Trio Of SCT Semifinalists: Freehold Township Boys, Girls Soccer, Field Hockey

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ — Freehold Township students have a lot to cheer about Wednesday and Thursday, as the Patriots have three teams playing in their respective Shore Conference Tournament seminfinals.

The field hockey team got underway at 3 p.m. at top-seeded Rumson-Fair Haven as the Patriots (13-3-1) continue their quest for the SCT title. Freehold Township defeated neighboring Freehold 2-1 on Monday in the quarterfinals on goals by Emma Butrym and Julia Eriksen, who leads the team with 15 goals this season. That victory avenged a 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Shore Conference Class A leading Colonials a week earlier.

Rumson (17-1) has given up just two goals to Shore Conference opponents and its only defeat was at the hands of Moorestown early in the season.

At 5 p.m., the Patriots' girls soccer team takes the field at Central Regional High School in the first game of the SCT girls soccer semifinal doubleheader. The second-seeded Patriots, who lost in the Shore Conference championship game to Colts Neck last fall, take on third-seeded Toms River North (15-1). Freehold Township (14-1-4) defeated Jackson Memorial in a shootout in the SCT quarterfinals, after an opening-round 2-0 victory over Red Bank Catholic. Freehold Township goalkeeper Ang DiCicco has nine shutouts this season.

The Mariners' only loss was at the feet of crosstown rival Toms River South, and goalkeeper Ashley Tutzauer has 10 shutouts this season.

The Freehold Township boys soccer team takes on Marlboro, the second seed, at 5 p.m. Thursday at Central Regional High School after defeating Jackson Memorial 2-1 in the quarterfinals on Tuesday on goals by Sean O'Donnell and Matt Nastarowicz.

The Patriots (11-5-1) have garnered the spotlight thanks to the game-winning bicycle kick goal by Jon Finocchiaro that defeated Point Pleasant Boro in the Patriots' SCT opener and made the ESPN SportsCenter Top 10 plays of the day on Saturday.

Marlboro (16-1-1) is a Shore Conference Class A North rival of Freehold Township. In the teams' first meeting this season, the Mustangs won 2-1, but two weeks ago the contest resulted in a 2-2 draw.

The winner of the Marlboro-Freehold Township semifinal takes on the winner of the Toms River North-CBA clash in the final, set for 7 p.m. Friday at Central Regional High School.