Tie brings divisional championship to Colonials
Freehold Borough wins B North crown; Colts Neck is second
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

PHOTOS BY MIGUEL JUAREZ staff Above, Freehold Borough’s Ashley Forsyth hooks the ball in front of Colts Neck’s Erica Caruso during the teams’ 0-0 tie on Thursday. At left, the Colonials’ Alex Litowsky tries to get past the Cougars’ Aubrey Barry.

Ties usually leave a sour taste. However, Thursday’s scoreless tie between Freehold Borough and Colts Neck had the sweet taste of a championship for the Colonials.

Jerry Acevedo’s Colonials wrapped up the Shore Conference B North Division field hockey championship by playing host Colts Neck to a 0-0 tie in the final division game of the season.

The tie left Freehold Borough 8-1-3 in the division and Colts Neck, 8-2-2. Christine Cooper’s Cougars needed a win Thursday in order to overtake the Colonials.

Acevedo said that a tie wasn’t in the Borough game plan, which may explain the team’s dominance on the field. Freehold Borough out-shot Colts Neck 17-9. They didn’t play to lose.

“We weren’t playing for a tie,” she pointed out. “We were looking to come out and dominate the game. Even in the overtime, we were looking to score.”

Cougar goalie Leigh Whitehouse was outstanding in goal for the Cougars, saving her team time and again. But Whitehouse’s play meant that the Colonials were keeping play in the Colts Neck end.

Midfielders Ashley Forsyth, Laura Gatti and Brianna Lespinasse kept pushing the ball upfield, where forwards Alex Witkowski and company kept applying the pressure.

Goalie Caitlin Koch picked up her ninth shutout of the season with help from a defense led by Melissa Blazejowski.

Acevedo and Copper praised the high level of play displayed by both teams in the championship game.

“Colts Neck played a great game,” said Acevedo. “It was nice to see both sides come as far as they have. I was glad that it came down to these two teams. We both refused to lose. Our girls played their hearts out. I can’t say enough about them.”

Cooper had the same impression.

“It was a tough game, it came down to what it should have,” said Cooper. “Two good teams battling to a tie. The girls wanted to win badly and Borough wanted to win just as bad. There was a lot of heart on the field by both teams.”

Freehold Borough, 9-1-3 overall on the season, won its first championship in 1997, and the Colonials did it in a season in which they exceeded expectations. Having lost a number of starters to graduation, the Colonials were expected to take a step back this year with a junior-dominated team. Instead, they took a big leap forward.

“It’s a huge accomplishment for the girls,” said Acevedo. “The overall feeling of what they’ve experienced. It’s a tribute to those who started it [the program].”

It’s also a tribute to depth of the team’s talent.

“The big difference is that I don’t have 11 players, I have 17,” said Acevedo. “I don’t lose anything when I substitute.”

Acevedo pointed out that the team was able to survive the losses (due to injury) of Alissa Goetz and Zanda Zweber on defense. Players like Maryann Tomazik filled in and the team remained solid in the backfield.

Goalie Caitlin Koch has been important too. She replaced three-year starter DeeAnne Hendrickson, who had become a security blanket for the Colonials. Koch has stepped in and continued the superb play in goal. She is doing more than just making the routine stop.

“She has played outstanding for us,” said Acevedo. “She’s been diving all over the field. It gets the girls up when they see her make a great save.”

The championship, Acevedo added, is also a reflection of raised expectations by the team.

“Last year our focus was trying to get to .500 to get to the Shore Conference and states,” she remarked. “This year we said ‘let’s win our conference.’ It was one of our goals from the start.”

With the division championship comes a confidence in the Colonials that they belong on the same field with the area’s established programs. They will have the chance to prove that this week when the Shore Conference Tournament (SCT) begins. The Colonials drew the No. 7 seed and open play tomorrow at home against the 10th seed, Red Bank Catholic.

The quarterfinals are Monday at the higher seeded team, and the same goes for the semifinals Oct. 27. The final is Oct. 29 at Raritan High School.

While the tie was like a loss for the Cougars, they have the satisfaction of taking the program where it never has been before. Unlike any other Colts Neck season, the Cougars can look forward to the postseason. There is more field hockey to play. Instead of turning in their uniforms, the Cougars are in the Shore Conference Tournament for the first time, and later this month, will make their debut in the state playoffs. With a 10-2-2 overall record, the team is going to have a winning season for the first time.

“We moved pretty fast,” said Cooper. “This whole season we’ve done more than anyone expected.”

Colts Neck began the week with the division championship out of their control. A loss last week to Freehold Borough had put the Colonials in charge of the division, but when Wall was able to beat Freehold Borough on Oct. 11, and the Cougars beat Long Branch, 2-1, on first-half goals by Nagle and Anna Schoenenberger, suddenly, the Cougars were back in the hunt and their season-ending game at home with the Colonials would determine the champion. With an 8-1-2 mark entering the game, the Colonials held the trump card. With the Cougars at 8-2-1, a tie would do them no good. They needed a win to get the championship.

The Cougars will make their first appearance in the SCT tomorrow when they visit No. 6 seed Pinelands. The Cougars received the No. 11 seed.