Absegami Soccer Teams Learn Playoff Draw

The Absegami High School boys' and girls' soccer teams found out what lies ahead for them in the upcoming playoffs.

The NJSIAA released the Group IV South playoff brackets late Wednesday night, and both squads will open up on their home turf.

The Absegami girls open up with No. 16 Triton on Halloween.

The Braves girls' team will play at home as long as it keeps winning, earning the top seed in the bracket. Home is exactly where the Braves are most comfortable.

"For the second time in a row we are No. 1, which is outstanding," Absegami girls' coach Elizabeth Lee said. "We strive for home games."

She added: "Any team wants home field advantage. Our own students come out and our parents. We don't have to travel. Traveling an hour or an hour and half and getting off a bus while the other team hangs out for an hour and a half can be difficult. We also have one of the bigger fields in the area and that can be a huge advantage. We know how to play on the size of a field."

The boys are the No. 8 seed, and host a first-round game against No. 9 Washington Township on Nov. 1. The Braves boys' squad appreciates the first round home game, but some of the players feel like they could have been slotted with a better seed.

Although it was after the cut-off date, Absegami shut out Eastern, 3-0, but the Vikings are the No. 6 seed.

"I feel like with our seed being high people underrate us," Absegami senior Sean Ahern said. "They will keep underrating us and we will come up and they will be surprised."

The winner of the first-round game will get the winner of No. 1 Cherokee and No. 16 Southern Regional in the quarterfinals.

"We are not afraid of Cherokee," Ahern said. "We are not intimidated if we have to play Cherokee."

Although the girls have the top seed that doesn’t mean they have a free and easy path to the finals. If the Braves get past Triton they will take on the winner of No. 9 Washington Township and No. 8 Toms River East. No. 4 Eastern, which beat No. 2 and defending sectional champions Lenape earlier this season, is also on the Braves' side of the bracket.

"Eastern is on our side and Eastern beat Lenape," Lee said. "I'm sure Lenape is happy they are not on the same side."