Ocean City Girls' Soccer Relying on Returning Seniors

The Ocean City High School girls' soccer team will have a new look this season.

The Red Raiders return just five starters and will rely on the returning letter-winners to lead.

Ocean City is coming off a 6-7-4 record in 2010, however, the Red Raiders did make it to the NJSIAA Group III South semifinals and would like to make another deep run this year.

“I’d like to go pretty far in the state tournament,” Ocean City senior Caitlyn Brice. “We went pretty far last year, and we hope to go farther than we did. In the (Cape-Atlantic League), we want to win our division.”

“I think we have strong players, and play as team," Brice said. "We are playing well as a whole.”

That team-oriented thinking can go far. The Red Raiders will look to Brice, and fellow captain Megan Devlin in the midfield.

Also returning is midfielder Francesca Babore, midfielder Megan Young and versatile junior Shana Zoller, who will see time in the midfield and on the back line.

“We have a decent returning core in the midfield and defense,” Ocean City coach Bill Pesda said.

The team is relying on that midfield to control possession and set the tempo each game.

“I think our midfield is going have to be strong,” Brice said. “We have been working hard on our transition, and working with the defensive transition. We have been doing well. If we get that, we will be a strong team.”

If the Red Raiders want to improve on last year’s record they will have to find goals from somewhere. Ocean City is looking for a goal scorer, and may have found one in freshman Karissa Borbeau, who will play forward and midfield.

“She's got a skill level that good strikers and goal scorers tend to have,” Pesda said. “So far, she is showing that. Being a freshman, we will show caution, but she has high soccer knowledge. She has fit in nicely.”

The defense will be patrolling the box in front of senior goalkeeper Lauren Freas, who takes over from Victoria Wyand, who graduated in June.

“She is getting there,” Pesda said. “She has big shoes to fill. It’s a tough position with a young team.”

Despite being their relative youth, the Red Raiders believe they can make some noise this season.

“We would like to win the division and hopefully go as far as we can in the tournament,” Pesda said. “Sometimes we get better results there than in the regular season. We have one of the toughest schedules—with Mainland, Hammonton and Oakcrest. It’s a tough division."