Girls Soccer: Toms River South Falls to Central in State Playoffs

(PHOTO: Toms River South celebrates after Mackenzie Ryan scored the Indians’ first goal against Central Regional. Credit: Karen Wall)

Four days ago, Toms River South put up an offensive display not often seen in the state playoffs when the Indians found the back of the net nine times in a win over Oakcrest.

The Indians likely wish they could have saved some for Tuesday.

Toms River South (11-6-4) managed just two goals -- one on a penalty kick -- on Tuesday and lost to Central Regional, 3-2, in the semifinals of the NJSIAA South Jersey Group III tournament in Toms River.

Central (15-5-1), the eighth seed, got two goals from its star senior forward, Amanda Carolan and a goal from sophomore forward Gianna Argento to earn the trip to the sectional final for the third straight year. The Golden Eagles will face third-seeded Moorestown on Friday in Moorestown.

Last year, the two teams faced off in that sectional final, and while the Indians double-teamed Carolan to shut her down, South’s star forward, Taylor Troutman, knocked in two goals to secure the South Jersey Group III crown.

Tuesday, Central showed it learned its lesson well, aggressively marking Troutman from the get-go and swarming the senior when she was able to get the ball. The fourth-seeded Indians turned to others for offensive contributions, and while Toms River South got off 23 shots, only a handful were on frame, and few really tested Central’s freshman goalkeeper, Noah Smith.

Carolan, meanwhile, was allowed to roam relatively unchecked for the first 20 minutes of the game, and she and Argento made the Indians pay. Two minutes into the game Argento controlled a ball cleared by the Central defense and sent a pass up the right sideline for Carolan, who dribbled past a pair of Indians defenders and fired a shot on the ground to the far post past South’s keeper, Taylor Dean.

About 15 minutes later, it was Argento’s turn. She took a pass from Carolan up the middle of the field and threaded a pair of defenders before putting her shot into the right side past Dean.

Central’s third goal came two minutes later when Carolan took the ball about midfield and pushed it past the South defense before beating Dean one-on-one. The Indians began double-teaming her at that point, but the damage had been done.

Toms River South scored with 15 minutes left in the first half when sophomore forward Samantha Labianca looped a high cross over the head of Smith from the right side and found sophomore midfielder Mackenzie Ryan, who tucked the ball inside the far post.

In the second half, the Indians turned up the pressure, but it wasn’t until Tori Babcock was taken down in the penalty area that South scored again, with Charly Slavick burying the penalty shot. But the Central defense shut the Indians down the rest of the way.

See a gallery of photos from the game on the Toms River Patch Facebook page, here.