The Colts Neck High School girls soccer team has put the finishing touches on an undefeated Shore Conference A North Division championship season.
The Cougars turned back a dangerous Manalapan High School team that has been hitting its stride lately, 1-0, on Oct. 18 to complete their A North Division schedule with a 12-0 mark.
When the 2009 soccer season began, Freehold Township and Manalapan were considered the teams to beat in A North, but it was Coach Doug Phillips’ Cougars who proved to be the class of the division from start to finish.
The victory over Manalapan at home was the seventh one-goal win of the season for the Cougars, who have found a way to win high-scoring matches such as a 6-5 win over Howell in overtime, and a 4-3 win over Freehold Township, and defensive battles, such as their 1-0 win over the Braves.
“We don’t give up,” said forward Amber Schlosser in describing what has been Colts Neck’s greatest asset. “We have a lot of heart, and you can’t buy that.”
No one who has played against the Cougars this fall would argue with that statement.
Phillips said his team had a lot of question marks at the start of the season about the number of junior varsity players who were moving up to the varsity level. But that group meshed with the seniors more quickly than anticipated.
Phillips credited the leadership of seniors Carly Haden, a four-year starter, and Lauren Clarke and Briana D’Agati, both three-year starters, with providing the leadership that allowed the team to forge an identity.
“The entire team has really come together well,” said Phillips.
A 2-0 win over Freehold Township in the third game signaled to the coach that the Cougars had what it takes to be a successful squad.
“We thought we could do well the first time we beat Freehold Township,” he said.
That win stamped the Cougars as the team to beat in A North and earlier this month when the Patriots came to Colts Neck they were ready to. But the Cougars broke the Patriots’ hearts by twice coming back from one-goal deficits, eventually tying the match on Haden’s penalty kick with :18 left in the second half and then winning in the second overtime on a goal by Schlosser.
That victory all but assured the Cougars of the division title. All that remained was to see if they could go through the season undefeated, and they did.
The next challenge for Colts Neck is the Shore Conference Tournament. The Cougars were seeded No. 2 behind undefeated Red Bank Catholic. Phillips knows the Cougars’ undefeated record carries an added weight.
“Actually, we go into the conference tournament quite humble and feeling very fortunate that we are where we are,” said Phillips. “We know there are no easy games in the conference tournament and everyone wants a shot at our perfect record.”
Colts Neck continued its knack for winning one-goal games by beating Brick Memorial, 2-1, in a second round Shore Conference Tournament match on Oct. 23. The Cougars spotted Brick Memorial a 1-0 lead in the second half and then rallied to win on goals by Haden and Rachel Ivanicki.
The Cougars (15-0) played No. 7 Wall High School in a quarterfinal match on Oct. 26 (after the deadline for this issue).
In other action, the third time proved to be the charm for Freehold High School. Ocean Township had defeated the Colonials twice during the 2009 regular season, but the Colonials turned the tables in the conference tournament, riding a first-half goal to a 1-0 victory over the Spartans.
Freehold, seeded No. 11, had to play Jackson Liberty in a first round game on Oct. 21. The Colonials rode three secondhalf goals to a 3-0 victory. Paige Preston, Elizabeth Capell and Ashley Pollio scored for the Colonials. Karlie Korz, Simone Dixon and Capell chipped in with assists, and goalie Sara Cobb stopped 11 shots in collecting the shutout.
The Colonials (11-3-2) played No. 3 Jackson Memorial in a conference tournament quarterfinal match on Oct. 26.
The conference tournament will be the final test for Shore Conference teams before the NJSIAA state tournament begins.
Colts Neck will have the comfort of the home field for the early rounds of the state tournament. The Cougars are in Central Jersey Group IV along with Freehold Township and Manalapan. The chances of these teams meeting again are good. The state tournament begins Nov. 2.
Freehold is in Central Jersey Group III, where the Colonials are the three-time defending champions.
Manalapan goalie Amanda McBride rose to the occasion for the Braves, allowing Manalapan to advance with a shootout win over Point Pleasant Borough in a first round Shore Conference Tournament match.
The teams were tied 0-0 through regulation and overtime. In the penalty kick shootout, Manalapan prevailed, 4-2, with McBride stopping the Panthers twice.
Olivia Grosso, Cassie Inacio, Kelsey Fletcher and Rachel Tremblay converted their penalty kicks for the No. 8 seed Braves, who drew No. 1 Red Bank Catholic in the quarterfinals on Oct. 26.
Freehold Township, the No. 5 seed, was the only big upset victim of the early rounds in the conference tournament. The Patriots fell to No. 12 Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School on Oct. 23, 1-0.
The Shore Conference Tournament semifinals will be played on Oct. 28 at the Summerfield School field in Neptune. The championship match is scheduled for Oct. 31, also at the Summerfield School field in Neptune.