Brookdale Women's Soccer Shooting For Third Straight National Title

Photo above: 2014 Brookdale national champions.

LINCROFT – The Brookdale women’s soccer program already holds the distinction of being the only sport in the history of the highly acclaimed Brookdale Community College athletic department to win back-to-back national championships after bringing home consecutive titles in 2013 and 2014.

This year’s team (14-1, 10-0) is currently ranked No.3 nationally, have already clinched the NJCAA DIII Region XIX and GSAC titles – going undefeated in both – and have been awarded the No.1 seed in the upcoming Region XIX tournament.

No easy task after having to replace seven graduating starters from last year’s championship team, including first-team All-American forward Caroline Duerr and second-team All-American midfielder Brooke Tartis.

“We don’t have the breakaway’s we had last year like Caroline,” fifth-year head coach Katie Miller said. “This year is based a lot on our passing game and just making the offensive runs off the ball to create space. That way we’re able to position the ball up top for the shot.

However, with six sophomore’s back – four starters from a year ago, one with starting experience from the 2013 team and one who had extensive playing-time last season - added to a freshmen class that has one second-team All-Shore pick and three Shore Conference All-Division selections, the Jersey Blues have been able to mold a team that possesses enough talent to make a unprecedented run at a third straight national title.

“I think on this year’s team there’s more collective skill than last year’s team,” Miller said. “The two teams are similar except we don’t have the speed and skill of Caroline up top. But this year’s forwards and the rest of the team have come together and figured out a new way of getting the ball into the back of the net. It’s not that we don’t have speed it’s just the girls up top have had to work together a little more closely but we’re still receiving the same results.”

Credit Miller, who has done a tremendous job rejuvenating the program with her uncanny knowledge of the game and keen ability to not only recognize talent but identify where that talent would be best utilized to build a winner.

Miller knows first-hand. She was an All-Region defender on the 2006 Brookdale team that lost 1-0 to Richland, Texas in the championship game.

The two most indispensable returners have been 2014 second team All-Region XIX goalie Marti Stewart (Marlboro H.S.) and 2014 second-team All-American midfielder Ashley Cafarella (Old Bridge H.S.), who Miller considers leaders on the team.

“Ashley’s position on the team has changed a little from last year,” Miller said. “I have her at center mid as opposed to outside mid where she was last year; so she’s taking on a different role. She’s still a scorer but hasn’t been able to use her speed as much, but her leadership has changed immensely because she’s leading from the middle.”

Cafarella has 12 goals and three assists for 27 points so far this season. Her 12 goals and 27 points are third on the team.

Stewart has been a force in goal for the Blues again this season and is almost unbeatable. She’s recorded 10 shutouts while allowing only six goals on 69 shots on goal for .920 save percentage. Her goals against average is a microscopic 0.40 per game.

Freshman forward Heather Arbachesky (Wall Township H.S.) is tied for the team lead in goals scored (14) and all alone at the top in points (39) and assists with 11. While at Wall, Arbachesky was a 2014 second-team All-Shore selection from the Asbury Park Press.

Forward Simone McEnough (Neptune H.S.) didn’t attend Brookdale last year but was a valuable member of the 2013 championship team starting six games while scoring nine goals with nine assists for 27 points. This season, McEnough is tied for the team lead in goals with 14 and has added seven assists for 35 points – second on the team.

Freshman Aubrey Jones (Manasquan H.S.) has five starts at forward scoring six goals with nine assists – second on the team – for 21 points. She was a Class A Central All-Division pick her senior season at Manasquan.

Claire Begley, a freshman from Mater Dei High School, had 11 starts with two goals and eight assists at inside mid before getting hurt. Miller hopes to have her back for the Region XIX tournament.

Sophomore Brianna Penix (Ocean Township H.S.) has slotted into her spot and has added three goals with seven assists.

The outside mids are two freshmen, Amanda Karabin (Wall Township H.S.) on the right outside and Melissa Monteleone (Manchester H.S.) on the left. Karabin has contributed eight goals and five assists in 14 starts while Monteleone has chipped in four goals and three assists in seven starts.

Another freshman midfielder, Endila Radoncic (Matawan H.S.) has gotten seven starts scoring two goals and assisting on four others. She was selected to the Class A Central All-Division team as a senior at Matawan.

The two starting outside defenders are returners and add valuable experience in the backfield as both the sweeper and stopper are freshmen. Alexandria Montefinese (Monmouth Regional H.S.) at one outside spot is a scoring threat as well, netting three goals with five assists for 11 points while Meredith Parleman (Middletown North H.S.) on the other side has added three assists.

Colleen Branagan ( Matawan Regional H.S.) is the stopper while Michelle Montefinese (Monmouth Regional H.S.) - Alexandria’s younger sister – starts in the backfield at the sweeper position.

The defensive unit as a whole has been fantastic keeping shots on goal to a minimum. In 15 games the defense has limited opponents to 82 shots for a 5.4 shots per game average. In comparison the Jersey Blues offense has recorded 283 shots for a 18.9 per game average.

“There are a lot of different things that go into winning a championship,” Miller said. “The cool thing about this team is that our five returners from last year’s team can relay their experience to the freshmen about winning the championship in Ocean County last year and Simone can relay the experience of winning it all in New York two years ago.”

The 2015 NJCAA All-Region XIX team was just released and as expected, Brookdale was well represented. Heather Arbachesky was named Player of the Year while Ashley Cafarella, Simone Mcenough and Marti Stewart join Arbachesky as first-team selections. Meredith Parleman was a second-team pick and Amanda Karabin was named to the third-team.

The Jersey Blues close out the regular season this Thursday against Harford Community College of Maryland. The Region XIX Tournament commences October 30-31 with the national tournament - being hosted by Ocean County College for the second straight year - November 12-15.

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