The Following appeaded in Volume 11 Issue 33

It was one of the most exciting girls lacrosse games of the 2012season. The Spartans of Ocean Township hosted Manalapan in a nondivisional Shore Conference game.

Ocean came back twice from being down five goals to tie the game. However, after two overtime periods the Spartans lost 14-13 and are now 3-4 on the season. “Although we lost in double overtime, I am very proud of the girls and how hard they worked throughout the game. They never gave up,” said Bisia Duch, head coach. “We made some crucial mistakes at the end of the game that cost us
the one goal lead we had with 2:45 left in the second half.”

The coach was happy that his players had the opportunity to experience overtime and how important it is to take care of the ball right off the first draw. Most goals occur in lacrosse based on the team that wins the draw.

Jenna Gilman, a junior and one of the four captains of the 2012 Spartans, scored seven of the teams 13 goals. Caitlin Herod, a sophomore, added two goals and junior Amanda Roskey had one goal and two assists in the loss for Ocean. The goalkeeper for the Spartans is sophomore Bailey Herr, who had 19 saves in the game. Manalapan had a 35-26 shot on goal advantage.

Both teams scored five first half goals and eight in the second. “As a team we hope to improve our record from last year (10-9) and also be competitive in our division as well as in the Shore Conference,” said Duch. The coach also hopes that the 2012 Spartans make the Shore Conference Tournament and the NJSIAA playoffs. “As a team we improve every time we step on the field and hope to continue building as a team and program.”

Goalkeeper Bailey Herr had a great season as a freshman in the cage and continues to grow in her ability. Duch says that Herr consistently makes crucial saves for the Spartans on defense. On the attack for Ocean is Gilman, who had a breakout season last year as a sophomore with 85 goals and 17 assists. “She is our returning top scorer and the leader on offense and controls the ball in the offensive,” added Duch.

The coach said that the Spartans have a balanced attack plan with key returners Liz O’Grady, Elle Skender, Christine McMahon and Melissa Luyster. “We also have two new attackers this year with Caitlin Herod and McKayla Conti, both of which have sparked our offense several times this season,” said Duch.

In the midfield Ocean has Amanda Roskey, who according to Duch sees the field very well and is the team’s most vocal player. “She is consistently communicating on the field and working with her defensive teammates to stop the opponents offense,” said Duch.

Also playing the midfield are Gabby Hagerman and Mina Cosentino, both played that position last season. They are key players in the transition portion of the game. Defensively the Spartans lost a great player in Brittany Dilger, who is now playing at Montclair State University, but have three returning starters in Macie Fisher, Laura Merrick and Marissa Hazel. The newest addition on defense
is Hayley Wellner.

Manalapan improved to 3-3 on the season while the Spartans fall to 3-4 overall.

Additional photos of the game can be viewed at: www.oneillphotography.printroom.com

Following story appeared in Volume 11 Issue 33

The Shore Regional High School boys track team is having a rocky road this season. They were hoping to improve upon the 2-4 record of 2011, but it doesn’t seem as if it will happen this season.

Last week the Blue Devils faced the Rumson-Fair Haven Bulldogs in a Shore Conference Class A divisional contest. It was a runaway win for the Bulldogs, who crushed the Blue Devils 117-33. Of all the contested events, Shore Regional won only two.

Mike Hurley won the 400 hurdles in 51.44 seconds while his teammate Andrew Mahon won the triple jump with a leap of 39’1.5”, just a half inch away from the school record set in 2004 by Nick Murray.
With the loss to Rumson-Fair Haven, the Blue Devils are now winless in four matches. The Bulldogs are now undefeated at 3-0 with the victory over Shore.

Mel Ullmeyer is in his twelfth season as the Blue Devils’ head coach. The 2012 varsity roster includes Hurley and Mahon, Clark Halpern, Mike McArdle, Rocco Nannierello, Chandler Paxton, and Dave Musselman. New key players this season are Jeff Morse, Chris Okopski, Pat Thorman, Mike Moore and Jordan Sperling.

The oldest track and field records for the Blue Devils boys squad were set back in 2002. Marck Altenau ran the 3200 in 9:48.08 at the Monmouth County Championships. Kimble Haberman jumped 21’6” in the pole vault at the 2002 Long Branch Relays.

Photo: Sportshotswlb.com

Following story appeared in Volume 11 Issue 33

On a beautiful Thursday afternoon the Bulldogs of Rumson-Fair Haven hosted the Blue Devils of Shore Regional in a Shore Conference Class A Central baseball game.

“This is a very competitive division,” said Pat O’Neill, who is in his first season as the Blue Devils head coach. “Every divisional game we have played has been close and Rumson was a perfect example.”

Starting pitcher for Shore was senior two year captain RJ Bohnert, who pitched four of the seven innings. Shore started the game with a bang, as they scored three first inning runs. Matt Cosentino hit a two run homer in the first.

Rumson-Fair Haven went down 1-2-3 in the first, but had a better second inning as they scored two runs. The third inning was scoreless, then both teams added two runs in the fourth. Nick Blaney had a double for Shore and T.J. Sempkowki had an RBI double.

Going into the bottom of the top fifth and sixth innings the Blue Devils were leading 5-4, however, Rumson-Fair haven added four runs in the bottom of the sixth inning taking the 8-5 lead and eventually winning the game.

Coming in for relief for the Blue Devils was Matt Cosentino, who unfortunately, picked up the loss after his two innings of work. However, the sophomore Cosentino had a good day with his bat as he smacked two homeruns in the game. Bohnert went 3 for 4 with a run scored and an RBI.

“With the loss we are now 2-5, but our record doesn’t show what kind of team we are,” said O’Neill. “We are a much better team than our record indicates. As our younger players continue to play and get more experience on the varsity level I feel that we will continue to improve as the season progresses.”

Seven of the nine starting players on the Blue Devils roster are underclassmen, including three sophomores. With the win the Bulldogs of Rumson-Fair Haven improved to 4-4 overall and 4-2 in divisional action.

Additional photos of this game can be viewed at: www.oneillphotography.printroom.com

Update: The following story appeared in Volume 11 Issue33 of The Link News. On Saturday, April 28, 2012, Shore Regional High School field hockey head coach, Nancy Williams, informed us that Shannon Johnson has changed her mind and will no longer attend Northeastern University. According to Williams, Johnson has now verbally committed to UNC.

With one year of high school field hockey left to play, Shannon Johnson has taken one big decision off her plate.

Most seniors enter their final year of high school worrying about what college or university they will attend or if they want to enter the military or job force. Johnson, who has been the starting goalkeeper on the Blue Devils field
hockey team, has announced she will attend Northeastern University following her senior year at Shore.

“It was an easy decision for me,” said Johnson. “It was a perfect fit. I love the school, which is located in Boston, and really liked the coaches and the program.” Johnson made two visits to the school before she decided she wanted to be a member of the Huskies field hockey program.

“The coaches told me that I had an opportunity to start, but I would really have to work hard,” said Johnson. But before she puts on the red and black of Northeastern, she has one more year in the goal for Nancy Williams, the legendary head coach at Shore Regional.

“She is the most talented goalie I have ever had, and I’ve had some excellent ones,” said Williams. “She is multi-dimensional where she uses her small frame as an advantage, quick to cover every angle. Her technique is perfect and has the qualities of both an upright and a low playing goalie.”

Johnson said that she was not always a goalie. “When I was in fourth grade I changed from a field position to goalkeeper,” said Johnson. Yes, you heard that correctly. In fourth grade she already knew she wanted to be a goalkeeper. “I have been playing field hockey since I could walk. My aunts, Catherine Stefanelli and Megan Harman, both played for Coach Williams and now own and
operate Jersey Intensity, where I play club hockey.”

According to Williams, Johnson has been an impact player since she joined the Blue Devils as a freshman. Over her three years of varsity action 225 shots have been fired at her and only 39 have made it past her. “She has an 86 percent average on saves,” said Williams. “She has played on two state championship teams where her play in the sectional finals both years was the difference in the outcome.”

The passion for the sport must run wild in the veins of the Johnson family. Aileen Johnson, who will graduate this year from Shore Regional, has already committed to playing at Duke University. Aileen was one of the most dangerous scorers in the state even while her entire junior year with a knee injury.

Shannon is making her own mark in the sport, and carving out her own legacy. The past two years Shannon has played on the U-17 national team and traveled to Holland and Canada. “Playing on the national and international level as well as in college the action is much faster as they play on artificial turf,” said Johnson. “The shots come much faster and harder at me when on turf, my reaction time has to be quicker.”

The Huskies of Northeastern University are coming off their first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2004, and with a big recruiting class this year and great prospects like Shannon Johnson in 2013, Northeastern might face Duke in the tournament, where the sisters might meet for the first time on opposing teams.

Boys lacrosse is one of the fastest growing sports in the state. The Shore
Conference has 28 teams playing in three divisions this season. Class A North
has 10 of those teams, two of which happen to be the Spartans of Ocean Township
and the Green Wave of Long Branch.

Last week the two schools met in Ocean, where the host Spartans beat the Wave 11-1, and won their first game of
the 2012 season. The Spartans are coached by Warren Towns, who is in his fourth
season. Last year his squad finished 6-12 overall.
In Long Branch the Wave are coached by Kevin Kelly who is in his second year. During his rookie
season the Green Wave were held winless in 18 games. The preseason picks by the
lacrosse pundits had the Wave finishing last in the division with Ocean in
eighth out of the ten squads.

Last Wednesday the game between the Spartans and Wave started red hot for Ocean as they scored three goals in each
of the opening two quarters. Going into the halftime break the Spartans were up
6-0 over Long Branch. Starting the second half both teams were cold and
Ocean was only able to get a single goal in the third quarter. However, Ocean
finished strong adding four additional goals in the fourth quarter and only
allowed the Wave to score a single goal.

 
Leading the Spartans was Nick Sofield and Craig Rant with four goals each. Mike Thorne scored two goals for
the Spartans and Nathaniel Healy had one in the victory over Long Branch. In the
net for Ocean was Bobby Graziano, who had six saves.

Vinny Manfredd was the lone Green Wave player to score in the final quarter of action. Ocean had a
32-9 shot on goal advantage. Long Branch goalkeeper Jesse Kinlan had seven saves
for the Wave. Long Branch is still looking for its first win in six games.

Photo: Dave Thorne Photography

Mike Thorne (22) Ocean Township HS

Jenna Eustace, a sophomore, at Monmouth Regional, had one of those games on
Saturday morning that she will remember for a long time. The Falcons lacrosse
team hosted the Hornets of Holmdel in a nondivisional contest.

 
Monmouth Regional crushed Holmdel 11-5 and improved to 2-4 overall and 2-2 in the Class B
North division of the Shore Conference. Eustace led her Falcon squad with six
goals in the victory over the Hornets.

 
“Most of the first half we were in a low scoring tight game,” said Jason Lerman, head coach of the Falcons. “We
were down 3-2 with five minutes left in the first half. Those last five minutes
we ended in a flurry scoring six unanswered goals until Holmdel scored with a
minute left to end the half 8-4.”

 
Also getting goals for Monmouth were Alyssa DeOrio, Courtney Washeleski, Bri Wolff, Amer Calak and Mackenzie
Kapuscienski. A few Falcons also assisted on some of those goals, Calak had two
assists, Washeleski, Kapuscienski and Nicole Orr each had one assist.

“During the second half we showed great ball control, being patient and
controlling the game,” said Lerman. “Jenna Eustace was a big part of the
offense, she scored six goals, three in each half.” Jenna’s last goal was the
100th of her career. “Although Jenna scored most of the goals, we had five
different girls score goals and five different girls with an assist.” He said
that another big part of their win was due to Lissett Olivera making big save
after big save keeping them in the game early.

The Class B North division has Red Bank Catholic in first place undefeated at 8-0 overall and 5-0
in the division. They are followed by Ocean Township 3-5 overall and 3-2 in B
North, Monmouth Regional, then Neptune at 2-5 overall and 1-3 in the division
and the Green Wave in last place at 1-4 overall and 0-3 in division
action.

Visit www.oneillphotography.printroom.com for additional photos

This past weekend the varsity and junior varsity baseball players at Shore Regional High School decided to done their uniforms for something other than a Shore Conference game.

 
Over 35 youngsters ranging from age six to thirteen participated in the First Annual Shore Regional Baseball Youth Clinic. The Blue Devil players worked with groups of future baseball stars on all the fundamentals of the sport. Pat O’Neill, who is in his first year as head coach at Shore, decided to borrow the program from Ocean Township High School which has been doing it for years.

 
“The clinic is something that I wanted to implement into the baseball program,” said O’Neill. “This year with the help of the Diamond Club we were able to accomplish it.” The Diamond Club is an organization of parents of students who are playing baseball at Shore Regional High School.

 
The clinic was open to Little Leaguers from Oceanport, West Long Branch and Monmouth Beach. They participated in skill sessions which included pitching, hitting, bunting, fielding and base
running. “We were able to show them what the baseball program at Shore Regional High School is all about,” said O’Neill. “It was also a great day for the current players to remember their youth. They did a terrific job working and coaching the kids today. It was hard to tell who enjoyed the day more.”

To see all the photos from that day please visit The Link News Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Link-News/213878801991332?sk=app_164350696923478

Kyle Crochet showing promise on the mound