Boys Soccer – 2023 SCT Watch: One Week to Go

The first ever group stage of the Shore Conference Tournament is nearly complete and the traditional tournament is set to begin a week from Monday on Oct. 9. With that, it is time to piece together the tournament field, which should be easier to seed this season but will also feature some new dynamics compared to past years.

With the top two teams from each of the 11 SCT groups advancing to the tournament, five of the groups have produced a first and second place team, while five teams from the other groups have already clinched no worse than a runner-up spot in the field. That leaves seven spots still left to fill, including one group that is still entirely up in the air heading into Monday.

Let’s take a look at each of the groups, starting with the settled ones, followed by the unsettled ones. If you want to cut to the chase and check out the early projection of the tournament bracket, that follows the group-by-group look.

Check back on Wednesday for an updated look at the projected field.

Settled Groups

Group 2

Results

Central 4, Manchester 3

Holmdel 7, Manchester 2

Holmdel 0, Howell 0

Howell 3, Central 1

Central 2, Holmdel 1

Howell 1, Manchester 0

Final Group Standings (Teams in Bold Advance)

Howell (7 points, +3 goal differential)
Central (6 points, 0 goal differential)
Holmdel (4 points, +4 goal differential)
Manchester (0 points, -7 goal differential)

The most shocking set of table in Shore Conference Tournament group play comes from Group 2, where the No. 2 ranked team in the Shore Sports Network Shore 16 rankings was bounced from the tournament. Central Regional shocked Holmdel, 2-1, on Saturday to eliminate the No. 2 Hornets – a devastating loss for a team that entered the game undefeated and caught two very bad breaks earlier in group play. First, in a game vs. first-place Howell, Holmdel gained a man advantage when Howell leading scorer Nick Turturro was sent off with his second yellow card of the match, but lightning ended the game shortly thereafter and, by rule, the restarted game allowed for Turturro to play and for Howell to play with a full side.

The second bad break for Holmdel was when the Hornets did restart the game vs. Howell, start midfielder Stefan Kapranov was sick that day and was unable to play. The Hornets settled for a 0-0 draw while playing without their top scorer.

While Holmdel was the odd team out, it would have been just as heartbreaker for Central to miss out on the knockout round. The Golden Eagles are in the midst of their best season in years and slotting into a group with Holmdel and Howell – two of the top-five teams in the conference – was a brutal draw for an upstart team. While the elimination of Holmdel before the knockout stage reveals the cursed nature of this format, the moment Central produced by upsetting the Hornets is also what makes it so compelling.

Group 3

Results

Manasquan 4, Freehold Twp. 1

St. Rose 1, Raritan 0

Manasquan 3, Raritan 2 (OT)

Raritan 4, Freehold Twp. 1

St. Rose 6, Manasquan 0

St. Rose 2, Freehold Twp. 0

Final Group Standings (Teams in Bold Advance)

St. Rose (9 points, +0 goal differential)
Manasquan (6 points, -2 goal differential)
Raritan (3 points, +1 goal differential)
Freehold Twp. (0 points, -8 goal differential)

While Group 2 provided the biggest surprise of the group stage, Group 3 was not far behind. Prior to this season, Freehold Township had qualified for each of the last 19 Shore Conference Tournaments and by the end of the group stage, the Patriots’ streak ended with a 0-3 mark.

Freehold Township’s last-place finish, while surprising, was just the warm-up act when it comes to surprise outcomes in Group 3. Manasquan figured to be the team to beat in the group after handling Freehold Township, topping Raritan and taking Holmdel to overtime on Friday in a non-group game, but got a reality check from St. Rose on Monday. The Purple Roses crushed Manasquan, 6-0, to effectively win the group. Manasquan still found its way in thanks to Raritan’s win over Freehold Township.

One wrinkle that could come from Group 3 is a wild card bid for Raritan despite the Rockets finishing third place. When facing St. Rose, Raritan was trailing, 1-0, when the game was called due to lightning a little past the midway point of the second half. With Raritan three points from nabbing second place in the group, those lost 10-to-15 minutes might have kept the Rockets out, which could be grounds for awarding the Rockets with a wild card. Tournament director and Freehold Boro athletic director Josh Mehl said there will be wild cards spots considered under extenuating circumstances, but he was not prepared to rule on any specific case.

Group 5

Results

Manalapan 4, Wall 0

St. John Vianney 2, Brick Memorial 0

Manalapan 5, Brick Memorial 0

Wall 2, St. John Vianney 1

Wall 3, Brick Memorial 0

Manalapan 5, St. John Vianney 0

Final Standings (Teams in Bold Advance)

Manalapan (9 points, +14 goal differential)
Wall (6 points, 0 goal differential)
St. John Vianney (3 points, -4 goal differential)
Brick Memorial (0 points, -10 goal differential)

Group 5 is the first of the settled groups that went mostly according to expectations. Manalapan was comfortably in the top 10 of the Shore Conference to open the season, while Wall is a competitive team even when it has some holes to fill in the starting lineup like it had to open this season. With its win over St. John Vianney over the weekend, Wall nailed down the second spot in the field and will go back to the SCT with some momentum. Manalapan, meanwhile, will almost certainly be a top eight seed, with somewhere in the Nos. 5 through 7 range most likely.

Group 9

Results

Toms River South 4, Matawan 0

Matawan 4, Henry Hudson 0

Monmouth 7, Henry Hudson 2

Toms River South 4, Henry Hudson 0

Monmouth 4, Matawan 1

Toms River South 2, Monmouth 1

Final Standings (Teams in Bold Advance)

Toms River South (9 points, +9 goal differential)
Monmouth (6 points, +8 goal differential)
Matawan (3 points, -3 goal differential)
Henry Hudson (0 points, -13 goal differential)

Toms River South and Monmouth each clinched before they met Saturday to decide the group winner. The top spot goes to Toms River South, which has one win within Class A South play, but three in SCT group play. Monmouth, meanwhile, has collected both of its wins this season in group play, which means both the representatives from this group are likely to be seeded toward the tail-end of their respective seeding groups – Toms River South among the group winners and Monmouth among the runners-up.

Group 10

Results Through Sept. 30

Toms River North 3, Middletown North 1

Point Beach 5, Donovan Catholic 2

Toms River North 4, Point Beach 0

Middletown North 5, Donovan Catholic 1

Middletown North 3, Point Beach 1

Remaining Games

Donovan Catholic at Toms River North – TBA

Already Clinched: Toms River North (first place in the group); Middletown North (second place)

Eliminated: Point Beach and Donovan Catholic

Current Standings (Team in Bold Advance)

Toms River North (6 points, +6 goal differential)
Middletown North (6 points, +4 goal differential)
Point Beach (3 points, -3 goal differential)
Donovan Catholic (0 points, -7 goal differential)

Although there is one game remaining on the group schedule, it is a game that would change nothing in the group standings. Toms River North and Middletown North have clinched the top two spots and with a head-to-head win over Middletown North, the Mariners earned a spot among the group winners. Both teams are ranked within the top five of the latest Shore 16, so Middletown North will be a dangerous double-digit seed.

Still In the Balance

Group 1

Results through Sept. 30

CBA 6, Neptune 0

Jackson Liberty 2, Pinelands 0

Jackson Liberty 4, Neptune 1

CBA 5, Jackson Liberty 0

Pinelands 4, Neptune 1

Remaining Games

CBA at Pinelands – Monday, Oct. 2

Current Standings

CBA (6 points, +11 goal differential)
Jackson Liberty (6 points, +1 goal differential)
Pinelands (3 points, +1 goal differential)
Neptune (0 points, -13 goal differential)

Already Clinched: CBA (no worse than second place in the group)

Eliminated: Neptune

Remaining Clinch scenarios

CBA: Can clinch first place in the group with win, draw or loss by margin of four goals or fewer vs. Pinelands.

Jackson Liberty: Can clinch second place in the group with CBA win or draw vs. Pinelands.

Pinelands: Can clinch first place in the group with a win by a five-goal margin or more vs. CBA; can clinch second place with a win of any kind.

Group 4

Results Through Sept. 30

Freehold Boro 3, Barnegat 0

Marlboro 0, Toms River East 0

Marlboro 4, Freehold Boro 1

Marlboro 6, Barnegat 0

Toms River East 3, Barnegat 0

Remaining Games

Freehold Boro at Toms River East – Monday, Oct. 2

Current Standings

Marlboro (7 points, +9 goal differential)
Toms River East (4 points, +3 goal differential)
Freehold Boro (3 points, 0 goal differential)
Barnegat (0 points, -9 goal differential)

Already Clinched: Marlboro (no worse than second place in the group)

Eliminated: Barnegat

Remaining Clinch Scenarios

Marlboro: Can clinch first place in the group with a Toms River East loss or draw vs. Freehold Boro OR with a Toms River East win over Freehold Boro by a margin of victory of no more than five goals.

Toms River East: Can clinch second place with a tie vs. Freehold Boro OR a win over Freehold Boro with a margin of victory of five goals or fewer. Can clinch first place with a six or more goals in a shutout win vs. Freehold Boro.

Freehold Boro: Can clinch second place with a win over Toms River East.

Group 6

Results Through Sept. 30

Rumson-Fair Haven 1, Ocean 1

Ocean 2, Keyport 0

Middletown South 2, Rumson-Fair Haven 1

Middletown South 8, Keyport 0

Rumson-Fair Haven 4, Lakewood 1

Ocean 1, Middletown South 0

Middletown South 0, Lakewood 0

Remaining Games

Lakewood at Ocean – Monday, Oct. 2

Rumson-Fair Haven at Keyport – Wednesday, Oct. 4

Keyport at Lakewood – TBA

Current Standings

Ocean (7 points, +3 goal differential)
Middletown South (7 points, +6 goal differential)
Rumson-Fair Haven (4 points, +2 goal differential)
Lakewood (1 point, -3 goal differential)
Keyport (0 points, -8 goal differential)

Remaining Clinch Scenarios

Ocean: Can clinch first place in the group with a win or draw vs. Lakewood. Can clinch second place in the group with a Rumson loss or tie vs. Keyport plus a Lakewood loss vs. Keyport.

Middletown South: Can clinch first place in the group with a Lakewood win over Ocean plus a Rumson-Fair Haven win over Keyport by a margin of victory of fewer than four goals. Can clinch second place in the group with an Ocean tie or win vs. Lakewood OR with a Lakewood win over Ocean by a margin of victory of fewer than four goals plus a Rumson win vs. Keyport by a margin of victory of five goals or more.

Rumson-Fair Haven: Can clinch second place in the group with a win over Keyport plus a Lakewood win over Ocean. Can clinch first place in the group with a win over Keyport by a margin of victory of five goals or more plus a Lakewood with vs. Ocean.

Lakewood: Can clinch second place in the group with wins over Ocean and Keyport plus a Keyport win or draw vs. Rumson. Can clinch first place in the group with wins over Ocean and Keyport with a cumulative margin of victory of 10 goals plus a Rumson margin of victory over Keyport of no more than four goals.

Group 7

Results through Sept. 30

Long Branch 1, Jackson Memorial 0

Brick 3, Ranney 2

Long Branch 2, Ranney 0

Jackson Memorial 0, Brick 0

Jackson Memorial 3, Ranney 0

Remaining Games

Brick at Long Branch – Tuesday, Oct. 3

Current Standings

Long Branch (6 points, +3 goal differential)
Jackson Memorial (4 points, +2 goal differential)
Brick (4 points, +1 goal differential)
Ranney (0 points, -6 goal differential)

Already Clinched: Long Branch (no worse than second place)

Eliminated: Ranney

Remaining Clinch Scenarios

Long Branch: Can clinch first place in the group with a win or tie vs. Brick.

Jackson Memorial: Can clinch second place in the group with a Long Branch win over Brick.

Brick: Can clinch second place in the group with a tie vs. Long Branch. Can clinch first place in the group with a win vs. Long Branch.

Group 8

Results through Sept. 30

Colts Neck 3, Lacey 0

Shore 9, Red Bank Catholic 0

Lacey 7, Red Bank Catholic 0

Colts Neck 7, Red Bank Catholic 0

Colts Neck 4, Shore 2

Remaining Games

Shore at Lacey – Monday, Oct. 2

Current Standings

Colts Neck (9 points, +11 goal differential)
Shore (3 points, +4 goal differential)
Lacey (3 points, +3 goal differential)
Red Bank Catholic (0 points, -18 goal differential)

Already Clinched: Colts Neck (first place in the group)

Eliminated: Red Bank Catholic

Remaining Clinch Scenarios

Shore: Can clinch second place in the group with a win or tie at Lacey.

Lacey: Can clinch second place in the group with win vs. Shore.

Group 11

Results Through Sept. 30

Red Bank 3, Asbury Park 1

Southern 6, Red Bank 1

Point Boro 5, Asbury Park 0

Red Bank 2, Point Boro 0

Southern 4, Asbury Park 1

Remaining Games

Point Boro at Southern – Friday, Oct. 6

Current Standings

Southern (6 points, +8 goal differential)
Red Bank (6 points, -1 goal differential)
Point Boro (3 points, +3 goal differential)
Asbury Park (0 points, -10 goal differential)

Already Clinched: Southern (at least second place)

Eliminated: Asbury Park

Remaining Clinch Scenarios

Southern: Can clinch first place in the group with a win or tie vs. Point Boro OR a loss to Point Boro by a margin of victory of no more than two goals.

Red Bank: Can clinch second place with a Southern win or tie vs. Point Boro.

Point Boro: Can clinch first place in the group with a win over Southern by a margin of victory of three goals or more. Can clinch second place in the group with a win over Southern by a margin of one or two goals.

Group Winners (Listed by current seed projection among qualifiers)

Howell

Toms River North

Manalapan

St. Rose

Toms River South

Runners-Up (Listed by current seed projection among qualifiers)

Middletown North

Central

Wall

Manasquan

Monmouth

Clinched SCT Berth (Group standing not yet settled)

CBA

Southern

Colts Neck

Marlboro

Long Branch

Teams Still Alive for SCT Berth (Group number)

Jackson Liberty (1)

Pinelands (1)

Toms River East (4)

Freehold Boro (4)

Ocean (6)

Middletown South (6)

Rumson-Fair Haven (6)

Lakewood (6)

Jackson Memorial (7)

Brick (7)

Shore (8)

Lacey (8)

Red Bank (11)

Point Boro (11)