Boys Soccer – 2022 SCT Watch: Projecting the Shore Conference Tournament Field
If it feels a little early to be preparing for the Shore Conference Tournament seeding in a couple of days, that’s because it is. The SCT is set to kick off on Tuesday and will be seeded on Thursday night, which is about four-to-five days earlier than it has been in recent years and a good week earlier than it was seven years ago. Thanks to a condensed NJSIAA soccer calendar, the Shore Conference had to act and get started early on its conference tournament and that means the tournament will be seeded before at least two division champions have been crowned.
Because of the excessive amount of rain at the start of the week that has limited several teams from playing important qualifying games, tournament director Josh Mehl said there were discussions about allowing teams to qualify for the tournament by reaching a .500 percentage on Thursday. Initially, the SCT rules stipulated that any qualifying team needed to be at .500 by the end of Wednesday, but there is precedent for the Shore Conference laxing those rules when weather affects the final week before the cutoff and that may be the case on Thursday.
This year’s schedule also looks a little different than in past seasons. Here is both the boys and girls schedule for the duration of the tournament.
Boys Tournament
Opening Round (at higher seed): Tuesday, Oct. 11
Round of 16: Friday, Oct. 14
Quarterfinals: Monday, Oct. 17
Semifinals: Thursday, Oct. 20 at neutral site to be determined
Championship: Saturday, Oct. 22 at neutral site TBD, 6:30 p.m.
Girls Tournament
Opening Round (at higher seed): Monday, Oct. 10
Round of 16: Thursday, Oct. 13
Quarterfinals: Saturday, Oct. 15
Semifinals: Wednesday, Oct. 19 at neutral site to be determined
Championship: Saturday, Oct. 22 at neutral site TBD, 4 p.m.
Heading into Wednesday, 28 teams are locked into the tournament with three still alive to qualify. This year’s field appears to have an obvious No. 1 seed and the No. 2 seed should be apparent by the time the meeting starts. The top three or four spots should be set without much contention, but beyond those spots in the field, there is a whole lot to sort through and not a lot for the six-person seeding committee to use separate the teams.
As usual, strength of schedule, head-to-head results and common opponents will be the primary criteria and there are some smaller programs that have stepped up their schedules and some historically strong programs that have taken it easy to this point. Although they are not part of the seeding guidelines, NJSIAA power points have become a prominent way to judge a team’s resume.
Below is a best guess at how the field could shake out, with each team’s record to date and power points through Tuesday listed as well.
Through games played on Wednesday, Oct. 5
1. Christian Brothers Academy (9-1, 5-1) Power Points: 182
Division Wins: At Freehold Boro, Freehold Twp., at Howell, Manalapan, Middletown South
Division Losses: Marlboro
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: LaSalle (Pa.), Delran, vs. Gill St. Bernard, Chaminade (N.Y.)
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: At Middletown North
Why They’re Here: The season started with an overtime loss to Marlboro and some questions about whether or not CBA is actually the class of the Shore this year. It turns out that yes, they indeed are. The Colts have once again improved over the course of the season and, despite battling some injuries, have made an overwhelming case as the No. 1 seed in the SCT heading into the final days of divisional play.
2. Freehold Township (8-2, 4-2) Power Points: 180.5
Division Wins: At Freehold Boro, Manalapan, Marlboro, at Middletown North
Division Losses: At CBA, at Middletown South
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: At Rumson-Fair Haven, Wall, at Point Boro, at Red Bank
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: vs. Howell
Why They’re Here: With a division games remaining at Howell prior to the seeding meeting, Freehold Township still has some work to do to lock up the No. 2 seed. As is, however, the Patriots own wins over Rumson, Point Boro and Wall and went toe-to-toe with CBA on the Colts’ home field before falling in overtime. At first glance, that is the best resume of any team in the running for No. 2, but there are a couple other teams making a case.
3. Howell (8-2, 4-2) Power Points: 179.5
Division Wins: Freehold Boro, at Manalapan, Middletown North, at Middletown South
Division Losses: CBA, at Marlboro
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: Manasquan, St. John Vianney, Matawan, at Colts Neck
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: At Freehold Twp.
Why They’re Here: After a 5-0 start, the Rebels were challenged by the likes of CBA, Marlboro and Colts Neck, with the former two beating them and Colts Neck battling for a 1-0 loss. Beating a hot Middletown South team, 4-1, was a strong statement game for Howell, which now has a compelling enough case for the No. 3 seed. With Freehold Township on the schedule prior to the seeding, Howell can make one last bid for the No. 2 spot.
4. Holmdel (9-1, 4-1) Power Points: 187
Division Wins: Monmouth, Raritan, at Red Bank Catholic, at Wall
Division Losses: Rumson-Fair Haven
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: At Freehold Boro, at Matawan, at Jackson Memorial, at Ocean, Toms River South
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: At Shore
Why They’re Here: On the eye test, Holmdel makes a pretty compelling case as the second-best team in the Shore Conference, but the eye test is not enough to get it. Holmdel has a nice resume, especially after beating a good Ocean team last week, but it is a little lacking compared to the teams ahead of the Hornets. It’s also possible Ocean gets bounced from the tournament, so Holmdel’s best win may end up being against a team that’s not even in the running. That being said, there Hornets are impressive and seeding them too low would be a disservice to the high seed that got stuck playing them.
5. Marlboro (3-3-1, 3-3-0) Power Points: 115
Division Wins: At CBA, Howell, Manalapan
Division Losses: At Freehold Twp., Middletown North, at Middletown South
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: None
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: At Rumson-Fair Haven
Before the Cutoff: At Freehold Boro
Why They’re Here: The record is only .500, but Marlboro has wins over CBA and Howell, plus a draw at Rumson-Fair Haven. The losses are also to A North teams (Freehold Township, Middletown North and Middletown South) that have established impressive resumes. So while the record is not overly impressive, there are also no holes to poke in the body of work.
6. Point Pleasant Boro (8-1-1, 6-0-1) Power Points: 146.75
Division Wins: at Barnegat, Donovan Catholic, Lacey, at Lakewood, at Manchester, Pinelands
Division Losses: None
Division Ties: At Jackson Liberty
Non-Division Wins: Brick, Rumson-Fair Haven
Non-Division Losses: Freehold Twp.
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: None
Why They’re Here: With a win over Rumson and its only loss coming to No. 2 Freehold Township, Point Boro has a case to be the No. 4 seed and it’s awfully compelling. Class B South teams have not fared well in this tournament in recent years so there will probably be an effort from some of the coaches on the committee to make the Panthers “prove it” in the tournament. If that’s the case, they have done too much good this season to be any worse than No. 7. Barring a loss this week, there is no way Point Boro should be saddled with the Nos. 8 or 9 seeds. The Panthers have earned a top-six seed, which would be a good draw.
7. Rumson-Fair Haven (5-3-1, 4-1-0) Power Points: 135.5
Division Wins: At Holmdel, at Monmouth, at Red Bank Catholic, Shore
Division Losses: Wall
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: Middletown South
Non-Division Losses: Freehold Twp., at Point Boro
Non-Division Ties: Marlboro
Before the Cutoff: At Raritan
Why They’re Here: Rumson was likely in the conversation to be the No. 3 seed until the Bulldogs lost to Wall on Monday night. The season got off to a rocky start with a pair of ugly weekend losses to Freehold Township and Point Pleasant Boro, but a win over Holmdel got Rumson back in the conversation for a top-five spot while a win over Middletown South is looking better by the day.
8. Toms River North (6-0-1, 5-0-1) Power Points: 130.5
Division Wins: At Brick, Central, Southern, Toms River East, at Toms River South
Division Losses: None
Division Ties: At Brick Memorial
Non-Division Wins: Pinelands
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: At Jackson Memorial
Why They’re Here: The Mariners have had an overall impressive season and this is a program with some major pedigree. With that being said, they haven’t challenged themselves outside of Class A South, so the list of accomplishments this year pretty much starts and ends with the A South title, which the Mariners have not actually clinched yet heading into the week.
9. Colts Neck (5-2-1, 4-1-0) Power Points: 155.5
Division Wins: At Manasquan, Matawan, Neptune, at St. John Vianney
Division Losses: At Long Branch
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: At Jackson Liberty
Non-Division Losses: Howell
Non-Division Ties: St. Rose
Before the Cutoff: vs. Red Bank
Why They’re Here: A huge Class B North game vs. Ocean will have to wait until Saturday, which means no one will be the B North champion at the time the tournament is seeded. As the current leader in the standings, Colts Neck grabs a spot in the top 10 and might have an argument to be slotted in the No. 7 spot, although the Cougars have had some of the same consistency issues that Rumson has had, but without a win like Holmdel on the resume.
10. Middletown South (4-4-1, 3-2-1) Power Points: 130
Division Wins: Freehold Twp., Marlboro, at Middletown North
Division Losses: At CBA, Howell
Division Ties: Manalapan
Non-Division Wins: Brick Memorial
Non-Division Losses: At Rumson-Fair Haven, Southern
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: At Freehold Boro
Why They’re Here: There has been some inconsistency from the Eagles – a three-win team in 2021 with no Class A North wins – but at the top of their game, they have looked like a dangerous opponent. With wins over Freehold Township and Marlboro, Middletown South has done enough to squeeze into the top 10 – certainly in the top 16 – but the loss to Southern probably keeps the Eagles out of the top seven.
11. Neptune (8-2, 4-2) Power Points: 182.5
Division Wins: At Manasquan, Matawan, Red Bank, St. John Vianney
Division Losses: At Colts Neck, Ocean
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: At Pinelands, at Middletown North, at Barnegat, Jackson Liberty
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: vs. Ewing, at Long Branch
Why They’re Here: The Scarlet Fliers have lived in one-goal games, losing two to Colts Neck and Ocean while winning three big ones over Manasquan, Middletown North and Jackson Liberty. The division title is still on the table if the Scarlet Fliers can beat Long Branch and a win over the Green Wave could also buy Neptune a few more spots in the seeding.
12. Middletown North (5-4, 2-3) Power Points: 116.5
Division Wins: Freehold Boro, at Marlboro
Division Losses: Freehold Twp., at Howell, Middletown South
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: At Raritan, Red Bank Catholic, at Long Branch
Non-Division Losses: Neptune
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: vs. CBA
Why They’re Here: Close games have not been as kind to Middletown North, which beat Marlboro in a 1-0 affair, but lost down-to-the-wire matches vs. Freehold Township, Middletown South and Neptune. A convincing win at Long Branch last week gives the Lions an edge over several Class B North teams and positions Class A North well ahead of B North on the whole.
13. Long Branch (5-3-1, 4-1-1) Power Points: 123.5
Division Wins: Colts Neck, at Manasquan, Red Bank, at St. John Vianney
Division Losses: At Ocean
Division Ties: Matawan
Non-Division Wins: At Monmouth
Non-Division Losses: At Westfield, Middletown North
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: vs. Neptune
Why They’re Here: A 5-0 win over Colts Neck sent the message that Long Branch was rounding into form as a team that could do major damage and a 2-1, overtime win over Manasquan positioned the Green Wave to win Class B North. The division title is still in front of them, but Long Branch has a tie vs. Matawan and a one-sided loss to Middletown North holding down a potential top-10 case. A win over Neptune could make things interesting, since Neptune beat Middletown North.
14. Manasquan (5-4, 3-3) Power Points: 114.5
Division Wins: At Ocean, at Red Bank, at St. John Vianney
Division Losses: Colts Neck, Long Branch, Neptune
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: Freehold Boro, at St. Rose
Non-Division Losses: At Howell
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: None
Why They’re Here: Manasquan’s first loss was a 4-0 decision vs. Howell, but since then, the Warriors have lost three games on late goals, including overtime defeats to both Long Branch and Colts Neck. With a noteworthy win over Ocean and four losses coming to quality opponents, Manasquan is a dangerous team and should probably not drop below No. 15.
15. Wall (5-3-1, 4-1-0) Power Points: 142
Division Wins: Monmouth, at Raritan, at Rumson-Fair Haven, Shore
Division Losses: Holmdel
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: Toms River East
Non-Division Losses: St. Rose, at Freehold Twp.
Non-Division Ties: At St. John Vianney
Before the Cutoff: vs. Red Bank Catholic
Why They’re Here: The season got off to a rough start for Wall, which dropped games to St. Rose and Freehold Township and tied St. John Vianney. The Crimson Knights got straightened out against the middle of the Class A Central standings, earned an important win over Toms River East, and really boosted their resume by knocking off Rumson-Fair Haven Monday in a wild, overtime classic.
16. Matawan (4-4-1, 3-2-1) Power Points: 113
Division Wins: Ocean, at Red Bank, St. John Vianney
Division Losses: At Colts Neck, at Neptune
Division Ties: At Long Branch
Non-Division Wins: At Monmouth
Non-Division Losses: Holmdel, at Howell
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: None
Why They’re Here: Before last week, Matawan seemed like a longshot to even make the tournament. Now, the Huskies are coming off a tie vs. Long Branch and wins over Ocean and Monmouth, giving them some momentum toward clinching a home game. Monday’s loss to Neptune might have put a dent in those plans, but in this space, the Huskies – who didn’t have a home field last year due to in-season renovations – will get to host round one.
17. Ocean (4-4-1, 3-2-0) Power Points: 129
Division Wins: Long Branch, at Neptune, at Red Bank
Division Losses: Manasquan, at Matawan
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: Jackson Memorial
Non-Division Losses: At St. Peter’s Prep, Holmdel
Non-Division Ties: At Brick Memorial
Before the Cutoff: vs. St. John Vianney
Why They’re Here: Losses to Matawan and Holmdel last week put Ocean in real danger of missing the tournament heading into the week, but the Spartans were saved by the rain. Neptune and Long Branch are strong wins, Jackson Memorial is a solid out-of-division win while none of Ocean’s losses are ugly and all four are by a one-goal margin.
18. Manalapan (4-4-1, 1-4-1) Power Points: 106
Division Wins: Freehold Boro
Division Losses: At CBA, at Freehold Twp., Howell, at Marlboro
Division Ties: At Middletown South
Non-Division Wins: At Franklin, at Southern, Shore
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: None
Why They’re Here: Manalapan’s list of wins is a little underwhelming, but look at the scores of the games the Braves did not win. Other than a 3-0 loss to Howell, they are all close. In addition to a draw with Middletown South, Manalapan dropped 1-0 games to CBA, Freehold Township and Marlboro – three of the top five teams on this list – with the loss to CBA going to overtime.
19. St. Rose (7-2-1, 5-0-0) Power Points: 138.5
Division Wins: At Asbury Park, Henry Hudson, at Keyport, at Point Beach, Ranney
Division Losses: None
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: At Wall, at Lacey
Non-Division Losses: Manasquan, at Freehold Boro
Non-Division Ties: At Colts Neck
Before the Cutoff: None
Why They’re Here: A loss to Freehold Boro complicates an otherwise-impressive body of work for a St. Rose side that picked up two huge regular-season wins over Wall and Lacey while battling for a draw vs. Colts Neck. That might be the best job St. Rose has done during a regular-season in the last decade.
20. Jackson Liberty (6-2-2, 4-0-1) Power Points: 153.5
Division Wins: At Barnegat, at Donovan Catholic, Lacey, at Pinelands
Division Losses: None
Division Ties: Point Boro
Non-Division Wins: Point Beach, at Toms River South
Non-Division Losses: Colts Neck, at Neptune
Non-Division Ties: Jackson Memorial
Before the Cutoff: vs. Lakewood
Why They’re Here: The division championship is still in play for Jackson Liberty and it would be the first in program history, which tells you what kind of season the Lions are having. With a tie vs. Point Boro, a convincing win over Toms River South and a couple close losses to good teams in Colts Neck and Neptune, Jackson Liberty should at least be in the conversation for a home game.
21. Toms River South (4-3, 4-1) Power Points: 109.5
Division Wins: At Brick, at Central, at Jackson Memorial, Southern
Division Losses: Toms River North
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: None
Non-Division Losses: Jackson Liberty, at Holmdel
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: vs. Brick Memorial
Why They’re Here: Toms River South has only played seven games, so a two-game losing streak to Toms River North and Jackson Liberty feels like a long skid, even though it’s pretty standard over the course of a season. After that slide, the Indians bounced back with a win over Jackson Memorial to get back on track before losing to a superior Holmdel team this week.
22. Southern (6-3, 4-2) Power Points: 139
Division Wins: Brick, at Brick Memorial, at Central, Jackson Memorial
Division Losses: At Toms River North, at Toms River South
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: At Middletown South, at Lacey
Non-Division Losses: Manalapan
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: None
Why They’re Here: After a 0-3 start, Southern has rattled off five straight wins and with a game vs. Central getting washed out on Monday night, the Rams are currently without an opponent before the seeding meeting, so the 20-range is what Southern is looking at as far as the seeds are concerned.
23. Lacey (5-4-1, 4-2-0) Power Points: 146.75
Division Wins: Barnegat, Donovan Catholic, at Lakewood, Manchester
Division Losses: At Jackson Liberty, at Point Boro
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: At Manville
Non-Division Losses: Southern, St. Rose
Non-Division Ties: At Toms River East
Before the Cutoff: None
Why They’re Here: All of Lacey’s wins have come inside the division and against teams outside the top 3 in the standings and while Toms River East is a good team, a tie against a team that might not make the tournament is not going to provide much of a boost. All the losses are close, so while Lacey hasn’t earned a high seed, it is not a team to take lightly.
24. Toms River East (3-3-2, 3-1-1) Power Points: 84.5
Division Wins: Brick, Central, Jackson Memorial
Division Losses: At Toms River North
Division Ties: At Brick Memorial
Non-Division Wins: None
Non-Division Losses: At Shore, at Wall
Non-Division Ties: Lacey
Before the Cutoff: None
Chances to Qualify: Good. If the weather forecast looked better, it would be great, but as it stands, with a turf field to lean on, Toms River East should get a game vs. Brick in this week and the Raiders should win it.
25. Central (5-4, 3-4) Power Points: 100.5
Division Wins: Brick, Brick Memorial, Jackson Memorial
Division Losses: Southern, at Toms River East, at Toms River North, Toms River South
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: Pinelands, at Donovan Catholic
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: None
Why They’re Here: Brick Memorial and Jackson Memorial are solid teams that Central beat, but neither is in the tournament as it stands today. Monday was set up as an opportunity to prove stamp a case to be higher with a home win over Southern, but the game was postponed due to the rain.
26. Lakewood (3-3-1, 2-3-1) Power Points: 71.5
Division Wins: At Barnegat, at Manchester
Division Losses: Donovan Catholic, Lacey, Point Boro
Division Ties: At Pinelands
Non-Division Wins: Thomas Edison Charter
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: At Jackson Liberty
Why They’re Here: Lakewood is in the tournament and its win over Manchester gives the Piners some distance between them and the back of the field. They have also played Lacey and Point Boro tough and a game at Jackson Liberty is a chance for the Piners to further state their case.
27. Manchester (8-3, 2-3) Power Points: 119
Division Wins: At Donovan Catholic, at Pinelands
Division Losses: At Lacey, Lakewood, Point Boro
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: Henry Hudson, Ranney, at Red Bank Catholic, Raritan, Red Bank, Keyport
Non-Division Losses: None
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: None
Why They’re Here: The Hawks have a pair of wins over teams in the field, but neither will be seeded very highly. On top of that, Manchester has not yet played the two best teams in the division and the slate of non-divisional opponents underwhelming. If the game vs. Point Boro is played before the cutoff, it is a chance to spoil the Panthers’ Class B South division title pursuit, as well as significantly boost the Hawks’ own profile.
28. Raritan (5-4-1, 3-2-0) Power Points: 113
Division Wins: At Monmouth, at Shore, at Red Bank Catholic
Division Losses: Wall, at Holmdel
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: Keyport, Freehold Boro
Non-Division Losses: Middletown North at Manchester
Non-Division Ties: At St. John Vianney
Before the Cutoff: vs. Rumson-Fair Haven
Why They’re Here: Monmouth (3-6-1) and Shore (4-6-1) are the best teams Raritan has beaten this season and the combined record of the other four teams the Rockets beat is 1-22-1. With a head-to-head loss vs. Manchester and a win over Ranney, Raritan is one of the easier seeds to figure out.
29. Ranney (5-3-1, 3-1-1) Power Points: 88.25
Division Wins: Asbury Park, at Keyport, at Point Beach
Division Losses: At St. Rose
Division Ties: At Henry Hudson
Non-Division Wins: At Calvary Christian, Point Beach
Non-Division Losses: At Manchester, at Raritan
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: None
Why They’re Here: With a mostly-new team, Ranney has made it back to the Shore Conference Tournament and with a loss to Raritan, the Panthers are ticketed for the last seed.
Still Alive
Jackson Memorial (5-6-1, 2-4-0) Power Points: 118.25
Division Wins: At Brick, Brick Memorial
Division Losses: At Central, at Southern, at Toms River East, Toms River South
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: At Passaic Arts, St. John Vianney, Ewing
Non-Division Losses: Holmdel, at Ocean
Non-Division Ties: At Jackson Liberty
Before the Cutoff: vs. Toms River North
Chances to Qualify: A little low. Toms River North is rolling and that will be the team Jackson Memorial needs to beat in order to have a chance to get in. With the game at home, the Jaguars should not be written off, but they are definitely the underdog – especially with Toms River North playing from a division title.
Barnegat (4-5, 2-4) Power Points: 45.5
Division Wins: at Donovan Catholic, at Pinelands
Division Losses: Jackson Liberty, at Lacey, Lakewood, Point Boro
Division Ties: None
Non-Division Wins: Pilgrim Academy, at Absegami
Non-Division Losses: Neptune
Non-Division Ties: None
Before the Cutoff: vs. Point Beach
Chances to Qualify: Fair. Any time you need to get two games in with a forecast calling for three straight days of rain and four days before the cutoff, the odds are beginning to work against you. If, however, Barnegat can get two of the scheduled games in, the Bengals are more than capable of beating the opponents in front of them.
Projected Pairings
(29) Ranney at (4) Holmdel
(28) Raritan at (5) Marlboro
(27) Manchester at (6) Point Boro
(26) Lakewood at (7) Rumson-Fair Haven
(25) Central at (8) Toms River North
(24) Toms River East at (9) Colts Neck
(23) Lacey at (10) Middletown South
(22) Southern at (11) Neptune
(21) Toms River South at (12) Middletown North
(20) Jackson Liberty at (13) Long Branch
(19) St. Rose at (14) Manasquan, winner at (3) Howell
(18) Manalapan at (15) Wall, winner at (2) Freehold Twp.
(17) Ocean at (16) Matawan, winner at (1) CBA
