Cougars in good shape after win over Red Bank Catholic

By TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

The fireworks started early. Just 53 seconds into the important Shore Conference B North Division match between Colts Neck High School and Red Bank Catholic (RBC) High School, the Cougars’ Frankie Tagliaferri put the ball in the back of the net, converting a pass from Kayla Lee.

Fewer than five minutes later in the Oct. 6 match, Lee set up Bridgette King for a score that gave Colts Neck a quick 2-0 lead.

RBC answered nine minutes into the match when Diana Graziano scored for the Caseys, and it looked like an end-to-end high-scoring game was in the works.

Graziano’s goal was the last of the afternoon, though, as Colts Neck held on for a 2- 1 win that all but clinched a second straight B North Division title for the Cougars.

This was an important win for the Cougars, in part because RBC had played them to a 1-1 draw in Red Bank Sept. 16 — the only blemish on Colts Neck’s 11-0-1 record.

The Cougars played that game without Tagliaferri, who had national team commitments. It certainly didn’t take very long for her to make her presence felt.

Colts Neck head coach Doug Phillips was pleased with the result against a very good team.

“We are in good shape,” Phillips said. “RBC is a solid team that always plays us tough.”

Like the first time around against RBC when Tagliaferri was absent, the Cougars were minus another key play, Amanda Visco, because of national team commitments. The good news going forward for Colts Neck is that the Cougars will have them both for the postseason.

“I think we are playing well and just want to keep it going,” Phillips said.

Colts Neck followed up its 2-1 win over RBC with an easy 6-0 victory over Neptune High School Oct. 8. Tagliaferri struck for the hat trick.

The Cougars then defeated Long Branch High School, 9-0, Oct. 9.

Tagliaferri leads the team with 19 goals on the season to go along with a team-high 10 assists.

King (16 goals), Isabella Pecoraro and Allison Russo scored the other goals against Neptune.

Lee and Tagliaferri each scored twice against Long Branch, while Jenna Buckley, Isabella Fitzhenry, Kristi Mikula, Tara Walenczyk and King netted one goal apiece. Lee has nine assists this season, and King has five. B North isn’t the only championship that Colts Neck is defending. Last year, the Cougars won the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III title and reached the Group III and Shore Conference Tournament (SCT) finals.

Looking ahead to the SCT and state tournaments, Phillips likes his team’s chances.

“Our defense has kept opposition scoring opportunities way down, and we are generating plenty of opportunities,” he said. “I will take those odds.”

A North Division race

It looks like the Oct. 19 match between Manalapan High School and Freehold Township High School will go a long way toward settling the A North Division championship. Both teams are playing very good soccer.

Manalapan is 7-1 in the division and Freehold Township is 6-1-1. The Patriots handed the Braves their loan loss of the season, 3-2, Sept. 21.

Manalapan’s Arianna Ferraro has blossomed into one of the division’s most productive scorers this fall. She leads the Braves in scoring with 12 goals and six assists. Arielle Kaplan has six goals and five assists.

Freehold Township has one of the Shore’s best players in Nicole Whitley, who has 13 goals and eight assists. She has been getting more support in recent matches, which will be key for the Patriots moving forward. Jasmine Colbert is next in scoring with five goals.

Both teams have some tricky matches before their Oct. 19 meet. Manalapan must play at defending champion Freehold High School — a prideful team that is never an easy out — Oct. 16.

Freehold Township has to get through Freehold (Oct. 14) and Howell High School (Oct. 17). The Patriots previously tied Freehold and lost their only division match to Howell, 1-0.

It’s not too early to take a look at the power points standing regarding the NJSIAA state sectional tournaments that start next month.

Colts Neck is No. 1 in Central Jersey Group III.

In Central Jersey Group IV, Freehold Township is third, Freehold is seventh and Manalapan is 11th.

Howell is in South Jersey Group IV, where the Rebels are 11th.