Two teams with similar agendas opened the 2010 scholastic field hockey season on Sept. 11. Freehold High School and Freehold Township High School, two championship teams from a year ago, have their sights set on being even better in 2010.
Freehold High School’s Emily Wold (r) races upfield as Freehold Township High School’s Katie Petrillo tries to defend her during the 2010 season opening field hockey match on Sept. 11 in Freehold Township. Wold scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal in the Colonials’ 2-1 triumph over the Patriots. FRANK GALIPO The teams hooked up at Freehold Township in a high-level season-opener that went to visiting Freehold, 2-1. First half goals by Anita Keelan and Emily Wold stood up as the Patriots’ Rebekah Bernard scored in the final minute to cut the lead in half.
Coach Jerrilynn Acevedo’s Freehold Colonials won the Shore Conference B North Division title last season, but were thwarted in their attempt to add a state title to their résumé. The Colonials lost to Warren Hills, 1-0 in overtime, in the North Jersey Section II Group III semifinals at home as the top seed. It was a bitter loss and one that is motivating the 2010 Colonials.
The Colonials are loaded with skilled returning talent led by Emily Wold, one of the premier players not only in the Shore Conference, but in the state.
Wold, a junior, is on her way to becoming the program’s finest player. She scored 65 points last year on 24 goals and 17 assists. Her greatest asset is making everyone else on the team better.
Wold was a member of the U.S. National U-17 team that placed third at the Pan- American Games in Uruguay this spring. She has earned a position on the U-19 and U-21 national teams.
Lily Lies, a forward, came into her own last year as a playmaker. The senior had 15 assists and scored six goals and is a good complement to Wold. Sydney Duven, a sophomore midfielder, had an outstanding freshman season.
Anita Keelan (forward), Brit Jones (midfield) and Cara Theoret (forward) complete the team’s starting lineup from the midfield forward.
The Colonials rode a great defense (14 shutouts) and the play of first-year starter Liz Hurley to their 18-3-2 mark in 2009. Hurley and most of the back line have graduated. Only All-Freehold Regional High School District pick Ashley Sandoval and Nicole Blazejewski are back.
Alexis Arancino and Haley Meade complete the starting lineup on defense. They are two of the freshmen who Acevedo said have “great potential.” Moving into the starting lineup on a championship team is proof of that.
Junior Emma Rivera will start in goal.
Completing the teams are Liz White (defense), Gabriela Albarran (forward), Caitlin Schwartz (midfield), Lauren Greenberg (defense), Brianna Gross (midfield) and Alicia Theoret (forward).
Rounding out the group of talented freshmen are Lauren Bock (midfield) and Katie Luchino (midfield).
Acevedo said the Colonials’ goals are to defend their B North title and get to the state sectional final this time around. They certainly have the talent and experience to aim that high.
“We have a lot more speed this year,” she said. “We are all juniors and seniors this year. We are a much more mature group. They have a great attitude and know how to handle pressure. They (juniors and seniors) are good role models for our freshmen.”
At Freehold Township, Beth English’s Patriots made program history in 2009 by winning their first state title. The Patriots got hot at the right time of the year, and buoyed by their coach’s confidence in them, captured the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group IV state sectional championship by besting Lenape, 3-1.
English has 13 players returning from that 14-6-2 team, including All-FRHSD picks goalie Liz Stankiewicz, defender Meghan Pak and midfielder Katie Petrillo.
Expect defense to again be the Patriots’ trademark, led by Stankiewicz (who is a difference maker in goal) and Pak. The team had nine shutouts last year.
Petrillo anchors the offense. The senior played defense for a good part of last season before English moved her up front in an effort to bolster the offense. The move worked because Petrillo produced six goals and four assists and provided the spark that led to the state sectional title.
Seniors Rebekah Bernard (forward/midfield), Erin Cronin (defense), Ksenia Ioffe (forward), Sonali Karmarkar (forward/midfield), Jenn Kwon (defense), Chelsea Waldron (defense), Callie Weise (center forward) and Kathleen Smith (goalie) are the core of the returners.
Also back are junior Shannon Hancock (midfield) and sophomore Sydney Weise (midfield).
Callie Weise missed the entire 2009 season with a knee injury and her return is welcome. Having her back will strengthen an offense that graduated its top three scorers.
Newcomers include Jess Spanvilli (forward), Jess English (defense), Jenna Cassara (forward) and Megan Hazard (midfield), all juniors, and sophomores Rachel Swenarton (defense) and Danielle Hallacker (midfield).
The Patriots loaded up their schedule this fall with a number of tough teams, starting off with the Colonials, and they are looking for that aggressive scheduling to pay dividends come tournament time.
English said the team’s approach to the season is to “work hard and take it game by game.”
Having captured the program’s first Central Jersey title, the Patriots are taking aim at winning their first division title in 2010 — Shore Conference A North.
The Patriots will find themselves battling it out with Howell, another team that is determined to win A North.
Howell coach Elissa Connell has an experienced team that gained confidence last year by winning a game in the state tournament and going 9-8.
All-FRHSD attack player Tayler Miller (7G, 4A), who led the Rebels in scoring, is a proven force.
Miller is one of seven seniors returning, along with Gabi Ambrozia (defense), Lindsay Donkin (goalie), Sam Messner (defense), Rebecca O’Neill (defense), Jen Parr (midfield) and Kate McCoy are the other seniors.
Juniors Kylie Burst (midfield), Alyssa Danser (attack), Cassie Petty (midfield), Rachel Rovner (midfield) and Lee Weems (midfield) give the team plenty of upperclassman experience.
Sophomore Maria Madsen (midfield) completes the 2010 Rebels.
Connell believes the Rebels can be a real threat this fall.
“I think we are going to surprise some people this year,” she said.
Colts Neck and Manalapan will be looking to improve.
Doug Daubert’s Colts Neck Cougars will be relying on a big senior class with experience. Alison Corsi, Erica Corvasce, Jessica Danzi, Anna Desimone, Jess Geniton, Nikki Hetzko and Lisa Scanelli are returning seniors who were a big part of the team.
Kylie Almers and Elaina Stewart are also returning letter-winners.
Jordan Black, Alexa Clemente and Dawn Havey are the other seniors who are the team’s core.
At Manalapan, Joel Rivlin is the Braves’ new coach. He will be looking to seniors like Danielle Nuzio (defense), Bree Nolan (midfield), Michelle Shames (forward), Lindsay Peterson (forward), Maria Spinosi (forward), Jasmine Ipaktchi (defense), Steff Flakker (defense) and Rory O’Rourke (midfield) to provide the leadership and experience, and for sophomores like Lauren Schwartz (midfield) and Allyssa Seminerio (forward) to continue their improvement.
Junior Nicole D’Angelo will be in goal.
Completing the roster are Jackie Bavaro (defense), Victoria Deluca (midfield), Chelsea Wiener (midfield), Sara Perkins (forward), Nicole Comito (midfield), Carley Gallon (forward), Jackie Arvedon (midfield) and Nicolette DiBiase (midfield).
According to Rivlin, Manalapan is a much more athletic squad this year and the players put in a lot of time in the off-season to improve their performance.