Boys Soccer – Jalen Folsom’s Clean Sheet Highlights TR South Win vs. Southern

TOMS RIVER - In a Shore Conference Class A South showdown in which the two goalkeepers traded highlight-reel saves throughout the 80 minutes of play, it figures that the only goal scored would be self-inflicted.

An own goal six minutes into the second half was the only score in Toms River South's 1-0 win over Southern - the No. 9 team in the Shore Sports Network Top 10 - and Indians sophomore goalkeeper Jalen Folson put an exclamation mark on the victory with a penalty kick save in the 58th that preserved the lead.

Monday night's game between was action-packed despite the teams combining for just one goal. Within the first four minutes, Southern senior Ethan Leming nailed the right post from 30 yards out and Rams goalkeeper Braden Dugan saved a 10-yard rip by Toms River South senior Dustin Urbaczek.

Dugan went on to save six shots in the first half alone, the majority of which were of the acrobatic variety thanks to a formidable Toms River South attack. The junior finished with eight saves in the game.

Folsom didn't face the volume of dangerous shots that his counterpart did, but he still saved six shots and made the biggest play of the game in the 58th minute.

A handball in the penalty box gave Southern a penalty kick that would have tied the game. Leming stepped up to take the shot and hit a thigh-high bullet that headed toward the right corner of the goal. Folsom, however, anticipated the shot, laid out to his left and pushed the ball wide of the post, after which his teammates mobbed him prior to the ensuing Rams corner kick.

While Toms River South escaped that threat, the Indians lost Urbaczek to his second yellow card on the play and had to play with 10 men for the remainder of the game. The Indians controlled play for the remainder of the game up to that point and were able to hold their own defensively in front of Folsom.

Toms River South finally broke through in the 46th minute when senior Matt Babcock carried the ball to the endline on the right side and ripped a near-post cross. Junior Ruben Gallo challenged for the ball in the air and it glanced off the head of Southern defender Ben Henneman and into the far side netting.

Monday's win was the first for Toms River South over a team that currently sports a winning record. The Indians lost to first-place Jackson Memorial on two late goals and conceded a hat trick to Brick Memorial's Erik Fatovic in a 3-2 loss to the Mustangs.

Southern entered the game on a four-game winning streak, which included handing Jackson its only loss of the season.

Box Score

Toms River South 1, Southern 0