Warren Hills solidified its No. 1 ranking with a 1-0 victory over No. 3 Voorhees on Saturday. Both teams will do it again on Thursday, when the Blue Streaks travel to Lebanon Township for the rematch. Warren Hills will be looking for its first regular season sweep of Voorhees since 1981 when both schools were members of the old Delaware River Conference.
Coach Laurie Kerr's team hasn't posted two wins in a season over its rival since both joined the Skyland Conference in the early 1990s. Voorhees competed in the small school division until 2003, joining Warren Hills in the big school Delaware and creating dual meetings in a season. Both now compete in the Raritan Division.
1. Warren Hills (9-0) -- Blue Streaks matched the 2008 squad for the best start in school history. No Warren Hills team has ever started a season 10-0. Senior forward Lindsey Schott became the school's all-time goals leader with a hat trick in the Streaks' 5-2 win over Phillipsburg on Sept. 24, eclipsing Megan Springmeyer's total of 54 (2004-07). Schott, now with 60 goals entering Monday's action, also now owns the career points record (157) and is three assists shy of owning the career mark currently held by Toni Popinko (39 from 2006-09). The offense has been slowed, scoring one goal in each of the last two games after averaging 5.6 per game through the first seven games. Goalie Katie Wintersteen has posted three straight shutouts and six overall.
Previous rank: No. 1.
Up next: at Somerville on Monday; at Voorhees on Thursday; North Warren or Sparta at home on Friday in Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.
2. High Point (9-0) -- Wildcats still rolling after wins over previously-unbeaten Jefferson (4-0 on Monday) and Mount Olive (10-1 on Tuesday). Forward Nikki Hull is on fire with five goals and five assists in her last three games. Darby Smith recorded a five-goal game in the win over Mount Olive. Wildcats drew the No. 1 seed in the Sussex bracket for the third annual Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament. Coach Bev Keur also notched her 300th win on Tuesday. High Point is 31-2 dating to the start of last season.
Previous rank: No. 2.
Up next: at Jefferson on Monday; North Hunterdon at home on Friday in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.
3. Voorhees (4-2) -- Vikings have finally gotten underway after a rainy start to the season that has left their home field a muddy mess. Voorhees dropped two of its last three games, 1-0 in overtime to Montgomery and 1-0 to Warren Hills. The loss to Montgomery was the program's first-ever in 13 games against the Cougars in a series dating to 2002. In fact, Montgomery has scored a mere total of four goals against the Vikings all time. Coach Taylor Webb's team closed last week with the loss to No. 1 Warren Hills, just the fifth loss in 23 meetings in that series since 2000. The Hunterdon County school, including a 2-0 win over Delaware Valley on Wednesday, enters the week with an impressive 110-16-7 overall against Hunterdon and Warren schools. Goalie Kimmie Pianucci was outstanding with 13 saves against Warren Hills.
Previous rank: No. 3.
Up next: at Phillipsburg on Tuesday; Warren Hills at home on Thursday; Kittatinny at home on Friday in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.
4. Belvidere (6-2) -- The County Seaters suffered their second loss to Bernards, 2-1 on Tuesday after a 3-1 defeat to the Mountaineers on Sept. 17 in battle of the top two teams in the Skyland Conference Valley Division. Forward Tiffany McKenna raised her team-leading goal total to 14 in the team's 2-1 win over Hackettstown on Friday. Nicole DeHerde chipped in with the other goal against the Tigers. Coach Kristin Gaitan's team drew a surprising No. 2 seed in the Hunterdon-Warren bracket of the tri-county tournament.
Previous rank: No. 5.
Up next: at North Plainfield on Tuesday; Mount Saint Mary at home on Thursday; Hackettstown or Lenape Valley at home on Friday in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.
5. Vernon (8-1) -- Vikings rebounded from their first loss (6-1 to High Point on Sept. 21) with three straight wins, including a 1-0 win over once-beaten Jefferson on Tuesday. Forward Rachel Colvin scored the game-winner in that one. Forwards Melody Prisco (8 goals, 10 assists) and Kayla Turner-Boss (16 goals) are a nice 1-2 punch on the offensive end. Prisco, a speed demon at right wing, had a hat trick in the team's 6-2 win over Blair Academy on Sept. 24. Goalie Rhonda Richardsen enters the week after back-to-back shutouts. Interesting matchup on Friday with Delaware Valley in the tri-county tournament.
Previous rank: No. 7.
Up next: at Montville on Monday; Kittatinny at home on Wednesday; Delaware Valley at home on Friday in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.
6. Delaware Valley (3-3) -- Terriers jump into the rankings after an impressive 2-0 win at previous No. 4 Phillipsburg on Sept. 20. Coach Stephanie Cirino's team has played a tough early schedule, falling to Montgomery, Warren Hills and Voorhees. Caroline Vath scored a pair of goals in the Terriers' 3-1 win over North Hunterdon on Tuesday.
Previous rank: unranked.
Up next: at Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg (Pa.) on Monday; Montgomery at home on Wednesday; Franklin at home on Thursday; at Vernon on Friday in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.
7. Phillipsburg (4-4) -- Stateliners' roller-coaster season continued with a 2-0 loss to Delaware Valley, followed by wins over Franklin (7-0) and Somerville (4-0) sandwiched around a 5-2 loss at No. 1 Warren Hills on Sept. 24. P'burg has now lost seven straight to Warren Hills. The 'Liners' last win in the series was 3-2 on Oct. 30, 2007. Forward Lauren Nunes is finally getting going with four goals in the last three games after being kept off the board in five straight games. Priscilla Howell has scored three times in three games, including a pair in the win over Franklin. Goalie Brittany Lavin also scored her first career goal in that one. Big week coming up for coach Jennifer Paulus' team.
Previous rank: No. 4.
Up next: Voorhees at home on Tuesday; Montgomery at home on Thursday; at Newton on Friday in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.
8. Wallkill Valley (6-2) -- Rangers broke out of their offensive funk with eight goals in two wins last week, 3-0 over Lenape Valley on Monday and 5-1 over Blair Academy on Friday. Wallkill had scored a total of seven goals in its first six games. Forward Andreanna Nordland scored twice against Blair and has three goals and three assists in her last three games. Midfielder Brittany Harlos also is red-hot with three goals and two assists during the same stretch, including two goals against Blair. Goalie Emily Stukenborg recorded shutouts in two of the last three games and has five overall this season.
Previous rank: No. 6.
Up next: at Hackettstown on Tuesday; Sparta at home on Thursday; Hunterdon Central at home on Friday in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.
9. Hunterdon Central (3-5) -- The Red Devils have played a brutal schedule early on and have hung tough despite five losses. Coach Jenn Sponzo's team had a nice 2-1 win in overtime against Hillsborough on Sept. 24. Forward Nicole Barrett scored both goals in the victory. Fellow forward Kim Engelhart leads the team with nine goals. That's impressive considering Central scored a total of 11 goals in a three-win season a year ago.
Previous rank: No. 9.
Up next: at Ridge at Tuesday; at North Hunterdon on Thursday; at Wallkill Valley on Friday in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.
10. Newton (4-2) -- The Braves suffered a 1-0 loss in overtime to No. 8 Wallkill Valley on Sept. 22 and rebounded with a 4-1 win over Roxbury on Wednesday. Forward Melanie Rudio scored three goals in the win over the Gaels, while goalie Amanda Norman stopped five shots. Coach Lisa Bechtel's team drew the No. 4 seed in the Sussex bracket for the tri-county tournament. Newton reached the semifinals in the first two tournaments and got to the championship in 2009.
Previous rank: No. 8.
Up next: at Blair Academy on Monday; at Lenape Valley on Tuesday; Phillipsburg at home on Friday in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.
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