The Girls Soccer League of Old Bridge (GSLOB) completed its 30th successful season this past weekend.
With over 600 girls representing this club, they are the largest “female only” club in any sport in New Jersey. This weekend saw 500 of the girls compete for the President’s Cup in a season-ending recreational tournament. In most cases, the winners were not determined until late on Sunday afternoon. But when all was said and done, it, was the Blue Crush taking the Senior Division, the Strikers and the Hurricanes taking their respective flights in the Junior Division, and Carlo’s Pizza taking the honors in the Youth Division. During the regular season, Carlo’s Pizza and the Strikers took division honors in the Youth and Junior divisions; in addition, the Shamrocks took top honors, going undefeated in the Senior Division. All the races during the regular season also went right down to the final week, much thanks to all the coaches who braved the rainy weather and completed all of the games during the season.
The younger girls play at a less competitive level. In a developmental environment, the Lady Bugs and the Shooting Stars, from the Mini-Mites, had fun learning and playing each week. The Pee-Wee Division had six teams that played a structured non-competitive game each week that was most entertaining. To see so many parents from the Mini-Mites and the Pee-Wees each week was amazing. It was usually standing room only to root for the Princess Fiona Fighters, Orange Blossoms, Purple Powder Puff Girls, Bumble Bees, Lady Bugs, or the Little Rockets from the Pee-Wee Division along with the Mini-Mite teams.
The travel teams also completed one of its best seasons ever. For the first time in many years, the GSLOB fielded a U-8 team, the Thunder. Hoping to hold its own at the U-8 level, the team coached by Chuck Mantione, not only learned the game of soccer but won both the fall and the spring sessions in its division. The other jewel of the travel program this year was the U-14 team, the Breezers. They finished as the No. 1 team in MOSA, going undefeated in 10 games. They were coached by Jack McCarthy and really had a fine season. In all, nine of the 11 travel teams finished with winning records and that is quite an accomplishment considering the competition was the best soccer clubs in Monmouth and Ocean counties.
The Old Bridge Girls Soccer board of directors, along with the coaches and parents, wish to congratulate all of the girls, and wish them continued success both on and off of the soccer field. Anyone wishing more information about the club can visit the Web site at www.gslob.com.