The high school girls’ soccer season is short. It lasts less than two months for most clubs.
And sometimes, it takes longer than that to figure out who you are.
Colts Neck High School is still searching for its identity in 2018. But the Cougars are undeniably talented.
They are 8-6-2 overall, 5-2 in the Shore Conference’s B North Division and the No. 6 seed, out of 16 teams, in the NJSIAA Central Jersey, Group 3 sectional tournament.
Colts Neck opened the state sectional tournament at home against 11th-seeded Ocean Township High School on Oct. 30.
The Cougars can definitely make a run in the state sectional tournament. Their strong goalkeeper and back line keep them in almost every game. Out of Colts Neck’s six losses, four were by one goal.
“You can look back at that and say if we finished better, we’d be 12-2 instead of 8-6,” said Colts Neck coach Kevin Hein. “We’re still figuring out formations and things. We just have a couple holes.”
Goalkeeper Kaitlyn Torres and her back line, led by juniors Catherine O’Connor and Arianna Sakoutis, often make up for those holes.
“Our defense is lock down. We have two freshmen starting in the midfield, and they are playing well. But they have trouble hanging against stud seniors,” Hein said. “The defense has saved us in those situations.”
Hein estimated that O’Connor prevents four or five chances each game. Her instincts for the game are uncanny, especially for someone who does not play for “one of those high level club teams,” Hein said.
“She just works hard, is full of grit and sacrifices her body at all times,” the coach added. “She’s one of the best defenders in the Shore Conference. She’s really good in the air and is our field general back there. Catherine is constantly telling people where to shift.”
O’Connor is the defensive captain. But Sakoutis is the back line’s most versatile player. She can mark the opponent’s best scorer and run up to score herself.
Sakoutis scored the winning goal in Colts Neck’s 2-1 victory over Matawan Regional High School in the Shore Conference Tournament on Oct. 12. Then, in a 2-1 loss to Brick Township High School on Oct. 16, in the second round of the Shore Conference Tournament, Sakoutis marked Brick’s top scorer for the entire game, helping to keep Colts Neck close.
“She out flanks opponents and shuts down whoever is on her side,” Hein said. “It helps to have someone with speed who can play multiple positions.”
O’Connor, Sakoutis and the back line stop opponents from working the ball deep into the box. Torres has 125 saves this year, and most have come on long range shots. But when the keeper has to make a big save, she usually does.
“She makes one or two saves a game that other goalies in the Shore Conference wouldn’t make,” Hein said. “She’s really good at making saves on breakaways.”
So, Colts Neck is strong in the defensive third. But in their close losses, the Cougars have not finished enough chances. Hein has some talented players up front, including college recruits Jenna Buckley (Manhattan College), Bella Fitzhenry (Barry University) and Kristi Mikula (Fairfield University).
That trio often dazzles with their individual ability. But in the other spots in the midfield and up front, Colts Neck is young. Hein was playing five freshmen at one point in a recent game.
The group is not yet accustomed to playing side-to-side technical soccer and crashing the net for rebounds.
“The biggest thing is timely finishing. A lot of times we have people watching Kristi cutting up defenders and shooting on goal. But no one gets the rebound,” Hein said. “If we can keep the lines, stay intact and not run up from 35 yards out, we can finish better. Putting goals in the net is the biggest thing.”
If Colts Neck can do that, it can win games in the state sectional tournament. Hein is confident.
“When we are really working, we are a pretty solid team,” Hein said. “And if we beat Ocean, I feel pretty good playing Steinert (High School) in the second round and Brick (Township) in the third round. They play the same way. Attacking teams. We have a pretty solid defensive line. We wouldn’t have to play Allentown (High School) until the final. They are the best team in the state, so that would be a tall order.”
Allentown is the defending Group 3 state champion.
