High School Boys Soccer – Shore Conference Top 10, 9/23

The season is less than two weeks old, so the first version of the in-season top 10 is not much different than the preseason model. Nine of the teams in the preseason top 10 are back and outside of some jockeying among them, this week’s list looks rather similar to the first. There is however, one new team breaking into the field this week and it is a rather unlikely one.

1. Ocean (4-0-1, 2-0-1) Last Week: 1

The only hole one could possibly poke in Ocean’s start to the season is that the Spartans have had some close calls, including one tie against a Wall team that falls out of the top 10 this week. Go back one year, however, and Ocean routinely played close games and that only served to prepare the Spartans for a championship run. The Spartans will have their work cut out for them this week against Long Branch and upstart Matawan.

2. Rumson-Fair Haven (3-0-1, 2-0-1) Last Week: 3

It’s possible a 1-1 draw against Raritan was a letdown of sorts after Rumson rolled through rivals Holmdel and Red Bank Catholic, or it’s possible that Raritan may be a real sleeper. In any case, the Bulldogs are off to an impressive start and look like a team that will score a lot of goals this season, but the tie against Raritan is a reminder that while this is a very talented team, it is still an unproven one. The Bulldogs are set for rivalry matches against St. John Vianney and Red Bank this week with a home game against Monmouth mixed in.

3. Colts Neck (2-0-1, 2-0-1) Last Week: 4

The Cougars may have let one slip away in an opening-day tie against Howell, but they made up for it by rallying for a 2-1 win over Marlboro after falling into a 1-0 second-half hole. Colts Neck will face three very difficult tests this week against Middletown North, Freehold Township and Christian Brothers Academy.

4. Manalapan (4-0-0, 4-0-0) Last Week: 10

Only one result – a 5-0 win over Marlboro – looks overly dominant, but based on the total body of work, Manalapan is off to the best start of any team in the Shore Conference so far. If there was any doubt if the Braves were for real, a 2-0 win over preseason No. 6 Freehold Township should have cleared that up. Manalapan has yet to allow a goal through four games and nine different players have accounted for the team’s nine goals so far this year. Manalapan will take on Middletown North on Thursday before a second go-round with Middletown South on Saturday.

5. Toms River North (2-1-1, 2-0-1) Last Week: 2

The No. 2 preseason ranking was more of a projection than an up-to-date assessment because the Mariners were going to have to work out some kinks. Considering that Toms River North is still putting the pieces together a 2-1-1 start with a road draw at Jackson Memorial and a one-goal loss to a talented Monroe team are not major setbacks. Brick, Brick Memorial and Lacey await this week and depending on how Toms River North fares this week, it could be looking at a run toward the top of the rankings if things keep progressing.

6. Jackson Memorial (4-0-1, 1-0-1) Last Week: 9

The Jaguars earned two good results against ranked opponents last week with a scoreless draw against Toms River North and a win over Long Branch, but the most impressive result to this point may be a 2-0 road win over Brick Memorial. Three of Jackson Memorial’s wins so far are on their home field, but the one on the road against a Mustangs team that is averaging three goals per game shows the Jaguars can travel.

7. Freehold Township (3-1-0, 2-1-0) Last Week: 6

Freehold Township is the youngest team in the top 10, so an early-season loss to a hot Manalapan team is not an issue. The Patriots scored six goals on opening day against Freehold Borough, but have scored only two in three games since. Things won’t get any easier this week against Howell Monday, CBA on Tuesday and No. 3 Colts Neck on Thursday.

8. Holmdel (4-1-0, 3-1-0) Last Week: 7

The Hornets came out firing against No. 2 Rumson-Fair Haven last week, but will have to regroup after falling 3-2 to the Bulldogs. Fortunately for them, Rumson’s tie against Raritan leaves the door open for Holmdel to chase down a fourth straight Class A Central title if it can run the table. Holmdel will travel to Manasquan and host crosstown-rival St. John Vianney this week.

9. Long Branch (2-1-2, 1-0-2) Last Week: 8

After a 2-0 start, Long Branch has failed to come away with a win in any of its last three matches. One was a draw against preseason No. 5 Wall, but the second came against a young, rebuilding Freehold side that left the Green Wave with heavy legs going to Jackson Memorial for a 5-2 loss the next morning. Junior midfielder Manny Camacho did not play in that game, so Long Branch does not take too big of a hit for losing to another top 10 team on the road under those circumstances. The Wave tries to get back on track against No. 1 Ocean and Neptune this week.

10. Matawan (3-1-0, 3-1-0) Last Week: Unranked

The two teams best suited for the final top-10 spot are Matawan and CBA and Matawan breaks through on the strength of its win over Wall. The Crimson Knights tied No. 1 Ocean while CBA beat a Howell team that tied No. 3 Colts Neck, so if these rankings are to be honored, Matawan owns the edge here. Beyond the logistics, the Huskies are the feel-good story of the Shore so far. Coming off a 4-14 season and a 0-12 division record, Matawan has taken down Freehold, Neptune and Wall in the early going. The Huskies will get a chance to move up this week with a trip to Red Bank and a showdown at home against No. 1 Ocean on Thursday.

Dropped Out

Wall (3-1-2, 1-1-2) Last Week: 5 – The Crimson Knights are waiting on two transfers, so their best days are still ahead.

On the Bubble

Christian Brothers Academy (2-1-0, 2-1-0) Last Week: Unranked – After a 1-0 loss to Manalapan, the Colts have won two straight and might have some life in the Class A North race.

Shore (4-1-0, 2-0-0) Last Week: Unranked – Outside of a 6-1 loss to Don Bosco, the Blue Devils have been dominant. The indefinite loss of junior Lukas Montesinos, who left a 3-0 win over Point Boro on Saturday with an elbow injury, could be a problem.

Raritan (3-1-1, 1-1-1) Last Week: Unranked – A 1-1 draw against a talented Rumson should raise some antennas of future Rockets opponents.