Last time around for Moses on the sidelines
Girls head coach retiring after 34 years
BY TIM MORRIS
Staff Writer

The first week of practice was like any other week of any other preseason for Freehold Borough's girls soccer coach Heshy Moses.

He put his team through a variety of drills, including the use of ski poles. It's something he had picked up from the parents of Brazilian players he was coaching quite a while ago. The ski-pole drill is similar to the slalom in skiing, with soccer players weaving their way through the poles learning to shift their weight while dribbling.

For the first week of practice, Moses puts his players through skill drills like that, and then it's onto soccer.

"I've been using these ski poles since 1981," Moses said. "When I was putting them away for the last time, that's when it really hit me that this is my last year.

"I wanted it to be like any other season, but by the second week I couldn't," he added.

After 34 years on the sidelines at Freehold Borough, including 27 as a head coach, Moses is retiring after the 2006 season. He has had an unparalleled career, having coached both the boys (1981-1995) and the girls (1988-2006), and leading each to championships. But Moses is not in a reminiscing mood. He has a championship-contending team and, as always, his goal is to have the Colonials reach their full potential as a team. And, despite the team's youth (six sophomores, three juniors and two freshmen joining six seniors), his team has plenty of potential. After all, the Colonials won a division title in 2005 and had an undefeated regular season. Early exits in the Shore Conference Tournament and Central Jersey playoffs only serve as added motivation for a team that wants Moses to retire on top.

Defense, which has been a trademark of Moses' teams, remains the strength of the 2006 Colonials, led by the return sweeper Alexandra Eagle, one of the team's outstanding sophomores, and stopper Amy Flanagan, a junior.

Sophomore Ashley Lewis saw some time last year behind All-Shore goalie Meg Lasky (now at Wagner) and is ready to step in and continue Freehold Borough's tradition of excellence in the net.

Alexa Rozzi and Alyssa Mayrose are two-way midfielders who can control the ball and the flow of play. Up front, Shannon Mayrose is the team's best threat. She will be a threat on corner kicks and restarts because of her size (she's a forward on the basketball team).

"We're very strong up the middle," said Moses. "If we can score two goals a game, we can play with anybody."

Other returners from last fall's 14-2-1 squad are Jenn Paulucci (midfield), Kelly Knox (defense), Caity Kane (defense), Kim Bauernfeind (midfield), Laura Porth (defense) and Alanna Ekdahl (defense).

Newcomers include two freshmen, Nikkie Paulucci (defense) and Jamie Battaglia (forward), and Genna Opatut (forward) and Angie Panto (striker).

While still looking to this year, Moses is getting the team ready for the transition to a new coach and voice next year. He's letting his new assistant coaches, Elyse Bizzozzaro, the former star at Manalapan High School who went on to a fine career at Hofstra University, and Deana Falciani, who played collegiately at Georgian Court University, be more of a presence during practices and put their stamp on the program.

"In some ways, I'm stepping into the background a little," he said. "I think it's important for the progress of the program to hear new ideas."

Freehold Borough's 2006 season started well enough for Moses as the Colonials blanked Neptune, 4-0. The defense did not permit a shot on goal as the borough outshot the Fliers, 32-0.

Shannon Mayrose, Rozzi, Kane and Eagle scored for Freehold. Lewis collected the shutout.