Boys Soccer Top 10, Oct. 4

Amid all of the top 10 changes this season, the No. 1 spot has always remained a constant. That all changes this week, and it’s not an easy call. Manalapan is the defending Shore Conference Tournament champion and plays in a Class A North division that is traditionally the most competitive in the Shore Conference, so the Braves should be afforded a loss or two before abdicating the throne.

On the flip side, the results are supposed to dictate the top 10 and comparing the results of all Shore Conference teams against one another, there is one team who has Manalapan beat on paper to this point. It’s not to say the Shore Conference Tournament committee will agree or that it will remain this way next week after Manalapan plays Freehold Township for a second time, but in this time and space, there is one résumé that has Manalapan’s beat on one very important front.

1. Shore (10-1-0, 8-0-0) Last Week: 3

Shore’s rise to No. 1 in the Shore Conference is basically unprecedented for a team out of Class B Central, but the Blue Devils have done everything one could ask of a team with a built-in schedule littered with small schools. Shore has had two chances to beat noteworthy teams from outside the division and the Blue Devils stuck the landing on each opportunity, beating both Middletown North and Ocean by a count of 3-0. This still probably will not be enough to get Shore a No. 1 seed at the Shore Conference Tournament seeding meeting, especially since its lone out-of-division game remaining is against a sub-.500 Rumson squad, but the Blue Devils have done enough on paper – and on the field – to at least keep the top spot warm.

2. Manalapan (7-1-1, 6-1-1) Last Week: 1

Manalapan probably could have afforded to lose to any other team and keep its No. 1 ranking, but losing to Middletown North did two things that ultimately led to Manalapan falling from No. 1. First, it left a team in the division that Manalapan has not – and will not – beat prior to the start of the postseason tournaments. Secondly, that team is also one that Shore – a team unbeaten against Shore Conference competition – hammered 3-0. There are some mitigating factors that could arguably have made Manalapan’s games against Middletown North tougher, but the results are the results. Sweeping season series from both Freehold Township and CBA would probably be enough to boost Manalapan back to No. 1 going into the SCT.

3. Toms River South (8-1-0, 7-1-0) Last Week: 4

The Indians dropped in the rankings last week behind a loss to Lacey, but a big win over Toms River North got Toms River South back to the top of the A South standings and heading in the right direction in the rankings. Toms River South has yet to go on a dominant run in which they bury teams by three or four goals, but the Indians have shown they can win a close game and that might be an even better trend to follow going forward.

4. Toms River North (8-2-0, 7-1-0) Last Week: 2

Although the loss to Toms River South this past week temporarily knocked Toms River North from the discussion for the No. 1 team in the Shore Conference, but the Mariners should feel pretty well-positioned to make one more run at a top seed before the start of the SCT. Toms River North still gets another shot at Toms River South after outplaying the Indians for long stretches of a 2-1 loss, and it followed the close loss up with a second win over a tough Lacey team.

5. Freehold Twp. (7-2-0, 7-2-0) Last Week: 5

Although the Patriots have battled the usual amount of injury issues, they are probably as healthy as they have been in the last couple of seasons and it is showing. Since the return of senior goalkeeper Brian Shuhkovsky from a wrist injury, Freehold Township has won three straight without surrendering a goal. This week will be a pivotal one for Freehold Township, which plays home games against CBA and Manalapan over a four-day stretch.

6. Red Bank (7-2-0, 7-2-0) Last Week: 6

Like Freehold Township, Red Bank suffered a two-game losing streak before bouncing back on the heels of a change at goalkeeper. Senior Connor Kelly has stepped in and gone 3-0 in goal for Red Bank, with a win over Wall on Thursday the latest and most important of the victories in the Bucs' quest for a division title. With two wins over the second-place Crimson Knights, Red Bank has the inside track for the B North championship which, considering how many land mines there are throughout the division, does not amount to a whole lot.

7. Christian Brothers Academy (7-3-0, 7-3-0) Last Week: Not ranked

The loss to Middletown South is looking more and more perplexing, and after CBA’s 5-0 Friday drubbing of the Eagles, it also appears to be a fluke. The Colts still have not defeated either Manalapan or Freehold Township to counter the loss to Middletown South, but they have defeated a rising Middletown North team twice, including once last week. CBA may have to beat either Manalapan or Freehold Township to solidify a top-10 spot, although few teams below them have made convincing top-10 cases.

8. Middletown North (4-4-2, 4-3-2) Last Week: Not ranked

The Lions make their first appearance in the top 10 this season and considering the Lions began the season 0-3, this is quite the climb. Since that poor start over three games – which included losses to Shore, CBA and Marlboro – Middletown North has gone 4-1-2, knocking off the likes of Manalapan and Freehold Township while losing only to CBA in a 1-0 game. With a 1-0-1 regular-season record against Manalapan, the Lions are lined up for a favorable SCT seed if they can qualify.

9. Wall (7-3-1, 5-2-1) Last Week: 7

The Crimson Knights’ division title hopes took a hit with a loss to Red Bank on Thursday, but those hopes have not dwindled away. In a tricky Class B North landscape that still includes games against Long Branch and Ocean, Wall will have to play well in order to avoid another stumble. On the bright side, Red Bank has a similar plight with games remaining against Ocean, Colts Neck and Long Branch. While this week is a big week for both teams, this race is far from over.

10. Brick Memorial (6-2-2, 4-2-2) Last Week: 8

The Mustangs have remained under the radar recently but have still managed to do just enough to stay in the top 10 thanks to some slip-ups by other teams. Brick Memorial has wins over Southern (twice), Brick and Jackson Memorial within the division, so this is a team that has handled its business more than it has impressed. With wins over Colts Neck and Howell out of division, there is still just enough here to keep Brick Memorial in, but the Mustangs are just barely hanging on.

Dropped Out

Colts Neck (5-5-0, 4-3-0) Last Week: 9 – The Cougars lost another game to an A South opponent last week (Lacey) and have fallen back in the B North race as well.

Matawan (8-2-0, 6-2-0) Last Week: 10 – The wild Class A Central race still finds Matawan at the top, but the division still has some proving to do to get its division champion some love.

On the Bubble

Point Boro (8-2-0, 7-1-0) Last Week: Not ranked – Point Boro falls in the same category as Matawan – a team playing really well, but could use another noteworthy win. The Panthers can get that win Monday at Central.

Jackson Memorial (6-5-1, 4-4-1) Last Week: Not ranked – The Jaguars handled Lacey and beat Toms River East on the road, a sign that they could be coming out of a midseason malaise that briefly dropped them under .500.

Lacey (6-5-1, 3-4-1) Last Week: Not ranked – The Lions were close to the top 10 last week and poised to get in after beating Colts Neck on Monday, but consecutive losses to Jackson Memorial and Toms River North keep them out for now. Lacey still has some quality wins, so a little more consistency over the next two weeks could really boost the Lions.