By: Ron Parent
As difficult as it was for players and coaches to believe, despite a 11-5 record, despite finishing third in the highly competitive Greater Middlesex Conference White Division, the Monroe Township High School girls soccer team was still not awarded a high enough seed to land even a single home game in the 2006 GMC Tournament.
The Falcons took their frustrations out on an overmatched opponent on Tuesday, taking their No. 9 seed on the road and promptly pounding No. 8 South Amboy 5-0 to advance to the quarterfinals with ease.
"We were just really pumped up for this game," junior forward Alanna Carr said. "We really wanted to win and just show everyone we can beat teams; that we’re in it to win, just like everyone else. I think we really made a statement."
Five different players, including Carr, Stephanie Salvador, Alyssa Theinert, Alyssa Gioino and Kelsey Schobert, scored for the Falcons, who played one of their more impressive games of the year. Monroe struck early and often, leading 4-0 at halftime, and goalkeeper Caitlin Hoskins only had to make three saves to earn her 11th shutout of the season.
A little-known bylaw of the GMC was what resulted in the somewhat unusual matchup between the Gold Division champions and the Falcons. The conference rules dictate that all division champions, whether from the mostly Group IV-school Red Division or the tiny Gold Division, must be awarded a top-eight seed in the conference tournament. South Amboy won the Gold Division and was thus put in the position to face Monroe.
There have been critics of the system who say that even the top two divisions’ worst teams are more skilled than the Blue or Gold Divisions’ best teams and should thus be awarded with high seeds instead. But Carr said despite her Falcons being forced on the road, she agreed with the rule.
"I think you have to give everyone a fair chance," Carr said. "If they win the Gold, I think it’s fair to put them up there."
With the victory, the Falcons earned a date with top-ranked East Brunswick winners of 24 of the past 26 tournament championships in the quarterfinals on Thursday after press time.
"We know we can compete with any team, it just depends on who shows up to play that day," Carr said prior to the match. "And we have nothing to lose if we lose, no one’s really going to say anything, but if we beat East Brunswick. . ."

