The first half felt like a crawl and Shore knew it needed to needed to get back to playing its own brand of soccer in order to keep up against Freehold Township, No. 17 in the NJ.com Top 20, on Tuesday in West Long Branch.

Senior forward Hannah Birdsall gave Shore the boost it needed in the 47th minute and after that first goal, it was a sprint to the finish for the Blue Devils. The Shore Conference squad tacked on three more goals in a two-minute span to pull away and make a statement in a 5-2 victory over Freehold Township, the defending Group 4 champion.

It was the type of game that Shore - the three-time defending Group 1 champion - hopes is the start of a historic year.

"It was awesome once we came out in the second half and scored that first goal," said senior forward Frankie McDonough. "We started slow and I think that's because we were playing a really good team and we had some nerves. Once we got going though, it was awesome to get that momentum and know we were unstoppable."

Shore took control of the game in the second half by working the ball around and maintaining possession. That extend time with the ball helped the Blue Devils open up gaps in the Freehold Township defense and that space led to a series of goals that put the game away.

Junior Eliza Ford gave Shore the lead in the 54h minute and after that goal went in, the flood gates broke wide open. Freshman Mia Agresti found the net less than a minute later off an assist from McDonough and then junior Julia Eichenbaum punched in another score 48 second after that to add to the lead and give Shore an even bigger cushion.

"We definitely knew Freehold Township is a good program, so we were nervous for this game, but we were prepared," said Birdsall. "We knew if we played our game that we'd be fine. We didn't let the first half get inside our heads and we came back even stronger after halftime."

McDonough scored as well and that goal in the 65th minute made sure that any thought of a comeback evaporated. Senior keeper Julia Valinoti and the Shore defense played well down the stretch and made sure the lead stuck.

Freehold Township found the net again in the 68th minute when Gabby Zuczek headed in a free kick sent in by Jessica Judge, who also set up the team's first sore by Kat O'Brien. The score came a little too late, however, for Freehold Township, which lost a majority of the starter's from last year's Group 4 title-winning team to graduation.

Ultimately, Shore's offense was too much to handle and that's something the Blue Devils have become famous for.

"We've been preparing all preseason to play against these bigger schools and these really good teams in the Shore Conference," said Eichenbaum. "I think we've prepared really well to compete on this level and we're going to do really well this season if we keep playing the way we've been playing."

Birdsall, Eichenbaum and McDonough are the most explosive collections of forwards in the state and with all of them coming back for the third straight year together, Shore is expecting big things. I's a lot of pressure to deal with, but Shore coach George Moutis knows how special this group is and how comfortable they are with each other.

That skill level will make Shore a contender in every game it plays this year; even in contests against biggerShore Conference schools. The Blue Devils proved that against Freehold Township on Tuesday and they hope those performances continue as the team looks to make history.

A Shore Conference title would cement Shore's place among the state's elite and add another element to a shelf littered with state championship trophies.

"We're a little underestimated as a team," said McDonough, who is part of a senior class that is undefeated in state tournament play. "Even though we've won three straight state titles, we haven't gotten the respect because we're not a Group 4 school. To beat a team like Freehold Township, I think it stands out and it makes a statement and shows everyone that even though we're a Group 1 school, we're not a team you can mess with."


