South Jersey Boys & Girls Soccer Teams Gearing Up For the Coaches Tournament

by Marc Narducci | Oct 10, 2025

The South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association conducts its own Top 20 poll and the top 16 teams among both boys’ and girls’ soccer teams, will receive an invitation to the single-elimination tournament.

Here is the schedule:
Oct 5th – poll #1
Oct 12th – poll #2
Oct 18th – Cut off date
Oct 19th – Final poll
Oct 24 – round 1
Oct 27 – round 2
Oct 29 – Semis – DeCou in Cherry Hill
Nov 1 – Finals. – Site TBD

Here are the first polls released Oct. 5:

Boys’ Soccer Poll
1.Cherry Hill East; 2. St. Augustine, 3. Washington Township; 4. Moorestown; 5. Shawnee; 6. Egg Harbor Township; 7. Bordentown; 8. West Deptford; 9. Cherokee; 10. Lindenwold; 11. Seneca; 12. Delsea; 13. Haddon Township; 14. Cinnaminson; 15. Deptford; 16. Ocean City; 17. Schalick; 18. Kingsway; 19. Woodstown; 20. Cedar Creek

Girls’ Soccer Poll

Article continues below

- Seizing the Moment

After the spring season was canceled last year due to the pandemic, these standout student-athletes from South Jersey are hoping to make the most of their opportunities in 2021.

1.Paul VI; 2. Shawnee; 3. Cherokee; 4. Cinnaminson; 5. Moorestown; 6. Delsea; 7. Egg Harbor Township; 8. Kingsway; 9. Eastern; 10. Washington Township; 11. Clearview; 12. Cherry Hill East; 13. Holy Cross; 14. Haddon Heights; 15. Williamstown; 16. Northern Burlington; 17. Mainland; 18. GCIT; 19. Haddonfield. 20. Seneca.

The best part of this tournament is that it matches up teams of all Group sizes. For instance, in 2022, Haddon Township, a Group 1 school, won the Coaches Tournament boys’ championship.

Last year Shawnee won both the girls’ and boys’ Coaches Tournament titles.

For the Shawnee girls, this was all part of a special season, where the Renegades finished 25-0.

The Renegades beat Paul VI, 3-2 in the Coaches Tournament final, and later won the state Group 3 championship.

The Coaches Tournament final turned out to be a game between future state champions, as Paul VI won the Non-Public A state title and Shawnee captured the state Group 3 crown.

The Shawnee boys’ soccer team defeated St. Augustine, in a shootout to win last year’s Coaches Tournament championship. The teams were tied 1-1 after regular and overtime and Shawnee won the penalty kick shootout, 4-3.

The Renegades went on to also win the state Group 3 championship, beating Randolph, 2-0 in the final.

It must be noted that teams that aren’t in the current Top 20 could end up among the first 16 teams by the time the final poll is released in two weeks.

Both Shawnee teams will be contenders this year, but there will be plenty of company.

Despite some key losses to graduation, Shawnee’s girls’ squad began the week 8-1 with the lone loss a 1-0 defeat to Delsea and the Renegades were No. 2 in the first poll, behind only Paul VI.

That’s a Paul VI team that began the week 7-0-1, with one of the best-balanced attacks in South Jersey. Four players have scored exactly five goals for the Eagles in the first seven games. Senior midfielder Emma McCarthy, a North Carolina lacrosse commit, is the leader for Paul VI.

In boys’ soccer, defending champion Shawnee is ranked No. 5 in the first poll. Cherry Hill East earned the top spot, and the Cougars will be formidable, but No. 2 St. Augustine should again make a serious run. The Hermits began the week 10-1 including a 2-0 win over North Jersey power Delbarton.

The lone loss was 1-0 against Chaminade, New York.

Junior Mike Coluzzi has totaled 12 goals and six assists in the first 11 games for the Hermits.

The Coaches Tournament is a great tune-up for the NJSIAA state tournament. The single-elimination aspect and the excellent competition, duplicates what teams will face in the state tournament, and the intensity is just as high, giving South Jersey teams two
high quality tournaments that are back-to-back.

Photo: No. 2 Emma McCarthy of Paul VI

Author: Marc Narducci

South Jersey Boys & Girls Soccer Teams Gearing Up For the Coaches Tournament

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