FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – Last season Freehold Township went 23-1-1 and finished ranked second in the state. Its lone loss came in the Shore Conference Tournament final when they dropped a 4-2 decision to Wall, who finished ranked No. 1 in the state and won the NJSIAA Group II championship.
Their only other blemish on an otherwise perfect season was a 0-0 tie to Ridge in the NJSIAA Group IV final that still gave them a share of the state championship. It was the second time in three years that they tied Ridge for share of the title, with their 2015 win being the program’s first-ever state title.
Last year’s team was an offensive force led by Jada and Jasmine Colbert, who were both first-team All-State and first-team All-Shore selections after scoring 25 and 21 goals, respectively, along with 11 and 18 assists to lead the Patriots.
However, both high-scoring standouts graduated, as did second-team All-Shore midfielder Laura Noseworthy (16 goals, 18 assists), along with a number of other big-time contributors from last year’s state champs.
Although not the offensive juggernaut they were a season ago, the Patriots (11-3-1) have quietly put together another successful season as they transformed themselves into more of a defensive-minded team that needed to redesign its offensive approach with the departure of last season’s top three scorers.
Still, the Patriots captured the Class A North championship and are currently ranked fifth in the Shore Conference and received a No. 3 seed and a bye in the Shore Conference Tournament.
One of the driving forces behind their stellar defensive play this season has been returning second-team All-Shore goal keeper Alessia La Rossa.
LaRossa, along with departed All-Shore defensive stalwarts Sarah Hughes and Meg Latona, combined to help Freehold Township shut out 13 opponents a year ago, with LaRossa stopping 106 shots on goal.
This season the senior goalie has 49 saves to her credit and picked up her seventh shutout of the year in Tuesday’s 4-0 win over Point Pleasant Beach, helping the Patriots advance to Thursday’s Shore Conference Tournament’s quarterfinal round against sixth-seeded Brick Township.
In Thursday’s quarterfinal match, LaRossa picked up her eighth shutout of the year, stopping three shots on goal, as the Patriots blanked sixth-seeded Brick, 2-0, advancing to their fourth straight Shore Conference Tournament semifinals.
Sophomore striker Ryann Leohner, who has been counted on to fill the offensive void the Patriots faced this season, converted junior midfielder Anna Priborkina’s through pass in the seventh minute, hitting the left corner from the top of the 18 for her eighth goal of the season for a 1-0 lead.
Senior center-back Jessica Judge, who has done a fabulous job of anchoring of the Patriots unyielding defense, initiated the play on the counterattack finding Priborkina around midfield.
Judge has been a defender, playmaker and scorer for the Patriots this season registering three goals with two assists, while Priborkina has recorded four goals with a team-leading seven assists.
Priborkina secured the win for the Patriots in the 74th minute, knocking down outside midfielder Taylor Dove’s pass of the left post for a 2-0 lead. It was Dove’s second assist of the season to go with her two goals.
This year’s success has been a total team effort with a host of players contributing in many different areas.
Seniors Jen Weinstock (1 goal, 3 assists) and Julia Raiola and junior Athena Giannakouros (3 assists) join Judge on the backline, forming an impenetrable line of defense for the Patriots that excels in initiating counter attacks as well.
In the midfield, seniors Deanna D’Amico (4 goals, 2 assists) and Lauren Speck (5 assists), junior Molly Bertscha (1 assist) and sophomores Gabby Zuczek (1 goal, 2 assists), Lindsey Lloyd (3 goals, 2 assists), Alyssa Napolitano (2 goals, 1 assist) and Sam Linico have all contributed as has junior forward Kat O’Brien (2 goals) up top.
The Patriots will now take on second-seeded Red Bank Catholic (13-2), who topped tenth-seeded Rumson-Fair Haven, 1-0, without its top scorer and assist leader, in the semifinals. The Caseys will be making their first SCT semifinal appearance since winning it all in 2013.
UPDATE: See page 5 for complete coverage of Saturday’s semifinals.
