Equipped with more depth than recent seasons, Rich Garretson’s Manalapan Braves girls soccer team is looking to rejoin the Shore’s elite.
Over the last few campaigns, the Braves have had a habit of getting off to very slow starts, turning things around in the second half and just sneaking into the state playoffs.
Garretson would like to see his club put an end to that trend in ’07, and he believes it can do that. He points to the intersquad competition for playing time as a source of strength and added that three incoming freshmen have added to their youthful energy. This mix, he hopes, will help the Braves make a run at the Shore Conference A North Division.
Junior Amy Carhart returns at forward, packing a scoring punch. It was her scoring production that helped the Braves recover from a 1-5 start to finish 11-8. She is the bona fide scorer up front that every contending team needs. She scored 13 goals last year, and just as importantly, assisted on eight more.
The Braves are solid at midfield with Ashtyn Foley, Sukhdeep Grewal, Christina Isolda and Danielle Mayer all returning. Foley and Grewal are both playmakers that move the attack forward.
The defense is in good shape as well with starters Angelica Modica, Tiffany Owen and Jackie Slotkins returning along with proven goalkeeper Katie DiPaolo.
Replacing a four-year starter at sweeper, who is now one of the best players on nationally ranked Brookdale College, is not easy. Garretson knows the Braves have no one ready to step into the shoes of the graduated Annie Periggine, but in newcomers Kristy Rubino and Hayley Palma, the Braves have two players who can hold the defense together.
Kelsey Marchesano is going to step right in and play marking
back. She is one of the trio of
ninth-graders who are bringing
added talent to the squad.
Cassandra Inacio and Nicole
Rynicki are the freshmen who
will be making immediate contributions.
Seniors Jessica Fracisco, Kassandra
Jahn and Kristine Ince bring added experience to the team.
Garretson likes what he has seen from his team thus far.
“We’re looking pretty good,” Garretson said after his team’s preseason scrimmages. “We should be right in the mix [in A-North].”
A veteran Colts Neck team and reigning champion Middletown North are the teams Manalapan will have to get through if it wants to regain the championship it once owned.

