New era but same winning ways for Freehold Township boys soccer
FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP – When former head coach Josh Mehl announced after last season that he would not be returning, the move shuffled in a new era at Freehold Township. Mehl – who took the athletic director job at crosstown rival Freehold Borough – reached great heights.
His 2021 group advanced to the state final for the first time since 1982, ultimately falling to Kearny. His run also included a Shore Conference Tournament championship in 2019 and an 82-33-7 overall record.
Needless to say, new head coach Michael Tepedino had some big shoes to fill this year. Even after a brief slip up on Opening Day, Tepedino is carrying the torch just fine.
After a 2-1 win against A North rival Marlboro on Thursday afternoon, Freehold Township won its seventh game in a row to improve to 7-1, setting up a colossal showdown against CBA on Monday with the division title on the line.
“We want to continue what we’ve established,” said Tepedino, who’s been in the program for about eight years. “We’ve going to keep rolling and go from there.”
Shaking off an early upset
While Tepedino’s first year as head coach has been great thus far, it didn’t start out that way. The Patriots fell in a 2-1 stunner to Middletown South on Opening Day. It was one of the most surprising results in a season full of upsets across the Shore Conference.
“I think the question they asked was, ‘hey, do we want this?’” Tepedino said. “I think their response has been exemplary.”
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Two days after the loss, Freehold Township drubbed a talented Rumson-Fair Haven team 5-0 to kick off the current seven-game winning streak. Since then, the Patriots have beaten talented Wall, Manalapan, Point Boro teams as well as the Mustangs. They’ve outscored their opponents 16-2 over that span.
“For a team like us that expects to go far in the tournaments, it was tough losing the first game,” Freehold Township senior Kevin Kuriakose said. “We put our heads down, but the next day we came to practice with a mindset that we’re not going to let that happen again.”
'They lead by example'
Freehold Township won another big game behind more terrific defense and timely scoring.
After a scoreless first half, the Patriots took a 1-0 lead in the 50th minute when Alessandro Principato found Kuriakose with a perfect cross right in front of the net. Senior Tim Bertscha scored a crucial insurance goal in the 75th.
Bertscha’s goal proved to be the game-winner after Marlboro cut the lead in half three minutes later when Jake Cagnina bent in a corner kick.
Senior captains Kuriakose, Bertscha and Noah Jones have been the leaders for a group ringing in a new era of Freehold Township soccer.
“They lead by example,” Tepedino said. “They’re the ones that set the tone, and everybody else raises their level.”
Danny LoGiudice has covered local sports across New Jersey since 2014. Contact him at dlogiudice@gannettnj.com or @danny_logiudice on Twitter.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Freehold NJ boys soccer keeps winning ways over Marlboro
