to white quarterbacks.

While I find some truth in McNabb's assessment that he made the HBO's James Brown, and I applaud him for a great game on a still recovering bum knee (granted it was against a hapless Lions defense), I feel we are missing an equally compelling story.

Of McNabb's 384 yards, 221 were on passes to Kevin Curtis, a white receiver. How fitting is that? McNabb has to hear categorized praise, like "He's the best black quarterback," while Curtis hears things like "Kevin Curtis? I thought we had Wes Welker (Or Drew Bennett, Mike Furrey, or another, um, "gritty receiver")." Is there any white receiver in the NFL who's not considered gritty, wiley, smart, or to have great hands. And by the same token, why is every black quarterback considered athletic? I've heard announcers call Byron Leftwich athletic, even though he's likely the least mobile quarterback in the NFL.

It was indeed fitting that McNabb complimented his comments with a game that breaks the stereotypical idea of the "atheltic" quarterback by helping a teammate break the stereotype of "gritty" possession receiver.

Saturday Results, Random Thoughts

There were only three games Saturday, but I still meant to post the scores before I left work. Sorry about that. Here they are if you haven't seen them.

Henry Hudson 2, St. Rose 1
RBC 6, Mater Dei 0
Manasquan 4, Point Beach 0

Henry Hudson beating St. Rose surprised me a bit, but it probably shouldn't have. They hung with Point Beach, they have some skill with guys like Patrovich, Devlin, and Cabrera, and they beat St. Rose last year. The Admirals are 3-3 after their first trip through the division, so a repeat performance might have them lined up for postseason play of some kind.

St. Rose, on the other hand, is in some hot water. They are 2-2-1 in B Central with two games against Asbury Park left, but only 2-4-1 overall. That means they should be okay within the division, but coach Tim McInerny takes pride in the out-of-division schedule his team plays, which may backfire this year. The idea of playing tough games out of division is great, but it's predicated on winning a high percentage of those division games. If St. Rose is only going to win 6 or 7 division games, then they probably won't have a good enough record to qualify for postseason.

I got caught up in work for the paper this past week and I didn't really get a chance to talk about some of the action I saw earlier this week. I caught Howell's win over CBA Monday, the first half of Manalapan's win over Middletown North on Wednesday, and TR South's win over Jackson on Wednesday night.

Howell and CBA played very even for the most part, but Howell took advantage of a mental letdown by CBA. After a scoreless first half, CBA went up 1-0, but gave up the game-tying goal after some of their players stopped playing while Cody Calafiore found Luke Glashan for the tying score. There was a side out call that went to Howell, and one of the parents stood up and yelled at the ref. The ref stopped to address the fan, while a few of the CBA players stopped thinking play was dead. But Howell had the ball, they quickly threw it in, and scored within about 10 seconds. Jim Lannon got the first of two yellow cards for arguing, and the team fell apart just long enough to give up the winning goal.

CBA has looked very good from what I've seen, but they seem to have trouble playing a full 80 minutes since routing Manalapan on opening day. Coach Dan Keane has conveyed that to me, and I can see what he means. As far as Howell goes, they look like the best team in the Shore, hands down. They are talented, tough, hungry, and their best player isn't even at full strength yet.

I couldn't stay for the whole Manalapan-Midd. North game, but I wanted to check out the Lions after they started the year 4-1. I picked them to finish last in the division, which as you might infer, was basically an uneducated guess. I came away with two impressions from this game: 1) Midd. North is a top-10 caliber team (as you can tell from the poll this week); and 2) There is a clear line drawn between the elite teams in A North and the rest of the field. Howell, CBA, Manalapan, and Freehold Twp. are the top four, while Midd. North, Colts Neck, Marlboro, and Midd. South are a level below. Any team can still beat any other team, but after watching them, I don't see Midd. North as a team that would beat one of the top teams in a big division game or an SCT game. Freehold Twp. still has a lot to prove to stay in that class, but those first two wins over CBA and Howell are hard to ignore.

The TRS-Jackson game was weird. Great game, but weird. Watching the game, I never felt like Jackson would lose the game. They were getting shot after shot, they kept Ian Martin in check early, and when they fell behind 1-0, they scored right out of the gate in the second half to tie it. It looked like the game was going to OT, then all of the sudden, Martin gets the ball in space, runs a beautiful give-and-go with John Nogiewich and the Indians are up with just over two minutes to go. And that was it. Jackson outplayed them, but TRS has some serious skill and their execution was great when they needed it.

I still have no idea who the best team in A South is. Brick coach Ken Lynch just told me TR North's Dan Huff has a pretty bad knee inury and is going to miss some time, something I guess I missed the boat on earlier this week. That kills North, but they still have the talent to win if they can gut out some games. Jackson, TR South, and TR East seem to be the big three, but North is still in the mix, and Brick has some quality wins as they sit at 4-3.

I'm covering Howell-Freehold Twp. Pt. II tomorrow, so look for coverage of that in Tuesdays' paper and hopefully the blog if I can get around to it tomorrow.

Friday Scoreboard

Shoertened version of the scoreboard tonight. I'll add some numbers later or tomorrow.

Class A North
CBA 4, Midd. North 1

Class A South
Brick 1, TR North 0
Lacey 2, Southern 1
TR South 2, Brick Mem. 1

Class B North
Neptune 6, Long Branch 2

Class B Central
Rumson-FH 4, Point Beach 3
Shore 9, Asbury Park 0

Class B South
Central 2, Point Boro 2
Pinelands 3, Barnegat 1

Inter-Division
Monsignor Donovan 3, SJ Vianney 0

Thursday Scoreboard

A North
#5 Manalapan 2, Freehold Twp. 1 (OT) - (MAN) Telzer GTG in 70', Grzelak GWG in 95'; (FT) Clark G.
#2 Howell 4, Marlboro 0 - (HOW) Parella, Katona 2 G, A each.
Colts Neck 4, Midd. South 1 - (CN) Fitzpatrick 2 G; (MS) Rozycki G.

A Central
#6 Manasquan 0, SJV 0 - (MAN) Outshot SJV 17-8; (SJV) Tolas 17 SV.
Holmdel 2, RBC 1 - (HOLM) Bjurling, Zheng G each; (RBC) Wilson G.

B North
#8 Monmouth 3, Ocean 0 - (MONM) Mackin 3 G, Marron 11 SV; (OCN) First 3 goals allowed this year.
Wall 2, Long Branch 1 - (WALL) Cohen, Wagner G each, Raffetto 2 A; (LB) Monsalve G.
Matwan 2, Freehold 1 - (MAT) Hrvatin GWG in 79', Cressman G, A.

B Central
Rumson-FH 3, Shore 2 - (RFH) Portman, Alter G each; (SHO) Guadagno G, A.
St. Rose 6, Mater Dei 0 - (STR) C. Hueth 2 G, D. Marx 2 A.
Henry Hudson 9, Asbury Park 1 - (HH) Patrovich 4 G, 3 A, Devlin 2 G, A.

B South
Msgr. Donovan 4, Lakewood 1 - (MOND) Hojnacki 2 G, A, T.Thompson-Sevcik G, A; (LAKE) Palacios G.

Non-Conference
Manchester 6, Jackson Lib. 0 - (MANC) Cahill 2 G, 3 A, Curry G, A.

Thursday Schedule

The Holiday pushes football up to Thursday, but it also pushes up some big soccer games that may get lost in the football madness. Here's a look.

Freehold Twp. at Manalapan, 3:45 p.m.
SJ Vianney at Manasquan, 3:45 p.m.
Ocean at Monmouth, 3:45 p.m.
Mater Dei at St. Rose, 3:45 p.m.
Monsignor Donovan at Lakewood, 3:45 p.m.
Manchester at Jackson Liberty, 3:45 p.m.
Henry Hudson at Asbury Park, 3:45 p.m.
Long Branch at Wall, 4 p.m.
Midd. South at Colts Neck, 4 p.m.
Holmdel at RB Catholic, 4 p.m.
Rumson-FH at Shore, 4 p.m.
Marlboro at Howell, 6 p.m.
Freehold at Matawan, 7 p.m.

Freehold Twp.-Manalapan, Manasquan-SJV, Ocean-Monmouth, Lakewood-Donovan, and Shore-Rumson are all telling games. Manalapan needs some quality wins and a 4-3 first-run through A North would be very disappointing. Meanwhile, Freehold Twp. has a chance to go 6-1 in its first time through A North, which is outstanding. All the more outstanding is the fact that they'd have beaten Howell, Manalapan, and CBA in the process.

Manasquan needs a win more than any other team tomorrow. They are reeling after losing to Raritan and Red Bank, and a loss to SJV would put them way behind the pace in A Central. This was the most talented team coming back, but they haven't played like it. A win for SJV would make them the heavy favorite in the division the rest of the way.

Monmouth has been up and down, while Ocean has been flat out dominant. This game could have an new flavor vs. the old guard theme to it, but its hard to argue against Ocean being the best team in B North right now.

Lakewood has won three straight since dropping its first two, and showed some real defensive prowess in shutting out Kyle Hazard and Point Boro Wednesday night. Donovan can't seem to find its groove and a loss here could really damage what looked to be a promising season.

Shore is a little better than I thought, while Rumson may be even better than I thought. I like the Bulldogs' speed and skill up front, but Shore beat a St. Rose team that Rumson only managed a tie against. I like Rumson in this one and that would put them in the B Central drivers seat.

Also keep an eye on Manchester-Jackson Liberty. Neither team has a win and while Manchester has been very close on a number of occasions, Jackson Lib. has really struggled. Here's to someone getting their first win and Jackson Lib. scoring its first goal in program history.

Wednesday Scoreboard

A North
#2 Freehold Twp. 3, Marlboro 2 - (FT) Composto G, A, Searby, Moskowitz G each; (MARL) Stone, Konovalev G each, Gorskie 2 A.
#3 Howell 1, Midd. South 0 - (HOW) Marrone G.
#4 CBA 4, Colts Neck 1 - (CBA) Lannon 2 G, A. Liapis 2 A; (CN) Hiller G.
#5 Manalapan 2, Midd. North 0 - (MAN) Rice G, A, Semen G.

A South
#7 TR South 2, #1 Jackson 1 - (TRS) J. Nogiewich G, A, Martin GWG in 78'; (JAX) Benitente G.
#9 TR North 2, Southern 1 (OT) - (TRN) O'Donnell GTG, Kohler GWG.
#10 TR East 2, Lacey 1 - (TRE) Zeller G, A; (LAC) Krusieski G.
Brick Mem. 1, Brick 0 - (BM) Rodina G.

B South
Pinelands 3, Manchester 1 - (PINE) Scotto Di Carlo 2 G; (MAN) Cahill G.
Central 2, Barnegat 0 - (CENT) Morris G, A.

Non Conference
North Bergen 5, Jackson Lib. 0.

Tuesday Scoreboard

A Central
SJ Vianney 2, RBC 1 - (SJV) Boylan GWG at 66:43; (RBC) P. Anzivino G.
Red Bank 2, #6 Manasquan 1 - (RBR) Stern, Childs G, A each; (SQUAN) Iniguez G.

B North
Matawan 1, Long Branch 0 - (MAT) Melendez G at 52', Dailey 13 SV; (LB) Jorge 14 SV.
Freehold 1, Monmouth 1 - (FRE) Gilmartin G; (MONM) Mackin G at 74'.

B Central
Point Beach 3, Shore 1 - (BEACH) Walls 2 G, Baiata 2 A.
Rumson-FH 8, Henry Hudson 1 - (RFH) Giustiniani 5 G, Pahler G, 3 A; (HH) Patrovich G.
Mater Dei 5, Asbury Park 1 - (MD) Mendoca 2 G, Russo, Victor G, A each.

Inter-Division
Ocean 5, St. Rose 0 - (OCN) Lowy 2 G, Rhoads 5th straight shutout.

Stat O' the Day
Ocean has not allowed a goal in five games this season, shutting out Wall 1-0, Long Branch 2-0, Freehold 3-0, Matawan 4-0, and now St. Rose 5-0, ALL IN THAT ORDER!!!!! Not only are they good but they dominate in sequence. I'd hate to be Monmouth Reg. on Thursday.

Monday Scoreboard

A North
#3 Howell 2, #4 CBA 1 - (H) Kappock, Glashan G each, Calafiore 2 A; (CBA) Patten G
Midd. North 2, #2 Freehold Twp. 1 - (MN) Gallagher G, Carroll GWG; (FT) Composto G.
#5 Manalapan 3, Colts Neck 1 - (MAN) Quintano 2 G, Rice G, A; (CN) Sorsby G (pk); played a man down from 70th minute on due to deliberate handball in the goal box.
Marlboro 1, Midd. South 0 - (MAR) Amato first career goal at 79'.

A Central
Raritan 1, Holmdel 1 - (R) Barrett G; (H) Bjurling G.

A South
#1 Jackson 4, Brick 0 - (JAX) Carletta G, A, Weissman, Benitente, Riley G each.
#10 TR East 3, #7 TR South - (TRE) Fitzsimmons, Zeller G, A each, Iorio 11 SV in first career start.
#9 TR North 4, Lacey 1 - (TRN) Sheck 2 G, O'Neill 3 A; (LAC) Rozell G.
Brick Mem. 4, Southern 3 - (BM) Rodina, Nathu G, A each, Brick Mem. scored four goals in 16:42 to erase 3-0 deficit.

B North
Ocean 4, Matawan 0 - (OCN) Rosenheck, Lowy G, A each.
Wall 1, Freehold 0 - (WALL) Walsh G.

B South
Central 3, Manchester 2 - Hawk 2 G (GWG at 82' and game-tying at 62'), Pantle 2 A; (MAN) Patterson, MacAteer G each.
Point Boro 2, Monsignor Donovan 1 - (PB) Hazard GWG at 63', Crowning G; (MOND) Drudy G.

Player O' the Day
Rusty Hawk, Central - Scored the game-tying goal in the 62nd minute and the game-winner in the third minute of overtime in a 3-2 win over Manchester.

Game O' the Day
Brick Mem. 4, Southern 3 - The Mustangs scored four goals in 16:42 to erase a 3-0 second half deficit and beat winless Southern. Southern took a 3-0 lead in the 53rd minute, but Brick Mem. finally broke through a minute later. The Rams nearly pulled out their first win despite being outshot 26-6.

Saturday Scores

Extenuating circumstances that I'm not happy about will limit today's scoreboard. I'll do my best.

A North
Howell 4, Manalapan 0
Midd. North 3, Colts Neck 0
Freehold Twp. 3, Midd. South 0

A Central
Raritan 1, Manasquan 0

B North
Ocean 3, Freehold 0
Matawan 2, Neptune 0
Long Branch 2, Monmouth 1 (OT)

B Central
Shore 3, St. Rose 2
Point Beach 3, Henry Hudson 2

Non-Conference
Barnegat 5, Ranney 0

With the Benefit of Hindsight...

I submit the weekly Top 10 before Friday's games every week, so the picks can look silly if something monumental happens on Friday night. With TR South and TR East losing on Friday night, the criteria changes a bit. Both will be in the Top 10 tomorrow, but here's what it would look like if I waited until after Friday's games.

1. Jackson Mem.
2. Freehold Twp.
3. Howell
4. CBA
5. Manalapan
6. Manasquan
7. Monmouth
8. TR South
9. TR North
10. Brick

Friday Scores

I'll be at the RBC-Monmouth football game tonight, but I'll do my best to post scores in a timely matter. If I get some time at the half and my laptop is working, I'll put up some scores. If not, check back late tonight or in the wee hours of the morning.

A Central
SJ Vianney 3, Holmdel 1 - (SJV) Campbell, Cluver, Gilpin, G each, Avilla 2 A; (HOL) Bjurling G.

A South
TR North 4, Brick Mem. 1 - (TRN) Huff 3 G, O'Neill 2 A; (BM) Rodina G.
Lacey 1, TR South 0 - (LAC) Fay G, Romanowski A
Brick 2, TR East 1 - (BRK) Smith G, A; (TRE) Zeller G.

B Central
Rumson-FH 10, Mater Dei 1 - (RFH) Maloof, Portman 2 G each; (MD) Carroll G.

B South
Lakewood 6, Manchester 2 - (LAK) Cotte 2 G, Vinueza G, A, Morales 3 A; (MAN) Stoddard, Rios G, A.
Monsignor Donovan 9, Barnegat 1 - (MON) Thompson-Sevcik G, 4 A.
Pinelands 3, Central 0 - (PIN) Gontarsk, Thorn G each.

Inter-Division
Manasquan 3, Point Boro 1 - (SQAUN) Groezinger G, A; (PBR) Hazard G.

Other Score

Point Beach 3, Mater Dei 0 - (BEA) McElwee G, A.

Thursday Scoreboard

Monmouth 3, Neptune 2 (OT) - (MON) Flynn 2 G, Mackin GWG at 89:45; (NEP) Cozzetta 2 G.

Since this was the only game in the Shore this afternoon, I was all over it. Or at least over it.

Neptune controlled the game from the second minute to the 22nd minute and nearly won the game on those 20 minutes. Their attack was very clean and it resulted in a lot of good chances, two of which Mike Cozzetta finished on. Cozzetta's first goal was off a great lead from Omane McKenzie, which Cozzetta tracked down before beating two defenders and the keeper to the far post. The second goal came off a couple of rebounds and wasn't as clean as some of the opportunites they missed.

It turned out missed opportunities killed Neptune. Monmouth outshot them in the first half 14-7, but Neptune had better looks on the whole. Once the Falcons weathered that storm and pounded in a goal before the half, they had the game under control. Coach Darren Spadevecchi put his marking back Josh Martin on Cozzetta and the result was two Neptune shots in the second half. Jared Flynn also moved up to forward and scored the two goals that tied the game, followed by Mackin converting a perfect through-ball from Tiago Dutra to win it in OT.

Monmouth showed they can flip the switch when they have to today. If they are going to be major players in the Shore Conference, they might need to flip it on a little earlier.

Quote of the day: "I love pressure. Pressure is what makes diamonds." - Eric Mackin.

I'll have the Point Beach Mater Dei score later as well.

New Top 10

No, I'm not going to post the Shore Top 10 before Saturday's Rally Section, but I am interested to hear any opinions out there. There are some tough issues to sort out when ranking the teams, especially when you consider that only four teams (Jackson, Freehold Twp., Monmouth, and Manasquan) from my original top 10 made it through the first week undefeated, and Monmouth plays a very tough Neptune team today. Keep in mind that while I like to hear whatever opinions are out there, the chances of them affecting my final decision are slim to none. So this isn't a contest to see who's top 10 I use, just a forum for discussion. Here are some things to consider.

- How high up does Freehold Twp. move? They are one of four teams to start 3-0 or better (Monmouth could become the fourth today), and they have the highest quality wins (Howell, CBA, and Colts Neck) of those teams. The knock on them, and this is more by word of mouth than anything I've actually seen, is that they were outplayed in the Howell and Colts Neck games, and they are a few breaks away from being 0-3. You can call that impressive because they can win a tight game or you can hold that against them because they aren't dominating like Jackson has been.

- On a related note, would it be defensable to rank Howell over Freehold Twp., even though the Pats beat them? The Rebels were without Kyle Bethel in that game, outshot the Freehold Twp., by some accounts outplayed them, and in my opinion, have the better roster.

- How high does TR South go? They weren't in the poll last week, but no one has even come close to beating them. They dominated TR North, disposed of Southern, and looked like they were going to run Brick off the field before the score plateaued at 3-1.

- Does TR North stay in the poll at all? If so, they'd be the one team under .500 to be in it, which I have no problem with, as long as they are worthy. They have losses to Jackson and TRS, who have been the two most dominant teams after one week, and a convincing win over TR East, which was No. 6 to start the year.

-Does Neptune get in with a win over Monmouth today? They were in the mix for a Top 10 spot to open the year and their start, especially with a win over a ranked opponent in the division would warrant a serious look.

It wasn't supposed to be this tough this early, but a crazy week will do that to you.

Thursday Scores

After 17-game night on Tuesday, a whopping two games on the schedule today. One of them is big though. Can you guess which one?

Monmouth at Neptune, 3:45 p.m.
Mater Dei at Point Beach, 7 p.m.

Wednesday Scores

Scores to come as I get them.

Class A North
#2 Howell 5, Midd. North 0 - (H) Calafiore 2 G, A, Bethel G in season debut.
#9 Freehold Twp. 2, Colts Neck 1 - (F) Composto, Egan G each; (CN) Cuautle G.
#5 CBA 2, Midd. South 1 - (CBA) Mergenthaler GWG with 1 sec. left; (MS) Carlo G.
#1 Manalapan 4, Marlboro - (MAN) Quintano 2 G.

Class A Central
Red Bank 3, Holmdel 1 - (RB) Child 2 G

Class A South
#3 Jackson 2, #4 TR North 1 - (JAX) Weissman, Gorr G each, Ferrantelli 2 A; (TRN) O'Donnell G
Brick Mem. 4, Lacey 0 - (BM) Buckley G, A, Diadato G, A.
#6 TR East 5, Southern 0 - (TRE) Fitzsimmons 2 G, Zeller G, A, Wynn G, A.
TR South 3, Brick 1 - (TRS) Martin G, A , Leissing G, A; (BRK) Rivera G.

Class B North
#8 Monmouth 5, Wall 3 - (M) Mackin, Flynn 2 G each, Dutra 5 A; (W) Wagner, Gregory, Dragonetti G each.
Freehold 3, Long Branch 1 - (FB) Gilmartin G, A.

Class B Central
Shore 5, Henry Hudson 0 - (S) Novoa 3 G, Kahle G, 3 A.
St. Rose 1, Point Beach 0 - (SR) Casagrande G, D. Marx A, Holzaphel 12 SV; (BEA) Seggel 20 SV.

Class B South
Point Boro 4, Barnegat 0 - Hazard 2 G, 2 A.
Pinelands 5, Lakewood 4 - (PIN) Scotto Di Carlo 2 G, A, GWG in 2nd OT, Catalano G, A; (LAK) Oriundo, Accisano G, A each.
#10 Monsignor Donovan 3, Manchester 0 - (DON) Thomsen G, 2 A.

Non-Conference
Central 4, Jackson Liberty 0 - (CEN) Cronin 2 G, A.

Player O' the Day
Tiago Dutra, Monmouth - Dutra had five helpers on five Monmouth goals in the Falcons' 5-3 win over Wall.

Game O' the Day
Pinelands 5, Lakewood 4 (OT) - Pinelands beat the Piners in a wild shootout that saw the Cats tie the game the game at 4-4 in the 78th minute and win it with just under five minutes to go in the second OT.

Wednesday Schedule

Most of Tuesday's rainouts were moved to today. The only action from yesterday was SJV topping Raritan 2-0. There are 18 games on the schedule today, so it should be fun. I haven't decided if I'm going to Jackson to see them play TR North or down the road to Neptune to watch the Fliers take on Ocean. The clock is ticking.

TR North at Jackson, 3:30 p.m.

Wall at Monmouth, 3:30 p.m.

Manalapan at Marlboro, 3:45 p.m.

Midd. North at Howell, 3:45 p.m.

CBA at Midd. South, 3:45 p.m.

Freehold Twp. at Colts Neck, 3:45 p.m.

Lacey at Brick Mem., 3:45 p.m.

Pinelands at Lakewood, 3:45 p.m.

Ocean at Neptune, 3:45 p.m.

Jackson Liberty at Central, 3:45 p.m.

Point Beach at St. Rose, 3:45 p.m.

Holmdel at Red Bank, 3:45 p.m.

Long Branch at Freehold, 4 p.m.

Southern at TR East, 4 p.m.

Point Boro at Barnegat, 4 p.m.

Henry Hudson at Shore, 4 p.m.

Manchester at Monsignor Donovan, 6:30 p.m.

Brick at TR South, 7:30 p.m.

Monday Scores

Scores posted as I get them.


A North
#1 Manalapan 3, Midd. South 0 - (MAN) Quintano 2 G, A, Grinkevich 8 SV in season debut.
#2 Howell 4, Colts Neck 1 - (H) Calafiore 3 G, all in 2nd half; (CN) Perry G, led 1-0 at half.
Midd. North 4, Marlboro 2 - (MN) Falanga 2 G, Carroll 3 A; (MAR) Weinberger, Gorskie G each. #9 Freehold Twp. 2, #5 CBA 1 - (FT) Composto G, A, Egan GWG at 78'; (CBA) Lannon G (pk)


A South
Brick 1, Lacey 0 - (BRK) Rivera G, Wroblewski 7 SV; (LAC) Meehan 10 SV.
#4 TR North 4, #6 TR East 2 - (TRN) Huff 2 G, A; (TRE) Lenehan 2 G.
#3 Jackson 2, Brick Mem. 0 - (JAX) Gorr 2 G, Morgans 14 SV, 3rd straight shutout.
TR South 5, Southern 1 -(TRS) Martin, Leissing 2 G each.

B North
Ocean 2, Long Branch 0 - (OCN) Lowy 2 G, Rhoads 11 SV; (LB) Jorge 13 SV.

B Central
St. Rose 1, Rumson-FH 1 - (STR) Morris game-tying G at 79'; (RFH) Portman G at 78'.

B South
#10 Mon. Don. 1, Pinelands 0 - (MON) Hojnacki GWG at 73'; (PIN) Yaede 8 SV.
Central 1, Lakewood 0 - (CEN) Geoghan 1st HS G at 16'.
Point Boro 5, Manchester 2 - (BORO) Hazard 4 G; (MANC) McAteer G, A.

Interdivisional
Barnegat 2, Lackson Lib. 0 - (BAR) Mecca, Papadimitriou G each.
Holmdel 1, Freehold 0 - (HOL) Vastardis G, Marino 9 SV, 1st career shutout; (FB) Herring 7 SV.

Non-Conference

Saturday's Results

Results will be posted as I get them.

A Central
Raritan 6, RB Catholic 1 - (RAR) Barrett 3 G, 2 A; (RBC) Hemmett G.
#7 Manasquan 3, Holmdel 0 - (MAN) Algor, Groezinger, Pinella G each, Iniguez 2 A; (HOL) Marino 11 SV in HS debut.
SJ Vianney 3, Red Bank 2 - (SJV) S. Gilpin 2 G, Campbell 2 A; (RBR) Stern 2 G.

A South
TR South 4, #4 TR North 1 - (TRS) Martin 4 G, B. Chrashewsky 2 A ; (TRN) O'Neill G, Huff A.
Brick 6, Southern 1 - (BRK) Smith, Barr, Morrill 2 G each; (S) Sullivan G.

B North
Neptune 6, Freehold 1 - (NEP) Cozzetta 4 G, Fitzsimmons assisted on all of them; (FRE) Horowitz G.

B Central
Henry Hudson 6, Mater Dei 1 - (HH) Patrovich 2 G, 2 A, Cabrera G, 3 A, Devlin 2 G; (MD) Victor G.

Interdivision
Marlboro 4, Long Branch 3 (OT) - (MAR) Parkin 2 G, GWG in OT, Gorskie G, 3 A; (LB) DaSilva 2 G.
Jackson 7, Barnegat 0
Wall 1, St. Rose 0 - (W) Martino G (pk).

Player O' the Day
Ian Martin, TR South - 4 G in 4-1 win over No. 4 TR North.

Game O' the Day
Marlboro 4, Long Branch 3 - The Mustangs overcame a 3-1 deficit to top the Green Wave in OT. Hunter Gorskie converted a pk that made it 3-2 and assisted on the other three scores, including Mike Rothernberg's game-tying goal at 71', and Jack Parkin's game winner at 88'.

Saturday's Schedule

Long Branch at Marlboro, 10 a.m.
Manasquan at Holmdel, 10 a.m.
RB Catholic at Raritan, 10 a.m.
SJ Vianney at Red Bank, 10 a.m.
TR South at TR North, 10 a.m.
Jackson at Barnegat, 10 a.m.
Southern at Brick, 10 a.m.
Freehold at Neptune, 10 a.m.
Mater Dei at Henry Hudson, 10 a.m.
Jackson Liberty at Kinnelon, 1 p.m.
St. Rose at Wall, 8 p.m.

Scores, etc.

A combination of it being the first night and a friday night have delayed the scores tonight. I promis this will be more efficient.

A North
No. 5 CBA 6, No. 1 Manalapan 2 - (CBA) Rafferty 3 G, A. Liapis 2 G; (MAN) Quintano G, A, DQ at 69', Grinkevich DNP (ankle)

No. 9 Freehold Twp. 2, No. 2 Howell 1 (OT) - (FT) Composto 2 G; (H) Ghaffari G, Bethel DNP (ankle).

Colts Neck 1, Marlboro 0 - (CN) Dritsas G, Sorsby A, Nimick 11 SV; (MAR) Schpiro 11 SV.

A South
No. 3 Jackson 1, Lacey 0 - (JAX) Riley G, Carletta A, Morgans 8 SV; (LAC) Meehan 12 SV.

No. 6 TR East 3, Brick Mem. 0 - (TRE) 3 different scorers (Berberick, Wynn, Lapinta); (BM) outshot 17-6.

B North
Ocean 1, Wall 0 - (OCN) Cetoute G, Lowy A, Rhodes 8 SV.

No. 8 Monmouth 2, Matawan 1 - (MON) Mackin, Dutra G each; (MAT) Frye G (pk).

B South
Central 1, No. 10 Mon. Don. 0 - (CEN) Dudas G, IO 26 SV; (DON) outshot Central 29-4.

Pinelands 3, Point Boro 2 - (PIN) Catalano 2 G, GWG in 64'; (PB) Quigley, Fadden G each.

Barnegat 3, Manchester 2 (OT) - (BAR) Falk G, A, Collins GWG in 81', first varsity victory; (MAN) McAteer game-tying goal with one second left in regulation.

Interdivisional
Rumson-FH 4, Red Bank 1 - (RFH) Pahler 2 G, Portman 2 A; (RBR) Childs G.

Player O' the Day
Kazuki IO, GK, Central - 26 saves and a shutout against No. 10 Monsignor Donovan.

Game O' the Day
Barnegat 3, Manchester 2. Manchester's Rich McAteer scored with one second left to tie the game at two, but Sean Collins won it for Barnegat 32 seconds later to give Barnegat its first varsity victory.

Class A Central

1. Manasquan

Based on returning talent, no one in A Central is close to the Warriors. Andy Pinella, Zack Groezinger, and Moises Iniguez all return as dangerous scorers up front, while Colin MacMahon, Ben Tumas, and keeper Taylor Weiss were all major pieces to last year's team, which reached the Central Group II semifinals after a struggling to reach the .500 mark just to get in. Coach Mark Levy thought his team took the regular season for granted last year, but from the looks of their play in the preseason, Manasquan is determined to play well before the postseason. The Warriors were not a factor in the Shore Conference Tournament last year, but with all the scoring up front, and the sprinkling of youth and experience behind that scoring, Manasquan is good enough to not only make noise in the SCT, but to win it as well.

Big Three: Andy Pinella (Sr., M/F), Zack Groezinger (Sr., F), Moises Iniguez (Sr., F).



2. St. John Vianney

The now-graduated Rhyan Nelson was the top goal-scorer (24 G) in the Shore Conference by a large margin last year, but the 14-5-1 Lancers still could not overcome Holmdel for the division title. St. John Vianney returns talent to a program that's always in contention, but again will be trying to overcome an even more talented team to get to the top of A Central. Senior Shawn Gilpin played Robin to Nelson's Batman last year, and this year, Gilpin will be the man for the Lancers. Whereas Nelson used his size and skill to torture opposing defenses, Gilpin is smaller, but faster and similarly skilled, attributes that will make him one of the top players in the division.

Big Three: Shawn Gilpin (Sr., M/F), Jess Moller (Sr., M), Steven Tolas (Sr., G).

3. Raritan

The Rockets rode Bill Voutsinas' scoring foot, Bryan Broderick' play-making ability in the middle, and Alex Wanless' prowess in goal throughout the 2006 regular season. This year, they'll have to find a way to win without those weapons. Broderick and Wanless are gone to graduation, while Voutsinas will have a more limited role while recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last winter during wrestling season. The bright side for coach Mike Alosco's team is his team got used to playing without Voutsinas during its run to the Central Group II finals, where the Rockets fell to Somerville. The best case scenario appears to be that Voutsinas will be back, but not at full strength, while players like Drew Illingworth and Corey Hahn will have to pick up the slack, along with a talented sophomore class. If Voutsinas can serve as a scoring threat to any degree, Raritan will push for the division.

Big Three: Bill Voutsinas (Sr., F), Drew Inningworth (Jr., M), Corey Hahn (Jr., D).



4. Red Bank

In a division that has seen teams suffer a lot of losses to graduation, Red Bank has almost as much back as Manasquan does. The question is, how much better can the returning Bucs be with an extra year of experience? Marty Stern is a stud in the center-midfield, and has some experience in front of him to score the ball, and behind him to protect the net. Rob Brandt and Rob Child are versatile and experienced players, and Luke Nathan will team up with Stern in to control the midfield. The Bucs were not that far from Manasquan's level last year, and if they can get off to a decent start, they can compete for this division.

Big Three: Marty Stern (Sr., M), Luke Nathan (Sr., M), Rob Brandt (Sr., M/D).

5. Holmdel

The best team in A Central from a year ago looks much different this year. Fourteen seniors graduated from last year's roster, including two All-Shore level players in Anthony Ferraioli and Albert Zheng. Rumblings around the Shore Conference were that coach John Nacarlo was concerned about his prospects for this season headin into the summer, but as the younger players started to show off their promise, Nacarlo has come around on this season. He has likened this team to the one he had four years ago, when players like Ferraioli and Zheng were freshman. The names this time around are freshmen Dan Marino (starting keeper), Andrew Zheng (brother of Albert), Sean Davis, and Dan Metzger to name a few. Nacarlo is carrying nine freshman and sophomores, and seven juniors and seniors, so the rebuilding phase is on at Holmdel.

Big Three: Ghilhurme Borges (Sr., F), Pat Nizza (Jr., M), Dan Marino (Fr., G).



6. Red Bank Catholic

The hope at RBC is that with the losses Holmdel, Raritan, and SJV suffered this offseason, the Caseys can close the gap between them and the top of A Central. The problem they face is that the gao was very wide last year, and it's going to take a considerable step to close it, even if half the other teams in the division experience down years. Six starters return from last year's 2-14 club, with Scott Van Iderstine, Drew Wilson, and Andrew and Phil Anzivino, but it still looks like another rebuilding year at RBC.

Big Three: Phillip Anzivino (Sr., M), Scott Van Iderstine (Sr., M), Drew Wilson (Sr., F).


Fab Five

1. Zack Groezinger - Manasquan

2. Shawn Gilpin - SJV

3. Andy Pinella - Manasquan

4. Marty Stern - Red Bank

5. Drew Illingworth - Raritan

Class B Central

1. St. Rose

The Roses have impact seniors back at every level and last year, they came together nicely down the stretch. Mark Casagrande will be the go-to-guy up front, while Sam Marx will be the man to feed him the ball. The main concern for St. Rose will be consistency, which plagued the team last year when it finished fourth in the division. Shore is down this year, so the opportunity for a B Central title is there.

Big Three: Mark Casagrande (Sr., F), Brendan Engelstad (Sr., M), Dan Holzaphel (Sr., G).

2. Rumson-Fair Haven

This is the sleeper of the division and maybe the Shore Conference. Rumson looked fantastic in the preseason and they have thrown away the scrappy style in favor of flat-out speed. With Sean Pahler in the middle and Matt Giustiani up top, they are going to try to run teams off the field, and they may have enough skill to do just that. Their first meeting with St. Rose is today, so we'll see if new head coach Jonathan Reynolds has something here.

Big Three: Sean Pahler (Sr., M), Matt Guistiani (Jr., F), Jon Portman (Sr., M).

3. Point Beach

The Gulls had a great run to the South Group I finals last year, and have a lot of key players back from that squad. The only problem is that their best player from that team, Sean Farrell, is gone. Farrell was a goal scoring machine in the postseason, so the challenge for coach Adam Curtis will be finding guys to finish at the net. Richie Baiata is plenty good enough to answer that challenge, and should fill in for Farrell for the most part.

Big Three: Richie Baiata (Sr., M), P.J. Seggel (Jr., G), Darren Erbe (Jr., D).

4. Shore

Ben Brand coached the Blue Devils to an A Central title last year, and took the Cherry Hill West job just three weeks before the season. That sent Athletic Director Jack Levy scrambling to find a coach for a team with only three impact starters returing from last year's team. Two of them - Roger Bernardino and Brian Guadagno - played on the defensive end, but new head coach Chris Gioia says he will not restrict where people play based on last year's lineup. Then again, based on last year's lineup, he doesn't have much. Keep an eye on freshman Connor McKenzie, who is ready to play right now.

Big Three: Roger Bernardino (Sr., D), Brian Guadagno (Sr., D), Roberto Novoa (Jr., F).



5. Henry Hudson

The Admirals will be able to score on most teams, with Justin Patrovich (16 goals) and Eric Devlin back from last year's team. The Admirals may run into problems keeping up with the speed of the top three teams in the division, but the skill is comparable. Coach Mike Manigrasso has seniors in key spots, including in goal (Eric Silakowski), which is a good recipe for Henry Hudson to surprise some teams this year. To do so, Manigrasso will have to get creative with how he uses his depth so that players like Patrovich and Devlin can make an impact late in the game.



Big Three: Justin Patrovich (Sr., F), Eric Devlin (Sr., M), Eric Silakowski (Sr., G).

6. Mater Dei

The Seraphs had a rough go at it last season, finishing 1-15. While things should only get better, fielding a deep enough roster is still a problem for coach Bill Miltner. Mater Dei is young, thin in numbers, and doesn't have the talent at the top of the roster to overcome its lack of depth like maybe a Henry Hudson can. Hey, at least there are those two games against Asbury Park.

Big Three: James Carroll (Sr., M), Gervin Mendoca (Sr., M), Craig DuBois (Sr., D).

7. Asbury Park

Jean Dortissant takes over a team that lost its best player in Peter Andre-Smith, and will try to replace his production with a lot of freshman and sophomores. The Blue Bishops will sport 13 combined freshman and sophomores on a 20-man opening day roster, with sophomore Irvin Gonzalez being the headliner of the bunch. Combined with Oscar Ramirez up front, Gonzalez will try to give Asbury Park a scoring puch up front to replace Andre-Smith and keep his team out of the basement of B-Central.

Big Three: Oscar Ramirez (Jr., F), Jocelyn Cadeau (Jr., D), Marco Vinas (So., M).

Fab Five

1. Matt Giustiani - Rumson-FH

2. Richie Baiata -Point Beach

3. Mark Casagrade - St. Rose

4. Sean Pahler - Rumson-FH

5. Justin Patrovich - Henry Hudson

Class B North

1. Monmouth

The 2007 senior class of Monmouth soccer players have carried around a lot of expectations since they entered the program in 2004, but this is the year those expectations come to a climax. More established programs have the history to draw upon when a class like this comes around, but Monmouth hasn't been this relevant in the Shore Conference in a long time. Eric Mackin is one of the best scorers in the conference, and certainly the best in B North. Tiago Dutra is a creative center-mid who can get Mackin the ball, while Jared Flynn will compliment him in the midfield. The defense is a it on the young side, especially in goal, where sophomore Kevin Marron will play. Tommy Daybeck is the lone returning senior in the backfield, but junior Kevin Steinberger is a capable sweeper. The keeper situation may be the big concern, but Howell and Manalapan both had great seasons last year with sophomore keepers because they had the talent to protect them. The Falcons have a chance to be the best team in school history and they know it. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing remains to be seen.

Big Three: Eric Mackin (Sr., F), Tiago Dutra (Sr., M), Jared Flynn (Sr., D).

2. Ocean

I'm picking the program more that the team here. Ocean lost some serious skill players in Juan Arana, Diego Huerta, and Matt Stengel and will have to get used to life without their big three. However, Tom Reilly's teams were competitive year after year in A North, so the prospects of the Spartans coming up with a team that competes for the B North title are promising. Ben Lowy is their best returning skill player, and will move from the sweeper spot to the midfield. Mike Recchia's versatility will have him all over the field for Reilly, with the senior playing a little bit in the back, in the middle and up front to create scoring chances. The strength of the team will be in the midfield, but like the rest of the teams in B North, Ocean has to find a way to keep Monmouth out of the net during its head-to-head matches. They had trouble doing so last year, and it won't be any easier this year.

Big Three: Ben Lowy (Sr., M), Mike Recchia (Sr., M/D/F), John Billik (Sr., D).

3. Neptune

Unlike Ocean, Neptune returns a majority of its starters from last year's state playoff-qualifying team, including top scorer Brennan Fitzsimmons (nine goals, four assists). Fitzsimmons will man the center-midfield along with fellow senior Tommy Joyce, while Michael Cozzetta returns as a goal-scoring threat at striker. Defensively, the Scarlet Fliers have plenty of experience in stopper Adam Nelson, sweeper Paul Sibole, and defender Omane McKenzie, all seniors with playing experience last year. The challenge for Neptune will be to simply get better with all the seniors it has back, while teams like Ocean and Long Branch have to reload.

Big Three: Brennan Fitzsimmons (Sr., M), Michael Cozzetta (Sr., F), Paul Sibole (Sr., D).

4. Long Branch

While Ocean lost its big three, Long Branch lost its big four. Ron Villatoro, Vinnie Padilha, Ricardo Dagher, and Mike Ramirez all graduated, leaving coach Joe Simon with the responsibility of replace his top striker, two center mids, and his sweeper. There is still some water left in the well though, mainly in forward Manuel Monsalve. Simon likes what he's seen out of the senior striker and expects him to score when the chances come. Antonio Jorge is back in goal, and Matt Garlip will anchor the defense in front of him. But replacing Padilha and Dagher in the middle will be too tall of a task this year. The Green Wave will be competitive, but they can't run out the same experienced talent that other teams have or that they had last year.

Big Three: Manuel Monsalve (Sr., F), Matt Garlip (Sr., D), Antonio Jorge (Jr., GK).

5. Matawan

Matawan has had good players in the past, but have not been able to put them together to form a contender in the Shore Conference on a consistent basis. Coach Dave Deegan is hoping this year is the start of a change in fortune for the Huskies, who return key contributors Eric Frye, keeper Bob Dailey, and defenders Kevin Burns and Dan Geran. In addition, Deegan likes what he's seen from sophomore newcomers Chris Harris and Alan Hrvatin. With perennial powers Ocean, Long Branch, and Wall down on experience, it's time for Matawan to strike while the iron is hot and contend in B North.

Big Three: Eric Frye (Sr., M), Kevin Burns (Sr., D), Cam Cressman (Sr., M).

6. Wall

It's hard to believe a team that won the Central Group III title just two years ago would be fighting to stay out of last place for the two years that followed. But that's the challenge Garry Linstra's team will face this season. There is some young talent in place to get back into contention next year, but getting back this year will take some fast in-season development. Harrison Wagner give the Knights a scoring threat up front, but the defense is inexperienced and will be the key to a turnaround season. If not for the history, I would probably pick Wall to finish last.

Big Three: Harrison Wagner (Jr., F), Sean Raffettio (Jr.), Mark DeSalvo (Sr.)

7. Freehold


Freehold is a lot like Middletown South in that they rely heavily on their keeper and hope they can give him enough support. Louis Herring is a proven goalie, but the Colonials need to find him some help. Senior midfielder Jason Horowitz and Ed Hearn will likely account for most of the offensive prescense. Like I said, Wall might be in trouble of finishing last, and Freehold has shown they can beat good teams (they beat Monmouth last year), so they are another team that could be much better than antcipated.

Big Three: Louis Herring (Sr., GK), Ed Hearn (Sr., M/F), Jason Horowitz (Sr., M).


Fab Five

1. Eric Mackin - Monmouth

2. Tiago Dutra - Monmouth

3. Brennan Fitzsimmons - Neptune

4. Ben Lowy - Ocean

5. Manuel Monsalve - Long Branch

Class A North

Class A North returns as the toughest, deepest division in all the Shore Conference. Manalapan returns at least three all-Shore caliber players, is the clear-favorite to win another Shore Conference Tournament, and still, it wouldn't be all that surprising if they finished third in the division. CBA and Howell are good enough to beat the Braves, which the Rebels did twice this year, but no one was tougher than the Shore's top team in the big game. One of the other five teams will make a run at the those three teams, but it's hard to envision more than five A North teams making the state playoffs with all the talent at the top.


1. Manalapan

It's hard to find anything wrong with this team, at least not with its play on the field. On top of being the most talented team in the Shore, they are also the most confident and most relentless. They play physical and routinely get under the skin of the opponent, and often times the officials. But when Erik Ilisije was healthy last year, they were essentially unbeatable before losing to West Orange in the Group IV final. Problem is, Ilisije is gone this year and the team struggled when he missed nearly two full games with a head injury. The good news is center midfielder Adam Rice is healthy this year, which he wasn't when Ilisije went down. Brandon Russo and Jeff Weitz will play in the back, while Jake Grinkevich returns as one of the Shore's best in goal as a junior. But even with perhaps th best goalie around, the strength of the team is their duo of strikers, George Quuintano and Caner Semen. Quintano drove opposing stoppers nuts in postseason play and Semen was a reliable finisher when teams were able to limit Quintano. With an experienced defense, a tremendous keeper and the most dangerous forward combo in the Shore, Manalapan is the team to beat.

Big Three: Quintano (Sr.), Grinkevich (Jr.), Rice (Sr.).

2. Howell

There is a lot back, but there is a lot to replace. This is still a top three team in the Shore, which says a lot about last year's team. It's easy to forget just how good the Rebels were last year. They lost two games all season, both to Manalapan, which they also beat twice. At the end of the season, Howell might was probably a top five public school team in the state. This year, Howell will be good again, with perhaps the best scorer in the conference back in Kyle Bethel. They will depend on the emergence of Cody Calafiore as one of the best midfielders in the Shore, but the key to the season is replacing Calafiore's brother, Paul, and Mike Krol, who were two of the best defensive players in the Shore Conference. Billy Kappock and Matt Salvatore are going down to the wire for the sweeper job, while junior Brian McDonough should be even better in his second year in the net. He may have to do more work while the Rebels break in their new defensive players, but things should come together for Howell. Maybe even in time for the postseason.

Big Three: Bethel (Sr., For.), Calafiore (Jr.), Kappock(Sr.).

3. CBA

What looked like a rare rebuilding year last season, nearly turned out to be a championship season at CBA. Halfway through their A North schedule, the Colts looked like they might miss both the SCT and State Tournament, but the light bulb went on and CBA went 11-2-1 over a 14-game stretch before losing 1-0 to Pingry in the Non-Public A finals. Coach Dan Keane moved Jim Lannon from the midfield to sweeper with the team 2-5-1 and from that point on, no team was tougher to score on in the Shore Conference. Lannon is back at sweeper this year, and Andrew Liapis also returns for the Colts, giving them a scoring prescence at the front of the attack. Chris Mergenthaler will be the main cog in the middle, giving CBA serious talent at every level. The key will be replacing keeper Scott Micallef, which looked taken care of with Garren Smith. But Smith transfered to Lawrenceville Prep, and now Keane has to look toward other options in goal. Steve Alessio is the likely game-one starter, and with Manalapan in town, he'll earn his stripes right away with a good showing. Regardless of the talent level, they are still CBA, hence the top-five ranking.

Big Three: Lannon (Sr., D), A. Liapis (Sr., F), Mergenthaler (Sr., M).

4. Freehold Twp.

In the A South preview, I outlined Brick as one of the likely sleepers in the Shore because of its stellar junior class. Freehold Township's set of juniors rivals Brick's, only the Pats are coming off a 12-9 playoffs season, whereas the Dragons were 2-12-1. The foundation is there for Freehold Twp. to contend for A North year after year with its program growing deeper and deeper, but you can't forget about the senior prescence they do have. Midfielder Bryan Collins and striker Bryan Foley will be two key cogs on the attack, and Dan Mularz returns to the team as the sweeper after taking last season off, teaming up with defender Logan Smith to protect junior goalie Ben Locke. As far as the aforementioned junior class goes, midfielders Brendan Noesges, Bobby Searby, and Ryan Clark are the headliners. All have superior ball skills and speed, and will give the top teams in A North fits, even if they don't beat them. Coach Todd Briggs says give it a few games, and the Pats will be ready to run with the big boys.

Big Three: Noesges (Jr.), Bobby Searby (Jr.), Bryan Collins (Sr.).

5. Colts Neck

There appears to be a clear-cut top four in A North, and the other half is a little less clear. One thing is for certain: Colts Neck, Marlboro, Middletown North, and Middletown South are all quality teams. The question is, are any of them quality enough to break into that top four? Colts Neck seems like the best bet to do so, with 10 players back that started at one point or another during an injury-plagued 2006. Sean Hiller and Cameron Sorsby are impact players in the midfield, while Joe Baur and Lou Chiappone provide senior experience in the back. Coach Art Collier said he will start up to six seniors, and if they can stay healthy this year, the Cougars should take a step forward in their second year in A North.

Big Three: Sorsby (Sr.), Hiller (Sr.), Baur (Sr.).

6. Marlboro

The Mustangs have a handful of key contributors back from last year's 12-10-1 team, but none of those key contributors carried a major load in the scoring department. Hunter Gorskie returns as a junior in the middle, and much like Cody Calafiore on Howell and Brendan Noesges on Freehold Twp., he could emerge as a top-flight player in the Conference as a junior. Jack Parkin and Michael Stone are two more pieces in the midfield, which will be the Mustangs' strength this year. Coach Dave Santos' group should take a lot from last year's senior-heavy team, but you can't teach experience. That means these Mustangs may have to learn to win the hard way.

Big Three: Gorskie (Jr.), Stone (Sr.), Parkin (Jr.).

7. Middletown South

Only one stat can sum up the Eagles' 1-11-3 season last year: 0-8-3. That was Middletown South's record in overtime games last year. Either Midd. South was extremely unlucky in close games last year, or they were lucky to play that many close games against superior teams. I'm going to lean more towards the former, especially with one of the best keepers in the Shore Conference manning the net. Mike Roura drew rave reviews from coaches around the division for his efforts junior year, but he came up without a win on all but one occasion. Nick Anderson, Robert Dill, and Ahmed Ragab make up an all-senior defense to protect Roara, but the onus is on to offense, headed by midfielder Pete Paulson, to score more goals this year.

Big Three: Roura (Sr.), Paulson (Sr.,), Anderson (Sr.).

8. Middletown North

Just like I said regarding Toms River South in A South preview, this is a team I could be severly underestimating. As a matter of fact, it's one of three teams that I feel very uncomfortable ranking as low as I did. Fred Naoli is a very good coach and his team competed very well in A North last year. However, the Lions relied heavily on sweeper Anthony Vazquez, now playing at St. John's, much like Midd. South relied on Roura. Midd. North does have some experience back, however, which makes it difficult to gauge exactly where they stand in A North. I'm giving the edge to South because they have the second-best keeper in the division, but with Pete Gallagher back in the middle and seven other starters from last year's team joining him, the Lions may be able to make up for Vazquez's departure.

Big Three: Gallagher (Sr.), Anthony Sarcone (Sr.), George Morgan (Sr.).



Fab Five

1. Kyle Bethel - Howell

2. George Quintano - Manalapan

3. Jake Grinkevich - Manalapan

4. Adam Rice - Manalapan

5. Cody Calafiore - Howell

**Wow, that's a hard top five to pick. Noesges, Lannon, Roura, and Gorskie are all wothy and would probably make the cut in any other division. When I say people say A North is deep, this is what they mean.**

Class A South Preview

This is the first year I'm making preseason soccer picks, so I've elected to go the more conservative route when faced with a tough decision. In this case, it's Jackson vs. Toms River North. Had I done this before, I might go with Toms River North based on the skill they have back from a team that was only a couple breaks away from being a legitimate top 10 team. But Jackson has some good speed and experience that makes them everyone's favorite to win the division. If I had the experience - or the cajones - I might go with North, but I'll go with the popular pick for now.

1. Jackson



Somone told me whenever we at the Press acknowledge Jackson's high expectations, they have disappointing results. I can't vouch for that theory, but a lot of the returning players from last year's team acknowledged that they got complacent after climbing to the No. 1 ranking in the Shore. With six starters back from last year's team, including a top-three keeper in the Shore (at least) in Alex Morgans, the Jags have the experience and talent to make a run at the Class A South, Shore Conference, and sectional titles that all eluded them last year. The defense will be as strong, if not stronger than it was last year, but the challenge for coach Steve Bado will be finding the offense to replace APP Player of the Year Ben Rodkey and Jerry Mecca. With the Jackson Liberty split going into full effect next year, there is a sense of urgency about Jackson that wasn't as strong last year. Whether that helps or hurts remains to be seen.


Big Three: Alex Morgans (Sr.), Tito Nurundeen (Sr., Def.), Mike Carletta (Jr., For.).





2. Toms River North

After a down-year in 2006, the perenial power is back among the top teams in the Shore with a heavy dose of battle-tested seniors and varsity-level sophomores. The Mariners endured an 0-4 start, an injury to top offensive player Dan Huff, and one-goal losses that eliminated them from both the Shore Conference Tournament (a 1-0 loss to Howell) and the NJSIAA South Jersey Group IV playoffs (a shootout loss to Washington Twp.). They went though a lot of growing pains, but the good news is seven of last year's starters had the chance to grow up and try again this year. TR North appears to have more offensive skill and goal-scoring ability, but Jackson was a faster team and they can guard the goal. These two are the class of the division and it could go either way.

Big Three: Huff (Sr., Mid.), Eric Istvanditsch (Sr., Def.), Dan O'Neill (Sr., Mid.).

3. Toms River East

You would think a team that needs to replace nine starters from last year's team wouldn't have a chance in the Shore Conference, but the 2007 version of the Raiders appears poised to exceed expectations just as the 2006 team did. One coach told me that he didn't think last year's TR East team was anything special when he saw them in the preseason and they turned out to be 18-3-1. He then said this year's team looked better. Brandon Zeller could emerge as one of the best players in the division in the midfield and Pete Fitzsimmons was one of the best finishers on last year's team. Bruce Burgess and Joe Shore saw significant time and are capable defenders, but the key to the season may be how senior John Amey holds up in goal. He's the only keeper on the varsity roster and one of only two in the entire program, according to coach Ted Gillen. That experience - or lackthereof - at keeper is what separates TR East from Jackson and TR North.

Big Three: Zeller (Sr.), Fitzsimmons (Sr.), Shore (Sr.).

4. Brick Memorial

I saw Brick Mem. once last year, a 3-2 loss to Holmdel in the Shore Conference Tournament. In that one game, the Mustangs put on a Jekyll and Hyde performance that typified the season. Two defensive breakdowns led to two Homdel goals by Albert Zheng in the first three minutes, followed by Brick Memorial dominating from about the 10th minute to the 65th minute. The Mustangs tied the game at two and even had some chances to put the game away, but Holmdel came away with a goa and a win. This season will be a continuing quest for a talented team to find consistency. The talent probably isn't as abundant as it was last year for Kevin Bliem's team, but if they can ride their defense and keeper Chris Pimentel, they may be better off than trying to outscore teams as they did last year.

Big Three: Joe Kocher (Sr., Mid.), Pimentel (Sr.), Krishna Nathu (Jr., D).

5. Brick

The buzz around Ocean County, and to a certain extent the Shore Conference, is that Brick is the sleeper team of the season. The only issue with the Dragons is the absence of a lot of impact seniors. Ken Lynch will start eight juniors and two sophomores against a very tough schedule that includes games against Manalapan and CBA on top of the A South slate. However, his one senior, center midfielder Andrew Smith is a major player in the division and could be the man that carries Brick into a top three spot in A South. This is the best team Lynch has had in his four years as coach, and if they don't make their case as a top 10 team in the Shore this year, they should do so next year.

Big Three: Smith, Dan Durnian (Jr., For.), Dan Wroblewski (Jr., GK).

6. Toms River South

I could be dead wrong about this team. They have a lot of solid players back, but have a lot to replace at the same time. The Indians lost two First Team All-Shore scorers, Sean Nelson and Dan Constantini, who essentially did all the scoring for coach Ed Liebe's team. Scoring will be much harder to come by without their two play-makers, but seniors Ian Martin and Andrew Leissing will pick up some of the slack. Martin came on strong at the end of last year and will take over Nelson's role as the primary playmaker. There are nine players back that saw significant time last year, but replacing Nelson's and Contantini's 26 goals and a goalkeeper will not be easy.

Big Three: Martin (Mid.), Andrew Leissing (For.), Jordan Panecki (Sr., Mid.).

7. Lacey

Second-year head coach Joe Humenik is hoping his players have turned from cubs into Lions after its first season in A South. According to Humenik, Lacey may have one of its best teams in school history while four-year letter-winner Randy Romanowski is looking to break school records in goals, assists, and scoring. The question is, will that talent be reflected in the Lions' record against an A South schedule that is much tougher than the B South schedule that is a not-so-distant memory for many of the players? Lacey could be a surprise team, but with all the talent in A South this year, I'll allow myself to be surprised with everyone else if it does happen.

Big Three: Romanowski, Doug Meehan (Sr., GK), Steven Torre (Jr., Mid.).

8. Southern

The Rams return five starters from a 4-13 team in what will be a difficult season to throw together a starting lineup and beat this line of A South teams. Coach Paul Lovas won't call this a rebuilding year, but I'd say only Toms River East is dealing with more inexperience than Southern in A South. The difference is that the Raiders have some parts left over from Top 10 teams in the Shore, while Southern does not. Southern competed against some of the top teams in the division last year and with just those five starters back, Lovas would be content to compete again.

Big Three: Darren Schoeneberg (Sr., Mid.), Tim Moffit (Sr., F), Jimmy Morris (Sr., D).

Fab Five

1. Alex Morgans - Jackson

2. Dan Huff - Toms River North

3. Brandon Zeller - Toms River East

4. Andrew Smith - Brick

5. Eric Istvanditsch - Toms River North

Class B South Preview

B South was a wide-open division going into last season, and Lakewood made the most of the opportunity by winning its first division title in five years. This year, most coaches around the Shore Conference have Monsignor Donovan at the top. The Griffins indeed return the most talented team in the division, but the next three teams are extremely close to one another. Here's how I (and in turn the entire Asbury Park Press) see the division shaking out.



1. Monsignor Donovan

Many of B South's best offensive players from 2006 are back this year, but no one in the division returns more of them than the Griffins do. Brian Thomsen is one of just two returning Shore Conference players to tally 40 points (16 goals and eight assists) last year, with George Quintano of Manalapan being the other. Derrek Thompson-Sevcik and Tim Hojnecki return in the middle, and Kyle Milana is a versatile defender who can contribute all over the field. The program is always deep and the pieces are in place for an improvement on last year's 11-6-1 campaign.

Big Three: Thomsen (Sr.), Thompson-Sevcik (Sr.), Milana (Sr.).

2. Lakewood

Much like Donovan, the Piners have a lot returing in the middle and up front, but unlike Donovan, that wasn't the strength of Lakewood's team last year. Matt Accisano is back in the middle and is one of the best playmakers in the division, but coach Gene Drumwright lost three senior defenders and a senior keeper from last year's B South championship team. Drumwright says he's likely going with junior Mike Oriundo in goal with sophomores Luis Rojas and Mario Martinez in the back with him. Oriundo has never played goalie at any level of the program, so inexperience could be a major factor for Lakewood. Luckily for the Piners, the talent on offense might actually be better than on last year's team, so if the defense can sort itself out, they'll be in the hunt.

Big Three: Accisano (Sr.), Kevin Bishop (Sr., Mid.), Kashawn Cotte (So., F).

3. Point Boro

Central and Boro were similar last year in that they had the striker that could finish (Kyle Hazard for Boro, Clay Gashlin for Central), but the Panther defense was a little younger, which resulted in a 7-9 record. The difference between the two will be the health of that striker and the cohesion of the defense at the start of the season. Brian Coeyman is a returning sweeper in front of Ian Rooney in goal. Hazard will look to build on the 12 goals he scored in 2006 and if he is more dangerous in 2007, the Panthers will be too.

Big Three: Hazard (Sr.), Coeyman (Sr.), Rooney (Sr.).

4. Central

Striker Clay Gashlin is out until, at least, the end of September, so descriptions of Central's team change from "talented" to "scrappy." That's not to say there isn't some talent in place beyond the team's top scorer from last year, but the way Rob Bechtloff coaches and the way his team tries to win games changes without Gashlin. Kyle Cronin is the playmaker in the center of the field and will simply have to get everyone else involved in the attack, while senior forward Bryan Davis will carry more of the scoring burden. If the defense and keeper Kazuki IO improve on last year's inconsistencies, the addition of Gashlin will propel this team up to Mon-Don's level.

Big Three: Cronin (Sr.), Davis (Sr.), Josh Morris (Sr., Def.).

5. Pinelands

The Wildcats had a season to remember in 2006, going 13-4-2 and reaching the South Group III finals before their run came to an end. This year could serve as a hangover of sorts with much of last year's cast graduating. Coach Joe Mahon isn't conceding the division by any stretch of the imagination, but needs to see what his team looks like on the field. He'll see what they are made of pretty early on, with Boro, Donovan, Lakewood, and Central in the first week of the season. If the Cats win just one of those games, another NJSIAA playoff appearance could be in store once the team gels.



Big Three: Chris Catalano (Sr., For.), Antonio Scotto Di Carlo (Sr., For.), Tyler Buono (Sr., Mid./Def.)



6. Barnegat

Anthony Morici loves his team this year and why wouldn't he? Everyone is back on a team that will sport seniors for the first time in program history. The problem for the Bengals is that they don't have a win from 2006 to build off of. Barnegat went 0-19 last year and while they grew more competitive the second time through the division, there is no substitute for experiencing winning. The Bengals feel they could be sleepers in 2007, but they'll need to open some eyes by winning games early, not just staying close.

Big Three: Sean Collins (Sr., Mid.), Matt Falk (Sr., For.), Sean Deering (Sr., GK).

7. Manchester

Brian Slota takes over for long-time coach John Musolf and will work with a young, inexperienced squad. In a division that all but one team brings a lot of talent back, Manchester has untested players who haven't been around winning as the Pinelands returners have. Slota's job will be to steal a few games in a tough, deep division and establish a model for his younger players to follow going forward. Anything more than that, would be a great season for the Hawks.

Big Three: Brian Word (Sr.), Chris Martisofsky (Sr.), Kevin Rembach (Jr.).

*Jackson Liberty*

The Lions aren't a Shore Conference team yet, but once they jump in next year, they will be ready. If you read my Jackson preview that comes out in Friday's paper, you'll see how much talent Liberty will have on a yearly basis. This year, most of their games are against the smaller schools in the area, but they have a date with their in-town rivals from Jackson Memorial on Sept. 29. That likely won't be pretty, but there may be some wins in this Lions team before any of its players get their drivers licenses.

Big Three: Joe Plaska (Jr.), Jordan Shilan (Jr.), Keenan Sayers (Jr.).

The Fab 5

1. Brian Thomsen - Monsignor Donovan

2. Kyle Hazard - Point Boro

3. Clay Gashlin - Central

4. Matt Accisano - Lakewood

5. Kyle Milana - Monsignor Donovan