An innovative approach by one of the state’s top soccer leagues has people following regular season soccer with a much closer eye. Check out JSZ-TV’s feature on the World Cup inspired format to the Shore Conference
The Shore Conference is using a World Cup inspired Group Play format to determine the field for its post-season tournament.
In the past, teams with a winning record at the October cutoff date would earn a spot in the Shore Conference Tournament. This time around, the Shore has put 11 Groups of 4 based on records over the last 3 years. The early reviews across the area are positive as players are enjoying the new format and a sense of urgency for what would have been routine regular season games.
“It’s definitely a lot more pressure on the games,” Middletown North’s Josiah Stepney said. “But if you lose your first game you go into your second game playing harder wanting to win.”
When it’s all said and done, Group Play may be here to stay and it could be something that other conferences around the state could follow.
JSZ’s Rich Chrampanis has the story and feeback from players around the Shore about the new format:
