The Colts Neck and Freehold Township high school girls lacrosse teams were fit to be tied in 2011 as the Cougars and the Patriots shared the Shore Conference A North Division title.
For Colts Neck, it was the Cougars’ first championship, while Freehold Township extended its streak to five straight division crowns.
All eyes inANorth will be on those two teams in 2012.
Freehold Township, 12-5 last season, will be looking to keep its championship streak going.
Coach Katie Wagenblast has seven seniors — Eden Abrams (defense), Jenna De- Marinis (goalie), Mary Gallagher (midfield/attack), Shannon Hancock (midfield/ attack), Stephanie Martinez (midfield), Gabriella Tancona (attack) and Lily Weinstein (midfield) — who do not want the winning streak to stop on their watch. They have talent, experience and the will to win.
In DeMarinis, the Patriots have a difference maker in goal. She ranked third in the Shore Conference in saves last year (199) and is the team’s security blanket.
Gallagher is Freehold Township’s top returning scorer. She scored 42 goals and added 13 assists in 2011.
Abrams anchors a defense that includes juniors Samantha Carpinello, Brittany Gordon and Gia Tango.
Martinez and Weinstein lead a very strong midfield group that includes sophomore Dominque Anselmin, and juniors Taylor Hoskins and Kelsey Murphy.
Versatile midfield/attackers Gallagher, Hancock and junior Nicole Torres add punch up front to the attack duo of Tancona and Heather DelGuercio.
Freehold Township is off to a 2-0 start and Wagenblast has been pleased with the team’s balanced scoring. The Patriots had five goal scorers in a 9-3 win over Monroe Township and six goal scorers in a 10-7 win over Toms River South.
Gallagher and Weinstein have each scored five goals and Gallagher has three assists.
Colts Neck had an extraordinary season in 2011, going 19-3 to post the best singleseason record in Freehold Regional High School District history.
As coach Troy Madison and the Cougars look ahead to 2012, they have two key spots to fill following the graduation of midfielders Hallie Keselman and Sarah Greenberg.
Keselman, now at Ohio State University, put up offensive numbers unmatched in the sport in the FRHSD. She scored 125 goals in 2011 and became the first person to surpass 300 goals for a career (321). Keselman was the leading scorer in New Jersey with 198 points (125 goals, 63 assists) last spring.
Greenberg scored 60 goals and added 32 assists for the Cougars in 2011 and scored 120 goals from 2010-11. She is now playing for Columbia University.
The cupboard is not bare for the Cougars (2-1) and help may be on the way with the arrival of Keselman’s sister, Erika Keselman, who is also a midfielder. The freshman has scored seven goals and added three assists in the Cougars’ first three games.
Midfield is Madison’s biggest concern because of what the team lost through graduation and a lack of depth. Kelsey Burns, a junior, is the lone retuning starter. Brittany Walko and Keselman join her at midfield,
With Taylor Sandin, Christina Senia and Kylie Allmers all back, the Cougars do not lack experience at attack. Senia and Sandin are seniors and Allmers is a junior. Skyler Deluca, a junior, provides added firepower up front.
The Cougars also have a lot of skill back on defense where senior Abby Vigdor and junior Daniele de Groot both started last year. Nicole Vulpis, a senior, and Alex Lafata, a junior, saw action last season.
In goal, senior Taylor McDonnell did not start in 2011, but she has the experience of having played in 11 games.
Madison expects his team to be competitive. With just nine letter winners returning, the squad is young and will need some time to gel, but the ingredients are in place to keep the program on the winning path. The coach said the Cougars should be a more balanced scoring team in 2012.
Manalapan continued its progress in the sport of lacrosse last spring by notching the program’s first victory in state tournament play. Coach Kerry Eisman is looking for his team to qualify for postseason play for a third straight year.
The Braves have four-year starters Allison Carhart and Debra Razzino to build around. Carhart, who plays attack, came into the 2012 season with 104 career goals and is closing in on the school record for goals scored.
Razzino, who out of necessity played goal at times last season, returns to midfield, which will give the offense a big lift. The Braves’ captain could surpass 100 career goals during the season.
Sara Perkins, a junior, blossomed in 2011 by scoring 63 goals and adding 15 assists. She is a pure scorer and opponents must be aware of where she is on the field.
Along with Carhart and Perkins, junior Kaitlyn Adams, senior Stacy Liu and sophomore Sam Meier give the Braves a lot of options up front. Adams is a three-year starter.
The midfield is anchored by Razzino and Danielle Rizzo. Rizzo is a senior and she brings the element of speed to the game.
Senior midfielder Olivia Grosso, a threeyear starter, does all the things a winning team needs, such as guarding the opposition’s best player and picking up ground balls. Sophomore midfielder Cassidy McBride has shown the potential to score goals.
Alexis Kamberogiannis, a junior, will split time between midfield and defense. On defense the Braves have senior starters Stephanie Druzbik and JackieArvedon returning. Sophomore Jessica Donnelly, a sophomore, plays stopper, and first-year varsity player Nicole Winters adds depth to the defense.
In goal, the Braves (1-1) are looking to freshman Tabitha Gravius to team with senior Casey Wiener.
Also expected to contribute this year are Bri Nealon (sophomore attack), Marissa Fox (sophomore defense), Heather Bucchieri (defense) and Chelsea Wiener (midfield).
The Howell Rebels would like to crash theANorth party and make a run at the title, according to coach Christina Nunez. The Rebels have a veteran squad that includes seven seniors and three juniors, all of whom played last season. Howell is 2-0 and beat Manalapan, 20-7, on April 5.
Senior Alex Masino is a proven finisher around the cage. She scored 42 goals in 2011 and has scored eight goals in the Rebels’ first two games this spring. Masino is joined on the attack line by senior Tara Benedetti and junior Maria Madsen, who plays attack wing.
Masino and Madsen each scored five goals in the win at Manalapan. Benedetti has scored six goals in Howell’s first two games. They form a terrific scoring trio for the Rebels.
Junior Chynna Chan is another attacking wing.
On defense, seniors Kaeleigh Christie, Mel Schaefer and Alyssa Aboff, and junior Amanda Mauro are all back to provide continuity and stability in that area of the field.
The Rebels are solid in goal with senior Stephanie Lehner, who has proven her dependability and keeps the Rebels in games.
Center Cassie Petty, a senior, heads the midfield contingent.
Newcomers who are expected to contribute include senior Rachel Rovern (defensive wing), juniors Allison Brown (defense), Jordan Pappas (defensive wing), Bridget McCormick (attack), Taylor Milanowycz (attack) and Marissa Conover (goal), sophomore Emma Sinnolt (center), and freshman Jordan Chang (attack win).
With two wins and 35 goals scored to start the season, Freehold Township and Colts Neck would be well served to take notice of the Rebels.
Marlboro coach Nick Scalzo has 11 returning starters as the Mustangs look to make some noise in A North this spring. Leading the returners are senior tri-captains Denise Colombo (defensive wing), Brittany Fallon (attack wing) and Alexandrea Tuman (center).
Danielle Casale (first attack) and Jessica Wolfson are the other returning seniors who were starters in 2011.
Also back in the starting lineup are juniors Ilana Bandler (home attack) and Samantha Weisman (attack wing) and sophomores Allix Cowan (cover point defense), Brianna DeMaio (point defense), Martina Stewart (goalie) and Sydney Tuman (defensive wing).
The Mustangs have a nice mix of upperclassemen and sophomores in the starting lineup.
Senior Dorissa Colombo (goalie), sophomores Kristen Cigna (attack), Skylar Corraro (defensive wing), Caitlynn Derise (attack), Shayna Levine (attack), Aneesha Natarajan (defense) and Robin Simon (attack wing), and freshmen Kristi Casale (attack) and Taylor Weisberger (attack) complete the 2012 Mustangs.
The Mustangs (0-1) lost their season opener to Colts Neck.