After a rockier regular season than it has grown accustomed to in recent years, Freehold Township finished off another NJSIAA sectional championship by beating rival Manalapan.
The top five teams in the Shore 16 stay the same after the opening round of the NJSIAA Tournament, while a tournament upset fueled Manchester's return to the rankings.
Kelly and Jayme Malanda scored with two minutes of one another and Middletown North beat St. John Vianney, 2-0, to win the 2023 Shore Conference Coaches Cup.
Middletown South played hard defense and goalie Allie Greco made diving save after diving save to advance into the SCT Finals for the first time since 1998.
Behind a dominant second-half performance, Howell rolled to a 4-1 win over Manasquan and locked up a spot in the Shore Conference final for the second straight year.