At Freehold Township, everyone knows how much the Girls Soccer Team means. This year, the team boasts accolades such as A-North Champions, Central Jersey Group 4 Champions, and Group 4 State Champions. As some of these athletes may be trading in their soccer cleats for basketball shoes, I had the chance to sit down with Coach Patterson and reflect on their amazing season!

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 Congratulations on the amazing season!

– Thank you, I appreciate that!

Sources have told me that recently the team has won 3 State Championships. In the last two, we were co-champions. What does this individual State Championship mean to you?

– It definitely means a lot. It means more than the first two. Each year we set a goal for ourselves to win as many championships as we can. We (we meaning as a program) watched the team get better and better every year. When I started coaching in 2010, the team hadn’t had as much success in the years prior. We started by winning one championship, then we realized we could win more than one championship a year. In 2015 we first shared a State Championship. It really blew the doors off the barn and was instrumental in making the team and program that we have today. It was special to win all four possible championships.

Was this win a group effort or were a few players carrying the weight?

– From an outside perspective I think a lot of people will look at our team and see that we are a talented group. Other coaches might say to watch out for specific players. The media credits a few kids as being the stars of this team. But as the coach, I understand that every person on the team matters. Everyone has a role. Whether it’s someone who plays all 80 minutes or someone who doesn’t see the field that much, they are all impactful. Without any individual that’s on the team, I’m not sure we have the results we did this season.

Speaking of individuals, who are some returning players that we should look out for next season?

– We have two juniors who are currently committed to playing Division 1 college soccer. That’s Ainsley Moy who is committed to Texas Christian University and Cassidy Corcione, committed to Clemson. Those two have been huge contributors since their freshman year. We have also had big contributions from other juniors as well. Hailey Santiago, Shea Jackson, and Grace Miragila all took huge steps forward from their sophomore year. We also have an incredible sophomore class. We are expecting big things from them next year.

Where do you see this team next season?

– We are graduating two very talented players in Gabby Koluch (committed to Villanova) and Kayla Wong (committed to Princeton), but we have a saying at Township that “tradition doesn’t graduate”. We know all the girls who are coming back next year are very talented and very strong players. We think we can challenge all four championships again next year.

What does it mean to you to be the coach of this incredible team?

– It means a lot obviously. I take a lot of pride in being the coach of this team. I know the success of this team doesn’t come from me or the coaches, but the talent of the kids on the field. But it’s something I take a lot of pride in because I get to spend time with such a great group of kids every fall. I think challenging for championships every year brings the best out of everyone. It’s a lot of fun.

What does the success of the team mean to the Freehold Township community?

– The success of our team, in addition to the success that so many other teams had this fall, in conjunction with the incredible successes of many other members of the school community, from the band and choir to the Patriot Players, means a lot for the school community. There is a buzz around the building that has been present all year long, and it has helped push our team to reach their potential as well. We see other teams in the building have success and that makes our team want to win championships too. We want to be able to celebrate with them and this brings the school together in support of all the teams and all the students.

Once again, congratulations to the 2022 Freehold Township Girls Soccer Team. Good luck next fall, Coach Patterson!