Freehold Township High School boasts an awesome girls’ soccer program.
For years now, the Patriots have been winning with suffocating defense under head coach Dave Patterson.
In 2017, Freehold Township finished 23-1-1 and shared the NJSIAA Group 4 tournament championship with Ridge High School after both teams played to a tie in the state title game.
That 2017 co-championship came two years after the same two teams, Freehold Township and Ridge, played to a tie in the state championship game and shared the Group 4 state title.
Freehold Township has also reached the state sectional semifinals in four straight campaigns.
But in 2019, Patterson is completely changing his team’s identity, and it’s working great.
Freehold Township is using two or three forwards in every game this fall, instead of its 4-5-1 alignment of recent years. Patterson’s club played in four scrimmages in August, and it went 4-0 while scoring 20 goals.
Then in their season opener on Sept. 3 at Freehold Township, the Pats scored four times and beat Shore Regional High School, 4-0. Then they beat Holmdel High School, 4-0, on Sept. 5.
The Pats are 2-1 through three games, but they have scored nine goals in three games, an average of three per game. The team looks like an offensive juggernaut. Judging by its first two regular season games, it still plays pretty good defense, too.
Freehold Township might be one of the best teams in New Jersey this year.
“We are talented and deep offensively,” Patterson said. “And we’re getting better defensively with each game.”
“We are cautiously optimistic about a positive season,” he added.
Seven Freehold Township players got on the score sheet on Sept. 3. Senior forward Kat O’Brien scored two goals in the regular season opener after netting seven in the four scrimmages.
O’Brien didn’t start or score much a year ago. She was a victim of Patterson’s defensive system. But she is getting her chance as a senior, and she is making the most of it.
“She has been fantastic with the quality of her finishes,” Patterson said.
Patterson’s club still scored more than two goals per game in 2018. It was no offensive slouch. And the Patriots have two of their best offensive players, junior forward Ryann Leohner and senior midfielder Anna Priborkina, back from last year.
In 2018, Leohner scored 12 goals and Priborkina registered six goals and 11 assists.
“They work really well together,” Patterson said.
Both players scored in Freehold Township’s victory over Shore Regional. They should form a dynamic trio with O’Brien this fall.
“They are starting to anticipate the runs, angles and everything like that,” Patterson said. “Things are coming together.”
Freehold Township also has four other starters back from 2018, and even its new starters, like O’Brien and junior goalkeeper Ava Madoff, have plenty of varsity experience. That’s probably why the Pats have so quickly and smoothly transitioned to a new system.
They already looked like a complete team in their season opener, controlling possessions to the tune of a 12-7 shot advantage. Madoff even made four saves to preserve the shutout.
Patterson made the switch to a multiple forward unit because of offensive talent, but he also did it because he trusts his defenders.
Junior Gabby Zuczek moved from center midfield to center back to solidify the back line. Freshman center back Gabby Koluch is a precocious talent. Junior outside back Sam Linico is fast, aggressive and already locking down opposing forwards.
Maybe the Pats aren’t an offensive team after all. Maybe they are just a team, and a great one.
“We don’t feel like we have to outscore teams,” Patterson said.
