JEFF HUNTLEY Cara Hammond and Julie Strain of Howell are expected to be one of the most potent scoring combinations in the district this year.
GGirls’ soccer maintained its tradition of excellence in the Freehold District last fall. Howell emerged as the A North Division champion and was joined in the post season by Manalapan, Marlboro, Freehold Borough and newcomer Colts Neck.
Everyone save Colts Neck (which had no seniors) lost outstanding players to graduation, but have enough returning talent to expect winning seasons again.
The following is a look at the six Freehold District soccer teams and their prospects for the 2000 season.
Freehold Borough
The Colonials are still young, but rapidly gaining experience. Last fall, coach Heshy Moses welcomed a number of freshmen onto the varsity and the team qualified for the state playoffs. This season, the Colonials will be looking to improve on that with several starters returning.
Seniors Jessica Sehasai and Kelaine Conochan, both defenders, and striker Erin Turner-Byfield are the veterans on the team and head the group of nine starters who are back. Juniors Katie Polo (defense), Jackie Meder (defense) and Heather Seymour (midfield) and sophomores Brianne Campbell (midfield), Sarah VaCuren (midfield) and Debra Vento (defense) give Moses a veteran unit to build around.
Laura Hughes, senior striker; Barbara Barth, senior goalie; Holly Rackett, junior striker; Kristie Buble, sophomore striker; and Caitlin Kenny, sophomore midfielder were all letter winners last fall.
A solid group of freshmen led by Jen Towers, a keeper; Kerry Little, a striker; Meghan Phillips, midfielder; and defender Cristin Grimm add to the talent pool. Moses thinks that Towers and Little could play their way into the starter lineup before the season is over.
Adding to the team’s depth are defender Kerry Hassell and Kathy Doran, midfielder, both juniors, and sophomore Fiona Rooney.
This will be by far the Colonials’ deepest squad. Moses will be able to go his bench liberally without any depreciable drop-off in talent. Don’t be surprised if he substitutes whole units at a time.
With playmakers like Campbell and VanCuren controlling midfielder/strikers like Turner-Byfield, Buble and Little, the Colonials should be able to score goals. Sehasai and Conochan are the backbone of an experienced defensive unit that includes Polo and Meder.
Graduated Danielle Vento, one of the District’s best goalies ever, will be hard to replace. The four-year starter was the heart and soul of the Colonials. Last fall she courageously played through a separated shoulder. She had 33 goals and more than 50 wins during her sensational career.
Once again, the Colonials won’t lack for competition with the likes of Red Bank Catholic, Wall, Howell and Jackson on the schedule.
Freehold Township
The Lady Patriots return a strong corps of juniors who figure to continue to make positive strides this fall.
Midfielder Christina Pacinda heads the junior class. She gives the Pats what any team that is serious about contending needs, a goal-scorer. Pacinda ripped home 13 goals and, just as important, assisted on eight more.
Jenna Nord, a junior halfback, and defender Katie Allan, a senior, each scored four goals last year and are back, as is three-goal scorer Amy Keseday, a senior halfback.
Defender Chrissy Etlinger, Allan and Keseday are the only seniors on the squad.
The junior returners after Pacinda and Nord are defenders Jennifer Clawson and Lianne Jacobsen and halfbacks Maria Lombardi and Maureen Quigley.
Katie Cherewhich, a forward; Katie Fagles, a defender/halfback; and Lauren Mount, a forward are the other returners. They are sophomores who showed promise last year playing as freshmen.
Newcomers are Lisa Lapinski, a junior forward; Sarah Strickland, a junior defender; Heather Strucke, a sophomore defender; and Stephanie Costes, a sophomore keeper.
With Allan and Etlinger in the backfield, joined by Clawson and Jacobson, the Pats have experience on defense and with Pacinda, the team has the potential to score, which the Pats will need to do to challenge in the always difficult A North Division.
Colts Neck
The Cougars were one of the big stories of last year, making the state playoffs in their first varsity season. Independent in 1999, the Cougars officially joined the Shore Conference this fall and will play in the B Central Division.
Heach coach Dave Irvine is relying on a strong sophomore class that gained valuable experience last fall to carry the Cougars’ hopes in 2000.
It is senior Kelly Cardamone, however, who is the key returner. She had a breakthrough season last year and is a proven scorer, leading the Cougars in scoring with 13 goals and three assists. She provides a presence up front.
Becky Mergenthaler, Sue Murphy, Jenna Brennan, Kristen Cittadino and Jessica Thorn make up the talented sophomore class.
Other returning juniors are Kim Wild, Kathleen Malara, Katie Dilger, Jen Augello and Megan Crudele and seniors Amy Kolasa, Lauren Gubkin and Vaness Newman. Goalie Wild had five shutouts last year.
Newcomers are freshmen Michelle Fazzari and Meighan Kelly.
Defense will determine the Cougar fortunes this year. They have talent up front with Cardamone, Mergenthaler and Brennan.
Howell
The defending A North champions have nine players who started during the ’99 season returning. This experience, despite Howell’s relative youth, should help Coach Rick Schmid’s team through a rugged 2000 schedule.
Junior Cara Hammond (forward) and seniors Nicole Mormino (defense) and Jamie Henriques (defense) are the Rebel tri-captains.
In Hammond, the Rebels have one of the premier players in the Shore and an all-state contender. She strikes fear in teams because of her sprinter’s speed. But, as she proved last fall in sparking Howell to the division championship, she is not a one-dimensional player. She can do it all including making everyone else better. She delivered 18 goals for the Rebels last year, but also dished out six assists. She had six game-winning goals. The junior has 28 goals in her first two years and the best is still ahead.

