It took a significant portion of last season for many of the Barnegat girls soccer players to truly connect with each other on the field. Soon after the midpoint of their 10-10 campaign, however, it was clear the Bengals had better chemistry.

“We have a lot more chemistry at this point of the season than we did at the start of last season,” said senior Laila Turchi after the Bengals registered a 6-0 victory over Pinelands Regional on Sept. 3. “We’re definitely more connected on the field.