By Rich Chrampanis
The Shore Conference is bringing a new look to its soccer tournament – inspired by the World Cup format – that will give new emphasis to the regular season.
The 45 boys teams and 44 girls teams are divided into 11 groups and seeded based on power points accumulated over the previous three seasons. Like the World Cup, the top two teams in each group will advance to the single elimination “knockout” stage with the conference leaving the door open for additional wild card entries if needed. The previous Shore Conference Tournament was a traditional single elimination tournament that required a .500 record to qualify.
With group stage games being scheduled in early September through the cutoff date of Oct. 6, regular season games will have a new meaning. An early season upset could set the stage for excitement and the possibility of an underdog team reaching the SCT.
The Shore is setting a precedent, not only in New Jersey but perhaps the entire country, by utilizing the World Cup group stage to set the field for the postseason on the high school level.
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 – and to an overwhelmingly positive response – the high school baseball season was resurrected with the Last Dance World Series which incorporated a statewide NCAA region style of group play similar to what the Shore Conference is doing with soccer. Under that format, surprising teams reached the playoffs.
Sept. 7 marks the start of the 2023 high school soccer season. On the boys side, defending Non-Public “A” state champion Christian Brothers Academy, Holmdel, Rumson-Fair Haven and Colts Neck are top seeds in their respective groups. Local girls teams Middletown South, St. John Vianney and RFH are top seeds. Schools that do not finish in the top two of their group will still get a chance to compete in the Coaches Cup which will run concurrently with the Shore Conference Tournament in October.
The article originally appeared in the September 7 – 13, 2023 print edition of The Two River Times.
