Jaguars fall in conference final
The Jackson Memorial High School girls soccer team knew it faced a tremendous challenge against unbeaten Red Bank Catholic High School in the championship match of the Shore Conference Tournament on Oct. 31 in Neptune.

As it turned out, RBC (17-0) played what its coach, Ken Santos, called the best 80 minutes his team put together this season in defeating the Jaguars, 3-1, to claim the tournament crown.

Jackson Memorial (17-3), the No. 3 seed in the tournament, had shut out its three previous tournament opponents.

In the championship match, RBC forged a 2-0 lead after 26 minutes, before Mikie Bradley scored off an assist from Dana Costello to cut the Caseys' lead to 2-1.

RBC added a third goal before the end of the half, and the teams were scoreless in the second half.

RBC's Bri Reed, who was moved to stopper because of injuries to other RBC players, limited the explosiveness of Costello (19 goals), the conference's scoring leader and one of three Jackson Memorial players remaining from the Jaguars' 2007 Shore Conference Tournament championship team.

In the Shore Conference Tournament semifinals, Costello converted a penalty kick in the 33rd minute as the Jaguars defeatedWall High School, 1-0, to advance to the championship match.

Costello was taken down in the box after she was served the ball from Dani Andreas.

An apparent tying goal by a Wall player with 2:00 to play in the match was waved off because of a handball violation.

The Jaguars began play in the NJSIAA state tournament this week.