Tournament Time

It is tournament time in the Shore Conference with the Boys & Girls Soccer Tournaments and the Field Hockey tournament all reaching the semifinal round.

However only when it comes to Boys Soccer does Ocean County have representation in the final four where everyone is chasing top-seed and defending champion CBA. The Colts ended Point Boro’s surprising run with a 6-2 victory
Tuesday and will next meet 4th seed Toms River North, who advanced to the semi’s with a dramatic win over Freehold Township in a penalty kick shootout.

The Mariners tied the game on a second-half goal by Taylor Sica and then prevailed 6-5 in PK’s to earn a date with undefeated CBA tomorrow night in Neptune. Those two teams met in the finals last year with the Colts winning 3-0.
On the other side of the bracket 7th seeded Lacey got a late goal from Chris Thompson to surprise #2 Toms River East 1-0 and move into the semifinals for the first time in ten years. The 17-2-1 Lions will meet Holmdel who ousted 3rd seed Howell in penalty kicks. Lacey will face Holmdel in tomorrow’s first semifinal at 5pm at the Summerfield School before North collides with CBA.

The latest Big East development figures to have a major impact on Rutgers who could be left on the outside looking in. Tuesday it was reported that the Big 12 has decided to add West Virginia as a replacement for Missouri when the Tigers leave the conference for the SEC. The Mountaineers departure from the Big East is a major blow as they have the conference’s best football program along with a very good basketball program. WVU also leaving could make schools like Boise State say no to head east and it’s possible the football version of the Big East could fall apart. Where would that leave Rutgers? It seems the Scarlet Knights hopes rest with an invitation to join the Big Ten or ACC and if that doesn’t happen in the near future then they could be a school that has no choice but to play in a lesser conference that will lower and not raise their program and profile.