Soccer Games

When you are a special team and have a special group of players you find ways to win and sometimes it seems even when your back is to the wall they do not see it that way. For the second straight season, Freehold Township had their backs to the wall trailing in the final ten minutes of the finals and for the second straight year they were able to tie the game and win it in overtime.  As hard as Manalapan played on defense and as great as freshman goalie Leila Shaw was in net, it was not enough against the #1 team in the Shore. Different players step up in different games or situations and in this game you could tell early on junior Hailey Santiago was not going to allow Freehold Township to lose. "I have been very fortunate to coach a lot of very talented girls and a lot of competitive girls, but I am not sure I have coached a girl as competitive and who has as much desire to make it happen out there on the field then Hailey," Freehold Township coach Dave Patterson said. ...

 In a rematch of what may have been the game of the year last season, Freehold Township was able to defeat Rancocas Valley for the second season in a row 2-0 to advance to the CJG4 finals. Unlike last year where the Patriots were trailing late in the game and were able to tie it and win in overtime, they were able to take the lead in the opening minutes and did not look back. Freehold Township was able to score two minutes in when RV had a hand ball in the box and senior captain Kayla Wong buried the penalty shot to put Freehold on the board. Credit the ref, who took a minute to make sure it was the right call in such a big game. The Patriots then added a second goal around the 35th minute when sophomore Sophie Tonino was able to score from junior Ainsley Moy corner kick. Last year the Patriots were in the same position, up 2-0 at halftime, but RV was able to score three unanswered. This season the Freehold Township defense was ready for RV to attempt another comeback and was able ...