Soccer – Surf Taco Week 6 Boys and Girls Players of the Week: Jalen Folsom and Sophia Racioppi

SSN Surf Taco Week 6 Boys Soccer Player of the Week

Jalen Folsom, Toms River South

Goalkeepers deserve love too and a wave of support made sure Jalen Folsom got his this week.

For three seasons now, Folsom has shined during tournament time and this year, his team has done so along with him. After disappointing exits in the first round of both the Shore Conference and state tournaments last year in which Folsom did not concede a goal in regulation, Toms River South responded by advancing to this year’s SCT quarterfinals on the strength of two shutouts.

Following a dominant 3-0 win over Pinelands in round one, the Indians knocked out top-seeded Holmdel on penalty kicks after a 0-0 draw. Folsom made three huge saves in the late stages of the second half and stopped Holmdel’s final penalty shot in the shootout to punch his team’s ticket to the final eight.

Toms River South is 5-5-2 on the season and of those seven combined wins and ties, six of them are shutouts logged by Folsom and his defense.

Folsom picked up 30 percent of this week's vote to win a $25 Surf Taco gift card by a wide margin over Neptune's Louis Pennington (12.2 percent), Colts Neck's Dylan Jacobs (11.5 percent) and Monmouth's Diego Ibarra (10.9 percent).

SSN Surf Taco Week 6 Girls Soccer Player of the Week

Sophia Racioppi, Toms River North

In a tournament of upsets, No. 4 Toms River North narrowly avoided an upset in the round of 16 thanks to some late magic in regulation and an overtime strike by Racioppi.

The Mariners were pushed to the limit by Class A South rival Southern in a victory that took a second overtime period to settle. Senior Paige Farley scored in the final minute to tie the game, setting the stage for the freshman to be the hero in overtime.

Senior Julia Fiorito beat a defender goal toward the left post and skipped a pass across the goal, when Racioppi ran to the far past and one-timed the golden goal into the net to set off the celebration.

Racioppi made it a Toms River sweep for the boys and girls players of the week by collecting just under 33 percent of the vote - 11 percent more than runner-up Angie Shekian from unbeaten Middletown South. She will also be awarded a gift card for Surf Taco.