2019 SHORE CONFERENCE PREVIEW

SHORE CONFERENCE 2019 DIVISIONAL ALIGNMENTS • A-North Division: Freehold Township, Howell, Manalapan, Marlboro, Middletown South, Long Branch, Colts Neck, Middletown North • A-Central Division: Shore, Ranney, St. Rose, Trinity Hall, Point Pleasant Beach, Mater Dei, Manasquan, Red Bank Catholic • A-South Division: Toms River North, Southern, Jackson Memorial, Brick Memorial, Toms River South, Toms River East, Brick Township, Central Regional • B-North Division: Neptune, Red Bank Regional, Ocean Township, Wall, St. John Vianney, Monmouth, Rumson-Fair Haven, Holmdel • B-South Division: Lacey, Jackson Liberty, Pinelands, Manchester Township, Barnegat, Donovan Catholic, Point Pleasant Boro AT THE TOP No team, in any conference, has been as dominant as Rumson-Fair Haven at the Shore. Rumson has won six straight Shore Conference Tournament titles and has rattled off 107 consecutive wins against Shore Conference teams entering this season. Cassie James will lead Rumson-Fair Haven this season after depositing 59 goals last season, while Chase Boyle and Jordan Johnson will play key roles as the Bulldogs will look to keep their Shore Conference dominance alive. Manasquan, which was the last Shore Conference team to knock off Rumson-Fair Have in the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals in 2012, could be its biggest challenger again after playing a back-and-forth game in the SCT final last May. Jenna Harms (59 goals, 43 assists) and Janie Cowley (57 goals, 41 assists) will lead Manasquan as a formidable 1-2 scoring attack. Mackenzie Boyle (60 goals, 51 assists) will lead a Red Bank Catholic team that won 19 games last season before a pair of one-goal losses to Manasquan ended its season. Abi George and Grace Gargiulo will be key players for Red Bank Catholic this season. IN THE HUNT Ocean Township will return a strong nucleus for a team that has expectations of contending as a Top 5 team in the Shore Conference this season. Morgan Bartlett, coming off a 73-goal, 35-assist season, will be the go-to scorer for Ocean Township again this season, while the returning play of Taylor Herr (56 goals, 51 assists) adds another layer to the Spartans' attack. Sophie George will step into the spotlight at Shore after netting in 44 goals and watching Sarah George and Mary Kate George star for the Blue Devils. Shore will look to return to its old glory as one of the Shore Conference's top teams and build off last year's 12-win season. Olivia Manghisi (76 goals, 41 assists) and Danielle Crimeni (43 goals and 10 assists) will be key returners as Howell could open the season as the favorite in A-North. The Rebels won 11 games last season but will return plenty of experience with hopes of building off that number this spring. Point Pleasant Boro could be the team to beat in B-South this season after going 14-4 last spring. Keira McNamara, Katie Conway and Ryleigh Hostinsky will all be key returners for a Panthers team that suffered tough losses to Manchester Township and Jackson Liberty down the stretch in the divisional race last season. OF NOTE Red Bank Regional won 14 games in 2018 and will look to ride the play of Meghan Murray (84 goals) to new heights this season. Murray is a lacrosse player at her core but just led Red Bank Regional's girls basketball team to a historic 20-win season and an appearance in the Central Jersey, Group 3 semifinals. St. John Vianney sophomore Alexis Lauricella will be one a must-see player this season as she hopes to build off her sensational freshman year. Lauricella deposited 76 goals in her rookie campaign and several of those goals were highlight-reel plays.

2019 SHORE CONFERENCE PREVIEW

BRIAN DEAKYNE

The Star Ledger | 3/19/2019

PHOTO CREDIT: Shore Regional High School Athletics