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Manalapan’s young girls’ soccer team shows poise

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Rick Garretson, the coach of the Manalapan High School girls’ soccer team,  expects more out of his team.

Manalapan edged rival Marlboro High School, 3-2, on Sept. 8, but the coach is waiting for his squad to show its true potential.

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“I felt we didn’t have our best effort today,” Garretson said following the win over Mustangs. “I think the Marlboro girls should be really proud. They played really hard. They were down twice in the game, and they battled back to tie it up. They played with a lot of fire and a lot of fight. If we would have executed some of our opportunities better in the beginning, the game would have been more advantageous for us. That’s how soccer is sometimes. Sometimes, you finish every shot, sometimes you can’t hit the back of the net.”

Garretson was pleased with the effort and the determination of his team against Marlboro.

“I was proud that the girls showed some resilience and didn’t put their heads down,” Garretson said. “They tied the game up with five-and-a-half minutes left, and we were able to get the game-winning goal with about two minutes left. So, I’m happy about that.”

Senior Ariella Kaplan netted a goal and two assists in the victory over Marlboro. Sophomore Lauren Bruno posted one goal and on assist in the game, while sophomore Briana Ramirez scored once. Junior Breanna Branagan came up with eight saves in net.

The coach is looking ahead to what his skilled team is capable of achieving.

“We have to improve our fitness,” Garretson said. “We definitely were fatigued in the second half. We have to keep making our runs and keep working hard. We can’t let the game come to us; we got to attack a little bit more and go a little stronger to get numbers to the goal.”

The Braves had lost their first game of the season to Princeton High School, 2-1, on Sept. 5 after leading, 1-0, at the half.

Manalapan had 1-0 and 2-1 leads against Marlboro before squandering both advantages. Garretson realized that his youthful crew will mature.

“Look, we’re young,” Garretson said. “We’re learning a lot as we go along. I think we’re going to get better as the season goes along. We have a great group of girls, and they’re a pleasure to coach and be around. I think once things click and they continue to work as hard as they can, good things can happen.”

Garretson admits that his team has improved in just two games, but more is expected of his highly touted bunch.

“I’ve seen some improvement, which is always good,” Garretson said. “We’ve still got to raise our level much higher. We always have high expectations here, but they can handle it.”

The Braves looked for continued improvement in a matchup scheduled in Manalapan on Sept. 12 against Howell High School. They hit the road for their next three games against Freehold High School on Sept. 14 at 3:45 p.m., Middletown High School North on Sept. 16 at 10 a.m. and Colts Neck High School on Sept. 18 at 4 p.m.

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