By Bob Badders - Senior Staff Writer

    NEPTUNE - During the regular season, forwards Eric Mackin and Lauren Florio put up gaudy statistics and developed reputations as dependable finishers. In their final high school soccer game, they kept their notoriety fully intact.
    Monmouth's Mackin and Mater Dei's Florio each scored twice on Sunday to lead their respective North squads to victory in the Shore Conference Officials Associations Senior All-Star Game's at Neptune's Memorial Field. Mackin's two goals helped the North boys grab a three-goal lead on the South and hold on for a 3-2 victory. Later in the day, Florio scored the game-winner and added an insurance goal in a 3-1 victory for the girls.
    "It's a lot more competitive than a regular high school game because it's all the best players playing," Mackin said. "And it was a good time. We were coming down, talking trash to the defenders and just having a lot of fun."
    "After playing against each other all year it's fun, everyone coming together for one night," Florio said.
    Mackin was second in the Shore Conference in goals (27) and points (63), and helped lead the Falcons to the Class B North division title. On Sunday, he gave the North a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute by converting a feed from Red Bank's Marty Stern. Manalapan's Adam Rice touched the ball back to Stern who played a through ball to Mackin. With only turf between him and Jackson goalkeeper Alex Morgans, Mackin ripped a shot that beat a diving Morgans just inside the right post.
    "I was thinking about chipping it over him at first but I just bent it around him instead," Mackin said.
    "He's been a pretty strong finisher all year so I figured he had it once I got it to him," Stern said.
    Stern also assisted on a goal by Neptune's Brennan Fitzsimmons in the 60th minute that extended the North's lead to 2-0. In the 71st minute, Mackin converted a penalty kick for a 3-0 lead. The South team struck back quick with goals by Monsignor Donovan's Brian Thomsen and Central's Clay Gashlin in the 76th and 78th minutes, respectively, but the North was able to hand on.
    "It was definitely a fun time," Stern said. "Over the years you start to get to know all the players around the Shore so it was fun to play with everyone."
    In the girls game, Holmdel's Marybeth Lesbirel gave the North a 1-0 lead with a goal in the 37th minute. The forward was on a partial breakaway and was able to dribble around the keeper for any easy shot into the open net. In the 46th minute, Florio hit a shot from the right side 30 yards out that rippled the twine in the top left corner of the net. Brick Memorial's Christina Cuffari scored on a goal similar to Lesbirel's to cut the lead to 2-1 in the 61st minute, but Florio struck again with a quick turnaround shot from 20 yards out in the 71st minute to put the game out of reach.
    "I don't play against half these girls during the season so it's nice to get to know them and play with them," Florio said. "These games are fun. They're just like scrimmages and it's all about going out and having fun."

E-mail: badders@digitalsports.com