Boys Soccer Top 10, Sept. 28

At first glance, there is not much difference between this week’s top 10 and last week’s, but you might notice that, unlike the last couple of weeks, there are some teams outside the rankings that are starting to close the gap and push for a spot. Manalapan and Toms River North continue to impress at the top, Shore has handled its business, and just about every other team has a blemish of some kind. In what appears to be a mostly-even Shore Conference, the second time through the division could make for some revenge results and further cloud the top 10.

1. Manalapan (5-0-1, 4-0-1) Last Week: 1

The Braves played only one game last week, but it was a win and it was a big one. A 2-0 win over Freehold Township puts Manalapan in the driver’s seat in the Class A North race and the Braves continue to play like the class of the Shore Conference.

2. Toms River North (7-1-0, 6-0-0) Last Week: 3

The only difference between Toms River North and Manalapan is that Toms River North had to open its season at Kearny, hence the one loss. Since then, the Mariners have had no trouble scoring and have recently started to keep teams out of the goal. While the A South schedule has challenged Toms River North to a degree, the Mariners face their biggest challenge this week in a game against Toms River South.

3. Shore (8-1-0, 6-0-0) Last Week: 4

The Blue Devils are going to be heavy favorites in the rest of the regular-season games, so they may not be going anywhere in these rankings. The only issue they will run into is while other teams pick up big wins, there is not much Shore can do to move the needle before the playoffs start. On the positive end, an unbeaten Shore Conference regular season is well within reach at this point.

4. Toms River South (6-1-0, 5-1-0) Last Week: 2

The Indians defense was the iron curtain of the Shore Conference, but there were some cracks in the wall over the past week. Brick Memorial scored a harmless goal at the end of a 4-1 Toms River South win, but then two early goals allowed in a comeback win over Toms River East and two more in a 2-0 loss to Lacey have given the Indians some kinks to work out.

5. Freehold Township (4-2-0, 4-2-0) Last Week: 5

The Patriots hold on to the No. 5 spot despite an 0-1 week because that one loss was to the No. 1 team. Scoring issues might be creeping in for Freehold Township over two consecutive scoreless games, but it’s not enough to knock them from the top five unless it persists or until one of the Class B North teams seizes the divisional race.

6. Red Bank (4-2, 3-2) Last Week: 7

The Bucs got back on track with a resounding 5-2 win over Colts Neck, and they now have wins over two teams below them in the rankings. Red Bank has been giving up more goals since a 3-0 win over Wall, but the Bucs have made up for it by running up big scoring numbers of their own.

7. Wall (6-2-0, 4-1-0) Last Week: 8

The Crimson Knights survived a rivalry game against Manasquan on Saturday and have now won four in a row since their lopsided loss to Red Bank. After all of that, Wall is still alone in first place in Class B North with a chance to solidify that position by beating Ocean this week.

8. Brick Memorial (5-2-1, 3-2-1) Last Week: 9

The Mustangs capped an up-and-down week with an overtime win over Jackson Memorial and have built the profile of a team that has handled the games it is supposed to handle. Couple that reliability with an early-season win over an accomplished Colts Neck team, and Brick Memorial has to stay in the rankings for the time being.

9. Colts Neck (5-3-0, 4-2-0) Last Week: 10

After a rough outing under the lights at Red Bank, Colts Neck bounced back by beating Ocean and further jumbling the division race behind current pace-setter Wall. The loss to Brick Memorial to open the season is going to be significant in Shore Conference Tournament seeding because that game – along with Toms River North’s win over Wall – best measures the two divisions against one another.

10. Matawan (6-1-0, 4-1-0) Last Week: Not ranked

The Huskies debut in the top 10 behind a solid résumé that now includes a win over a fringe top 10 team in Long Branch. Matawan’s lone loss is a 1-0 decision to Holmdel and with a few more key divisional wins over Rumson, Monmouth, Raritan and St. John Vianney, the Huskies currently sit atop what has been a surprisingly wide-open A Central division.

Dropped Out

Ocean (3-5-0, 3-2-0) Last Week: 6 – Three straight losses have cooled off the previously surging Spartans.

On the Bubble

Lacey (5-3-1, 3-2-1) Last Week: Not ranked – With a win over Toms River South and a draw vs. Brick, the Lions are coming on strong.

Christian Brothers Academy (4-3-0, 4-3-0) Last Week: Not ranked – The talent is still there and perhaps the Colts have already endured their rough stretch.

Marlboro (5-2-0, 4-2-0) Last Week: Not ranked – Huge week upcoming for Marlboro, which takes on CBA, Freehold and Freehold Township in a series of games that will determine what kind of staying power the Mustangs have.

Long Branch (6-3-0, 3-2-0) Last Week: Not ranked – The Green Wave have fallen victim to some more close losses this year, but they are still in good shape if they can catch fire now.

Central (6-1-0, 4-1-0) Last Week: Not ranked – Donovan Catholic’s struggles make Central’s loss look more and more like a fluke, but the Golden Eagles have some work to do to get back into the top 10.

Point Boro (6-2-0, 5-1-0) Last Week: Not ranked – With just one Shore Conference loss to a strong Central team and a five-game winning streak, Point Boro is picking up steam in B South.