Warren Hills' field hockey team has been down this same road before en route to a championship.
And the Blue Streaks certainly hope there are a few more trips toward their desired destination.
But first thing's first as third-seeded Warren Hills faces No. 1 seed and defending champion Freehold Borough in Tuesday's North 2, Group 3 sectional final in Freehold. The game is a rematch of the 2009 final, a 1-0 overtime thriller won by the Streaks.
Coach Laurie Kerr's Warren Hills team comes into this one on a major roll having won 12 straight since a 2-1 overtime loss to Voorhees on Oct. 6. The Blue Streaks (22-1), who established a new school record for wins in a 1-0 victory over No. 2 seed Hopewell Valley in the semis, have outscored the opposition, 61-7, during their current win streak which is three shy of another school record.
Warren Hills is shooting for its 10th sectional title and second in three years. The Streaks are playing in their 13th sectional final overall and seventh in Kerr's 12 seasons in charge of her alma mater.
Senior forward Lindsey Schott and junior center midfielder Niki Miller have been the driving forces, along with senior midfielder Whitney Kowski.
Schott is the program's offensive record holder in all major categories, career and single-season. Her 27 goals eclipsed the previous mark that stood for nearly 15 years. She also has 16 assists this season, two shy of the record held by Lauren Cuff (18 in 2002). The Streaks share the wealth offensively, as freshmen Nikki Profita and Sydney Muntone, along with senior Kayla Grater (15 goals) and sophomore Nikki Schott, are all capable scorers.
Miller, a three-year starter, has really opened eyes with her play this season. The talented midfielder has 20 goals and 13 assists this season and assisted on Grater's game-winner in the team's 1-0 victory over second-seeded Hopewell Valley in the semifinals. Grater has four postseason goals.
Miller and Kowski will need to control things in the middle as Freehold features one of the state's top players in senior Emily Wold.
Wold gave the Streaks a major headache with her play in the 2009 final as an up-and-coming sophomore. Last year, Wold scored all three goals in her team's 3-2 win over Wall in the Group 3 final. Coach Jerrilyn Acevedo, whose teams are 159-49-16 in 11 seasons, also guided the Colonials (19-1) to a Group 3 runner-up finish in 2007, beating Warren Hills, 2-0, in the sectional final on the Streaks' home field.
Freehold's lone loss this season was 1-0 to Shore Regional in the Shore Conference final on Oct. 30. Shore knocked off the state's consensus No. 1 team Oak Knoll, 2-1, on Monday in the North 2, Group 1 final. The Colonials also opened some eyes with a 6-1 win over fourth-seeded West Morris in the sectional semis.
Backs Jen Hylkema, Caitlin Clark, Jamie Miller and Amanda Crampton have helped anchor a defense that's produced 13 shutouts this season. Junior goalie Katie Wintersteen also has been exceptional in the cage as the Warren County school has yielded only one goal in its last four games and seven in its last 12.
Skinny: This game will be won in the midfield. Miller vs. Wold is a matchup to keep an eye on and that should be a great battle. Warren Hills' defense, which has risen to the occasion all season, must contain Wold enough to not let her create scoring chances in and around the circle. It also must be quick to the point of attack on corners, where Wold is deadly. The game is on grass and that certainly helps the hosts, but I think the difference in the game will be the well-balanced offensive attack of the Blue Streaks.
Pick: Warren Hills, 2-1.
No comments:
Post a Comment