BASEMENT WATERPROOFING IN Freehold Township

For an entire year, Freehold Township put in the work to make sure its 2022 redemption tour ended on the same field as last year, but with a completely different result.

The Patriots struggled to watch clips of a game-winning goal by Westfield that took the state championship and the state’s No. 1 ranking away. One play made the difference in that game and Freehold Township came back ready to work toward one united goal.

Freehold Township sat just behind Westfield all season as both teams remained unbeaten against in-state teams, but on the final day at Kean University, it was the Patriots time to take over. One goal was once again all it took to seal the deal in the Group 4 final. This time around though, it was Freehold Township walking off with a 1-0 win and the top spot in New Jersey.

The Patriots are this year’s NJ.com Team of the Year after winning the program’s third overall state championship and first outright Group 4 title. Freehold Township made that happen by gutting out a narrow win over previously undefeated Ridgewood.

“We knew coming in that we wanted to get redemption and do it on this field. We came out with that mindset and did it,” said Villanova commit Gabby Koluch, who was named an All-American this fall. “We knew that once we scored (against Ridgewood), we just had to keep it strong in the back. Getting that first goal was so motivating and held us for the rest of the game.”

It took just six minutes for Freehold Township to get on the board this year.

That was a welcomed change for a program that was held scoreless for 80 minutes the year before. That is the only time this team has been shut out in the last three years.

TCU commit Ainsley Moy scored the game-winner off an assist from Danielle Howard. Gaby Parker, Hailey Santiago and Shea Jackson added to the offensive pressure and Freehold Township nearly had two more scores in the first 10 minutes.

A second goal never came though and that was fine.

Freehold Township’s defense was not going to break down. Not with Koluch leading a back line that also featured Grace Miraglia, Sophie Tonino and Chloe Walters. Sophomore keeper Ashley Moore earned her own personal redemption and kept a clean sheet in the state final.

Moy and Howard were tough in the midfield alongside Princeton commit Kayla Wong, who also earned All-America honors this season. Wong has been a playmaker in the modified since her first season at Freehold Township and is a game-changer in that part of the field.

The Patriots suffered a tough break when Clemson commit Cassidy Corcione was hurt in the offseason and was lost for the entire year. She led this team in scoring a year ago and is a great player. Freehold Township was loaded in the midfield though and with players like Wong, Moy and Howard there to step up, this team had all it needed to achieve its goal.

Freehold Township’s only loss this fall came against Archbishop Spalding (MD).

This team was perfect against in-state teams though and won 17 straight games on its way to winning a state championship. There was a scare in the Central, Group 4 final, with Freehold Township trailing with under 10 minutes to go, but the Patriots rallied and won in overtime.

In the semis, Freehold Township cruised to a 3-0 win over an Eastern (22-2-2) team that won more games than any other program in the state this fall. The Patriots (21-1) finished the year with wins over No. 2 Ridgewood, No. 3 Watchung Hills and No. 19 Manalapan.

It also won a Shore Conference title thanks to a 1-0 win over Howell.

Nothing was sweeter than getting its hands on the Group 4 title though.

“This is the exact feeling that we’ve wanted since the summer,” said Wong. “It’s an awesome feeling. This was our goal all year. Last year, it was such a letdown, but we came back stronger and this year was pretty much as perfect as it gets. We’re just so excited to be champions.”

Freehold Township won co-championships in 2015 and 2017.

Those were also state titles, but having the crown to itself for the first time in program history just hit different. This group was not going to be stopped by anyone.

Santiago had a breakout year and led the Shore Conference with 23 goals. Parker was excellent up top again with 15 goals and 10 assists. Moy was a balanced threat with 13 goals and 13 assists. Wong added 10 goals and 15 assists to the offensive effort.

Koluch led a defense that pitched 17 shutouts.

The last of those came against a Ridgewood offense that had scored at least twice in every other game this fall. It was a perfect ending to an incredible season.

“It means a heck of a lot more,” Freehold Township coach Dave Patterson said of this Group 4 title. “Those teams in 2015 and 2017 were special, they were amazing, and they set the stage for what was to come. Last year, we thought we had it and it just slipped away from us at the end. For this team to finish the job is just an incredible feeling and I’m just so proud of them.”

The N.J. High School Sports newsletter now appearing in mailboxes 5 days a week. Sign up now and be among the first to get all the boys and girls sports you care about, straight to your inbox each weekday. To add your name, click here.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a subscription.

FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ — Freehold Township resident Dorothy Sourifman, now age 100, has lived through many technological advances, and the former typist played her part in one of them, say the managers of the Jewish Home here.

Sourifman, a resident of The Jewish Home for Rehabilitation & Nursing, was the first employee at Western Electric, a Bell System company, to use an electric typewriter, they say.

Sourifman worked as a secretary for 15 years at Western Electric, and during that time, she went to night school, learning shorthand and typing.

The life-long New Jerseyan celebrated her 100th birthday this month, with family and staff of the Freehold skilled nursing facility. Committee Member Lester Preston presented Sourifman with a Freehold Township proclamation.

“What fun to celebrate with Dorothy and her family!” said Randi Rae Treibitz, the facility’s director of life enrichment. “We are so glad Dorothy is with us here at the Jewish Home. She is a special part of our community.”

Born at home in 1922 in Linden to parents who emigrated from Russia, Sourifman is one of six brothers and sisters within their close-knit family. She married William Sourifman, nicknamed “Babe” after Babe Ruth because of his love of the game.

The couple raised three children – Steven, Howard and Marcy – in Roselle and Linden, and Sourifman is now a grandmother to two granddaughters, Skylar and Ashley.

The centenarian is known for her smarts and work ethic and was a quick study from her earliest days, graduating high school at age 16 and speaking numerous languages, representatives of the Jewish Home said. After high school, she first worked as a cookie baker for Burry Biscuit in North Elizabeth, the home said.

Sourifman’s "passion for life, learning - and fun - is evident in all she has accomplished," the Jewish Home said.

The Jewish Home, located at 1151 W. Main St., provides post-hospital care, short-term rehab and long-term residential care. The 150-bed skilled nursing facility also includes a synagogue on premises, provides focused Jewish programming and offers OU certified Glatt Kosher cuisine.

New Jerseyans were shaken up Monday afternoon following a series of mysterious rumblings and vibrations felt throughout the state’s lower region.

Residents in Cape May, Cumberland, Ocean counties and beyond posted about the activity on social media, checking to see if everyone else felt the same trembling. So far there have been no confirmed reports of any earthquakes or sonic booms in the Garden State region.

About nine people reported feeling some sort of shaking in New Jersey Monday afternoon and posted their reports on volcanodiscovery.com.

The website described the incident as an “unconfirmed earthquake or seismic-like event,” saying it occurred 25 miles southeast of South Vineland in Cumberland County at 12:46 p.m.

Forecaster Nick Pittman posted on Facebook saying residents of Upper Township in Cape May County reached out to him on Monday and reported “houses shaking and windows rattling.”

Despite these reports, the U.S. Geological Survey did not indicate any seismic activity Monday and as far as the weather service can tell, the tremor did not have meteorological origin.

“We’re not aware of anything and nothing has been detected earthquake-wise,” said Ray Martin, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly. The weather service did not receive any reports of a loud boom or shaking Monday afternoon.

An earthquake tracking website run by the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre did not show any witness reports for an earthquake in New Jersey Dec. 5.

Meteorologists have previously said that sometimes sonic booms occur from military jets flying off the Jersey Shore from the naval air station in Maryland.

The Naval Air Station Patuxent River in southern Maryland did not respond to requests for comment Monday afternoon.

Representatives of Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Burlington County also could not be reached for comment about whether any loud testing was being conducted at that Air Force base.

Monday’s events are similar to those reported back in February, when residents said they felt shaking and heard loud booms throughout central and southern New Jersey. The source of the earthquake-like event was investigated, but never confirmed.

While earthquakes aren’t common in New Jersey, they are not beyond the realm of possibility.

Eleven years ago, on the afternoon of Aug. 23, 2011, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake in central Virginia shook buildings in New Jersey. It was one of the largest earthquakes ever recorded in the eastern U.S.

The 2011 quake was the biggest felt in the state in recent memory, but there have been other (mostly minor) events.

In 2017, a 4.1 magnitude earthquake near Dover, Delaware was felt in New Jersey and several other states.

A 2.8 magnitude earthquake hit near Bernardsville in 2015. In 2014, a 1.7 magnitude earthquake rattled New Jersey southeast of Trenton. And in 2012, just days after Hurricane Sandy, a 2.0 magnitude earthquake happened near Ringwood.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the local news you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Current weather radar

FREEHOLD-FREEHOLD TOWNSHIP, NJ — There is no shortage of things to do in the Freehold and Freehold Township area to get the winter holiday season off to a rollicking good start.

Christmas and Hanukkah, the eight-day Jewish festival of lights, intersect this year, with Hanukkah running Dec. 18-26. Christmas, of course, is on Dec. 25, but you don’t have to wait to start taking in all the sights and sounds of the holidays.

Holiday tree and menorah lightings in the Freehold and Freehold Township area include:

Freehold Borough: Freehold Downtown presents the following events: Holiday Tree lighting, Tuesday, Dec. 6, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Rain date is Dec. 7. Monmouth County Hall of Records, 1 E. Main St. The menorah lighting is Monday, Dec. 19, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Carolers will be downtown Thursday, Dec. 15, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. There are also restaurants offering breakfast or brunch with Santa. See here for all details.

Englishtown: Historic Village Inn will have photos with Santa Saturday. Dec. 10, Sunday Dec. 11, 1-4 p.m., $15. This benefits Village Inn, 2 Water St., Englishtown. Free cider and donuts will be available.

Freehold/Manalapan: On Dec. 17, Santa Claus will be visiting the area on the Santa Train as he travels with friends on the Delaware & Raritan River Railroad. Santa will be making four stops with his big red caboose, including stops in Freehold and Manalapan.

Meet Santa at one of these free events:

Reed & Perrine has a spur from the Chesapeake & Delaware freight line and gets deliveries that way too, the company said. This is the first time the Santa Train is making a stop there, and the store hopes to continue the tradition, a company representative said.At the Freehold Fire Department stop, a member of the fire company the train will be stopped right at the bus stop on the freight train line.Builders General is closed Saturdays, but a company representative said the Santa Train will stop outside the gates there.

Holiday lighting displays are another holiday favorite. Some to catch in Monmouth County are:

In Wall:

Allaire Community Farm: Christmas Light Spectacular fundraiser for a sanctuary farm in Wall. There is also a large dreidel display this year. Take in the twinkling lights surrounding the farm as seen from our tractor-pulled holiday wagon as you spend the evening with family and friends. Tickets are $17 for anyone over age 2 and must be purchased online. No walks ups will be accepted. Christmas plants, baked goods, hot chocolate, hot cider and more will also be available for purchase inside the market; 1923 Baileys Corner Road, Wall.

In Holmdel:

PNC Bank Arts Center: Magic of Lights show through Dec. 30. See website for tickets and times.

More holiday tips:

Look here for suggestions for nearby places to visit Santa. And check out this Patch story to see where to get fresh Christmas trees.

2 minute read

The Miami Marlins have made history, again.

The Major League Baseball franchise promoted Caroline O’Connor to president of business operations on Monday, making them what is believed to be the first major men’s sports franchise in the United States to have women simultaneously serving as president and general manager.

Two years ago, the Marlins made history by hiring Kim Ng as their general manager – and both executives hail from New Jersey.

"When I talk to young girls, I really like them to see me in my role because I didn't feel like I had that role model," O'Connor, who grew up in Freehold Township, told The Associated Press. "I want people to see themselves when they see me and know that it is a possibility."

With O’Connor and Ng, a Ridgewood High School graduate, at the helm, the Marlins are a franchise being led by two of the most powerful women in men’s professional sports. While Ng runs the team's on-field operations, O’Connor runs off-field business. Similar to Ng, O’Connor was brought to the Marlins in 2017 by then-chief executive and New York Yankee icon Derek Jeter. She served initially as senior vice president and chief of staff, before being elevated to the team’s chief operating officer in 2019.

O’Connor is just the second woman to serve as president of a Major League Baseball team. In late July, Catie Griggs was hired by the Seattle Mariners, becoming the only active female president in an MLB front office. In recent years, women have been climbing the ranks in front offices and coaching roles in all of the major U.S. men’s sports, including hockey, football and basketball.

O’Connor’s ties to the Garden State run deep. According to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, she grew up with four older brothers in Freehold Township. She was naturally drawn to sports, playing basketball, tennis, soccer and softball. She attended Rutgers University and New York University, where she studied computer science and finance. She earned her MBA at NYU while working and going to school part-time.

Her career has spanned high-profile roles with companies such as IBM, UBS Investment Bank and Morgan Stanley. It wasn’t until the summer of 2017, when O’Connor was still working in New York, when a mutual acquaintance of Jeter reached out, asking if she’d be interested in interviewing for a job with the Marlins. At the time, Jeter and Bruce Sherman, now the Marlins’ chairman and principal owner, were co-headlining the ownership group to acquire the franchise.

Raised a Yankees fan, O’Connor was intrigued. “It just felt like one of those once-in-a-lifetimes things,” she told The Sun Sentinel in 2019. “I had a great job. I was at Morgan Stanley, a really great company, working with a great team there, but I just felt like you have to at least explore this.”

By taking that leap, O’Connor and Ng are now part of a growing class of women executives leading teams in baseball. Griggs, who was elevated to her role this summer, leads the Mariners. Laura Day is the Minnesota Twins' executive vice president and chief business officer. Kellie Fischer has a similar role in Texas, as the Rangers' EVP and chief financial officer.

"It's taken a real community to get behind me," O'Connor said. "The team that I work with today, the team that supports me every day, I feel like this is a reflection on all of them and what we've produced together. I might have the title, but of course I think about all the people that help me get it."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.