Comfort sets mark for career goals at FTHS

BY TIM MORRIS Staff Writer

Maddie Comfort and the other seniors on the Freehold Township High School girls lacrosse team have raised the program’s profile during their careers.

ERIC SUCAR staff In helping the Freehold Township High School lacrosse team win two straight Shore Conference A North Division titles and close in on a third crown, Maddie Comfort set the school record for career goals. ERIC SUCAR staff In helping the Freehold Township High School lacrosse team win two straight Shore Conference A North Division titles and close in on a third crown, Maddie Comfort set the school record for career goals. Freehold Township is now the dominant team in the Shore Conference A North Division and is regarded as one of the best teams in the Shore Conference.

Those are achievements of which the Patriots are proud.

Along the way individual honors were sure to follow and for Comfort that honor is to become Freehold Township’s all-time leading goal scorer. Comfort recently surpassed the record 170 goals that were scored by Brittany Scott.

“It feels kind of cool,” Comfort said. “Brittany Scott is a legend at the school and to break her record is cool.”

Scott, who went on to play lacrosse at Monmouth University, just happens to be the freshman coach at Freehold Township.

“I watched her play at Monmouth, she’s amazing,” Comfort said of Scott. “She’s contributed a lot to us. She has a way of explaining things that makes it easier.”

Comfort said she was not chasing Scott’s record and is glad the pursuit is over.

“I was not really focused on it,” she said. “It feels good to have it behind me and to just focus on the team.”

And that means winning. The Patriots are still in charge of the A North Division, but any thoughts of invincibility were shattered when Ocean Township High School upset the Patriots, 13-12. Looking back, it is a loss that Comfort believes helped the team in the long run.

“We needed to lose,” she said. “We were breezing though A North. We realized that we have to shape up. We had to get that intensity and fire back.”

Comfort said there were a number of team talks after the defeat at the hands of Ocean Township.

“After the Ocean game we’ve been working hard,” she said. “We’re starting to jell.”

The second half of a game against Howell was “the best we’ve played,” Comfort said.

The supporting cast around Comfort has improved. If there is something more impressive than Comfort’s school record for goals scored, it is the way she has elevated the play of her teammates. The Patriots are attacking opponents in waves.

Comfort’s goals are down this year, but her assists are up. As the week began she was leading the Patriots in scoring with 55 points on 34 goals and 21 assists.

“My role has definitely changed,” the senior said. “We have so many players who can score, I don’t have to score that much. Everyone has stepped up to reach this level.”

Juniors Alex Marino and Jennamarie Colicchia are two players Comfort pointed to as having stepped up their game.

Marino has become a prolific goalscorer this year and leads the team in goals scored (38). She has 14 assists to go along with her goal total.

Colicchia has scored 32 goals and handed out 22 assists.

“They are going to be amazing leaders next year,” Comfort said.

That is next year. For now, Comfort and the rest of the seniors on the team want to add to their own legacy. In addition to winning a third straight division title, the Patriots want to make an impact in the Shore Conference and NJSIAA Central Jersey tournaments.

The Patriots (10-1) started their Shore Conference Tournament play with a 22-14 win over Jackson Liberty High School on May 6. Comfort (5) and Colicchia (4) scored nine of Freehold Township’s 10 firsthalf goals as the Patriots led 10-6 at halftime.

Freehold Township broke it open in the second half with Colicchia scoring four more goals and Marino hitting the three times. Bridget Chadziutko, Jessica Blitzer and Tiffany Murphy all got into the goalscoring act in the second half.

Blitzer contributed five assists to lead the team. Marino had four assists, and Comfort and Colicchia had three assists each.

Freshman goalie Jenn DeMarinis made a number of key saves while the match was close and finished with 14 saves.

In A North play, Freehold Township holds a two-game lead in the loss column as the Patriots pursue a third straight championship. Marlboro is in second place at 5-3 while Colts Neck and Ocean are both 4-3.