With SEAN SIMMONS photos
HEAD:
By Jim Hintelmann
LITTLE SILVER – After an 8-8-1 season a year ago, the Colts Neck girls soccer team is enjoying one of its best seasons this year at 10-1 following the Cougars’ solid 7-0 B Division North shutout of Red Bank Regional Monday.
The Cougars were in control from the start with the defense not allowing Red Bank a shot on goal. They started a little sluggish, holding only a 2-0 lead at halftime, but broke open the game in the second half with five goals.
“We had a lot of injuries last season and things didn’t go our way,” Colts Neck coach Doug Phillips said. “We also didn’t have our best player, Frankie Tagliaferri, because she had a commitment to the United States U-17 national team. She has already committed to Penn State.”
Bridgette King scored the first goal for the Cougars when she kicked in a 10-yard shot after receiving a corner kick from Nicole Loehle. Loehle then made it 2-0 a few minutes later with a 20-yard unassisted goal from the top of the circle.
Red Bank (3-8-1) then played better defense and kept the score close until the second half when Colts Neck took control.
“We did start a little slow in the first half, but we settled down in the second half,” Phillips said. ”We still have a young team with only two seniors.”
Tagliaferri got the second half started by scoring her 13th goal of the season, a shot from the left side that went into the right corner of the net.
“I’ve been playing soccer since I was 4 years old,” Tagliaferri said. “I can play with the U17 team two more years. I played in the qualifying round of 2014 U-17 World Cup last fall. That was very exciting.”
–Sean Simmons
Noelle Conforti and Kara Carmarco scored the next two goals for the Cougars, which had a 19-0 shot advantage, and then Conforti added the final two goals.
Red Bank has a young team also with five seniors on the squad, but coach Nick Tucker is optimistic despite the score.
“We have a lot of young talent on the team,” Tucker said. “We play a very difficult schedule with teams like Wall, Colts Neck, Ocean Township and Red Bank Catholic. We came out and played well in the first half, but Colts Neck turned it on in the second half.
“We have two freshmen that are getting significant playing time and we also start five sophomores,” he said.
