Boys Soccer SCT Group Stage Preview

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In past years, September 8 would be a solid month prior to the Boys Soccer Shore Conference Tournament even being seeded. Under the new format of the Shore Conference Tournament, however, the SCT gets underway on the second day of the season.

The group stage of the new-look Shore Conference Tournament begins Friday with Freehold taking on Barnegat in Group 4 and continues over the weekend into a 20-game slate on Monday.

By the end of the day Monday (weather permitting), the first set of group-stage games will be completed and the tone will be set in each of the four-team pools (and one five-team pool). The first set of games features all of the top two seeds in each group squaring off against one another, so there is little time to waste for teams to hit their strides.

The winners of this first set of games will emerge one result away from advancing to the 22-team knockout round of the tournament, which is slated to begin on Oct. 9. The losers, meanwhile, will have their backs against the wall heading into the second set of games and would likely have to avoid a loss in their final two games. There is also the possibility of a draw, which would put the pressure on both of the drawing teams to pick up a win the next time out.

With some huge matches coming up over the next four days, let’s get set for the SCT group stage with a quick look at each group.

Group 1

Teams (with SSN Rank): No. 1 Christian Brothers Academy, Neptune, Pinelands, Jackson Liberty

SSN Group Finish Prediction

CBA
Pinelands
Jackson Liberty
Neptune

CBA is the heavy, heavy favorite to win this group, but the interesting story in Group 1 is who will join the Colts in advancing. Neptune, Pinelands and Jackson Liberty have all had recent success, but are all staring at likely down years due to significant losses to graduation over the past year (three years in the case of Pinelands). In the old SCT format, none of these three teams would be likely SCT participants, but this season, one of them will be. Technically, at least one of them will advance, but if we are calling a spade a spade, you can write “CBA” in ink on the list of 22 teams that will be playing for the title in mid-October.

Group 1 Schedule

Monday, Sept. 11

Neptune at CBA, 4 p.m.

Pinelands at Jackson Liberty, 3:45 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 14

Jackson Liberty at Neptune, 3:45 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 23

CBA at Pinelands, 10 a.m.

Monday, Sept. 25

Pinelands at Neptune, 3:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 26

Jackson Liberty at CBA, 4 p.m.

Group 2

Teams: No. 2 Holmdel, No. 8 Howell, Manchester, Central

SSN Group Finish Prediction

Holmdel
Howell
Central
Manchester

There is a short list of candidates for the “Group of Death” and this one probably tops it. Holmdel and Howell met in the Shore Conference semifinals last season and both open the season ranked among the top 10 teams in the Shore Sports Network Shore 16. Manchester has one of the top goal-scorers at the Shore in Joey Kurak, while Central is littered with experience and coming off a season-opening win over Jackson Memorial.

With some legitimate talent on every roster, the first games in this group will be colossal. Holmdel and Howell will battle it out on Monday in a rematch of Howell’s SCT semifinal win over the Hornets a year ago – a game that will feature a little more than half of the starters who played in last year’s game. The loser of that game will face enormous pressure in the next group game and while many other top teams that take a loss in their first game will have soft second opponents, neither Holmdel nor Howell will have a cakewalk. For Manchester and Central, the winner of that game on Monday will have a chance to bust the bracket by earning a result against one of the top teams.

Group 2 Schedule

Monday, Sept. 11

Howell at Holmdel, 3:45 p.m.

Manchester at Central, 3:45 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 16

Holmdel at Manchester, 10 a.m.

Saturday, Sept. 23

Central at Howell, 10 a.m.

Friday, Sept. 29

Central at Holmdel, 3:45 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 30

Manchester at Howell, 10 a.m.

Group 3

Teams: No. 13 Freehold Twp., No. 10 Manasquan, St. Rose, Raritan

SSN Group Finish Prediction

Manasquan
Freehold Twp.
St. Rose
Raritan

When it comes to public-school programs at the Shore, Freehold Township takes a backseat to no one. The Patriots have qualified for 19 consecutive Shore Conference Tournaments – a streak that will be put to the test in group play (the official Shore Conference Tournament does not begin until the knockout round). Manasquan is deep, athletic and will bring plenty of scoring firepower to Freehold when the two teams meet on Monday.

This is another group with four quality teams and whichever of St. Rose and Raritan emerges on top will have a legitimate shot to advance out of the group stage. St. Rose, in particular, is a sleeper to win the group after the Purple Roses reached the Non-Public B final a year ago. St. Rose vs. Manasquan is a rivalry game and the Roses will get their shot at Freehold Township on their pristine grass field.

Group 3 Schedule

Monday, Sept. 11

Manasquan at Freehold Twp., 4 p.m.

St. Rose at Raritan, 3:45 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 16

Raritan at Manasquan, 10 a.m.

Monday, Sept. 25

St. Rose at Manasquan, 3:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 26

Raritan at Freehold Twp., 4 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 30

Freehold Twp. at St. Rose, 11 a.m.

Group 4

Teams: No. 3 Marlboro, Toms River East, Freehold Boro, Barnegat

SSN Group Finish Prediction

Marlboro
Toms River East
Freehold Boro
Barnegat

The key word in Group 4 is location. Toms River East has a speedy roster that plays on turf and the Raiders drew a group with two teams in Marlboro and Freehold Boro that play on very unpredictable grass surfaces. All things considered, the Raiders got the best draw possible: beating Marlboro would be incredibly difficult on any surface, so getting a sneaky-good Freehold Boro team on the turf in Toms River should give the Raiders some peace of mind.

Marlboro will go into this one as a considerable favorite, but if there is one question the Mustangs face coming out of a tough, 1-0 loss to CBA on opening day, it’s ‘Will they score enough?’ Whether they can score enough to win a championship remains to be seen, but they figure to have enough to get out of this group. With that being said, Toms River East is capable and Freehold Boro has a chance to be one of the Shore’s most improved teams.

Group 4 Schedule

Friday, Sept. 8

Freehold Boro at Barnegat, 3:45 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 11

Toms River East at Marlboro, 3:45 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 14

Marlboro at Freehold Boro, 3:45 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 23

Barnegat at Marlboro, 10 a.m.

Freehold Boro at Toms River East, 10 a.m.

Saturday, Sept. 30

Barnegat at Toms River East, 10 a.m.

Group 5

Teams: No. 14 Wall, No. 5 Manalapan, Brick Memorial, St. John Vianney

SSN Group Finish Prediction

Manalapan
Wall
St. John Vianney
Brick Memorial

Defense is the name of the game at the top of Group 5, with traditional defensive stalwarts Wall and Manalapan set to clash on Monday in the tone-setting match of the group. Manalapan will not open its season until Saturday at Howell, while Wall is coming off a 2-1 overtime loss at Shore in which the Crimson Knights played with 10 men for the final 15 minutes or so. Both teams have tournament pedigree, with Wall reaching the Central Group II final last year and Manalapan two years removed from an SCT semifinal appearance.

St. John Vianney looks like the potential spoiler of the bunch. Brick Memorial graduated most of its 2022 team, while the Lancers boast a roster that is young, but also experienced at the varsity level. Manalapan is another team with a home field that could present problems to teams used to turf, but both Wall and St. John Vianney will get the Braves at home.

Group 5 Schedule

Monday, Sept. 11

Manalapan at Wall, 3:45 p.m.

Brick Memorial at St. John Vianney, 3:45 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 16

Wall at Brick Memorial, 10 a.m.

Monday, Sept. 25

St. John Vianney at Wall, 7 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 26

Brick Memorial at Manalapan, 3:45 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 30

Manalapan at St. John Vianney, 10 a.m.

Group 6

Teams: No. 15 Rumson-Fair Haven, Ocean, No. 12 Middletown South, Lakewood, Keyport

SSN Group Finish Prediction

Middletown South
Ocean
Rumson-Fair Haven
Lakewood
Keyport

The lone group that includes five teams, Group 6 boasts three teams that are almost certainly among the 22 best in the Shore Conference in Rumson, Ocean and Middletown South. At least one of them, however, will not make it to the knockout stage of the tournament. Middletown South and Ocean are coming off impressive wins over ranked teams to open their respective seasons, while Rumson blanked Raritan with a lineup that featured seven players making their first career starts.

This one could really go in any of three directions and because of that, this group might be the one with the most drama, not to mention the most games. Middletown South has the best player in the group in striker Shawn McCann, but Ocean’s Alexander Korolev has a pretty good case for himself too. Lakewood is a legitimate x-factor and is a good bet to give at least one of the three favorites a hard time – perhaps even hard enough to earn a result.

Group 6 Schedule

Saturday, Sept. 9

Rumson-Fair Haven at Ocean, 10 a.m.

Monday, Sept. 11

Ocean at Keyport, 3:45 p.m.

Middletown South at Rumson-Fair Haven, 3:45 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 16

Keyport at Middletown South, 10 a.m.

Friday, Sept. 22

Rumson-Fair Haven at Lakewood, 3:45 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 25

Keyport at Lakewood, 3:45 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 29

Ocean at Middletown South, 3:45 p.m.

Rumson-Fair Haven at Keyport, 4 p.m.

Monday, Oct. 2

Lakewood at Ocean, 3:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 10

Middletown South at Lakewood, 4 p.m.

Group 7

Teams: No. 10 Long Branch, Jackson Memorial, Ranney, Brick

SSN Group Finish Prediction

Long Branch
Jackson Memorial
Brick
Ranney

As the team with the most power points in the group over the past three seasons, Long Branch gets to host Jackson Memorial and getting that game on its turf rather than riding a bus to play Jackson on turf likely produced a sigh of relief among the Green Wave contingent. Jackson Memorial has a good deal of senior experience, but Long Branch also has plenty of firepower left. The Green Wave will have to manage without talented forward Nick Borges Da Silva, who was sent off with a red card in the season-opened loss to Ocean, so the door is open for Jackson Memorial to gain the upper hand.

Ranney has been the more accomplished of the other two teams in Group 7 in recent years, but Brick appears to be on the upswing and could position itself for a chance to sneak into the knockout round. The Green Dragons have what is still a young roster and with an even younger group last year, they had some encouraging moments.

Group 7 Schedule

Monday, Sept. 11

Jackson Memorial at Long Branch, 4 p.m.

Ranney at Brick, 3:45 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 14

Long Branch at Ranney, 4 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 15

Brick at Jackson Memorial, 3 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 29

Brick at Long Branch, 3:45 p.m.

Ranney at Jackson Memorial, 4 p.m.

Group 8

Teams: No. 6 Colts Neck, Lacey, No. 16 Shore, Red Bank Catholic

SSN Group Finish Prediction

Colts Neck
Shore
Lacey
Red Bank Catholic

There is not shortage of youth in Group 8, with Colts Neck and Shore each sporting rosters that, while very good this year, may not fully peak until next year. Lacey also has a sprinkling of sophomores around its senior standout Mateo Pasqualichio and Red Bank Catholic is under the direction of new coach John Killick.

The game to watch in this group will be on Sept. 23, when Colts Neck visits Shore. Both teams have offensive minded formations with creative players – a recipe for a goal-lover’s delight that could decide a group winner and perhaps knock a good team out of the field, depending how both perform vs. Lacey. The Lions are another capable side – one that will have the advantage of playing a young Colts Neck team in its season-opener and Shore at their home field in Southern Ocean County.

Group 8 Schedule

Monday, Sept. 11

Lacey at Colts Neck, 4 p.m.

Shore at Red Bank Catholic, 6:30 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 15

Red Bank Catholic at Lacey, 3:45 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 23

Colts Neck at Shore, 10 a.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 26

Shore at Lacey, 4 p.m.

Friday, Sept. 29

Red Bank Catholic at Colts Neck, 4 p.m.

Group 9

Teams: Toms River South, Monmouth, Matawan, Henry Hudson

SSN Group Finish Prediction

Toms River South
Matawan
Monmouth
Henry Hudson

Group 9 is the only group that does not include a team ranked in the SSN Shore 16, although it is still too early to tell how accurate those rankings are. Toms River South certainly has the makings of a team that will spend some time in the rankings, with senior striker Kenny Caruso leading a junior-heavy group that has a chance to break through in Class A South this season. Considering how young the roster is, Toms River South gets what appears to be a favorable draw.

Monmouth and Matawan are both coming off losing seasons and lost key players from 2022, although both teams also showed last season that they are dangerous in in a tournament setting. Matawan, in particular, battled through a difficult Class B North schedule, tied Long Branch, then went on to reach the semifinals of the Central Group III Playoffs. Monmouth is also used to playing two tough teams per week as a member of the Class A Central division, so there should be some serious battles in this group.

Group 9 Schedule

Saturday, Sept. 9

Toms River South at Matawan, 10 a.m.

Monday, Sept. 11

Matawan at Henry Hudson, 3:45 p.m.

Monmouth at Toms River South, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 16

Henry Hudson at Monmouth, 3:45 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 25

Henry Hudson at Toms River South, 3:45 p.m.

Tuesday, Sept. 26

Matawan at Monmouth, 3:45 p.m.

Group 10

Teams: No. 4 Toms River North, No. 7 Middletown North, Point Pleasant Beach, Donovan Catholic

SSN Group Finish Prediction

Toms River North
Middletown North
Donovan Catholic
Point Beach

Saturday’s Group 10 opener between Toms River North and Middletown North might be the best matchup in the entire group stage. Both heavyweights have enjoyed recent tournament success, with Toms River North two years removed from reaching the SCT final and Middletown North one year removed from rumbling into the SCT semifinals as a No. 13 seed. Toms River North is a much different team than it was two years ago, but most of last year’s Class A North championship team is back and looking like a powerhouse after routing Toms River East on opening night. Middletown North brings back nine starters from last year and will open its season Saturday at Toms River North.

Donovan Catholic and Point Beach are both longshots in this bracket, but either could make a memorable moment with a win over the other to open group play.

Group 10 Schedule

Saturday, Sept. 9

Middletown North at Toms River North, 10 a.m.

Monday, Sept. 11

Point Beach at Donovan Catholic, 3:45 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 16

Toms River North at Point Beach, 10 a.m.

Donovan Catholic at Middletown North, 10 a.m.

Monday, Sept. 25

Point Beach at Middletown North, 3:45 p.m.

Donovan Catholic at Toms River North, 6:30 p.m.

Group 11

Teams: No. 11 Southern, Point Pleasant Boro, Red Bank, Asbury Park

SSN Group Finish Prediction

Southern
Point Boro
Red Bank
Asbury Park

Although Southern is the ranked team among this Group 11 bunch, Point Boro might have an edge over the Rams based on senior experience. The Panthers have four core seniors on the attack, plus a senior goalkeeper in Andrew Holper, while Southern’s roster is heavy on juniors with a dose of sophomore impact as well. That being said, Southern is deep, balanced, dangerous and the Rams play very well together, despite a younger roster.

Red Bank will be an interesting team to follow over the course of the season. The Bucs have a fair amount of playing experience back and coach Dave Santos has experience elevating a program, which he did at Marlboro in his previous head-coaching stop. Asbury Park can also be a difficult matchup if one of these teams catches the Blue Bishops on the wrong day.

Group 11 Schedule

Monday, Sept. 11

Point Boro at Southern, 4:30 p.m.

Red Bank at Asbury Park, 3:45 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 16

Asbury Park at Point Boro, 9 a.m.

Southern at Red Bank, 10 a.m.

Saturday, Sept. 23

Red Bank at Point Boro, 9 a.m.

Monday, Sept. 25

Asbury Park at Southern, 6 p.m.

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