Phillipsburg's field hockey team is getting two for the price of one.
The sixth-seeded Stateliners will take on an opponent they weren't allowed to compete against a year ago on Friday when they face second-seeded Montclair in a North 1, Group 4 semifinal at the Watchung Elementary School.
This was supposed to be a rematch of last year's sectional final. However, Phillipsburg was disqualified from playing in the title game -- after an 8-1 semifinal win over Vernon -- for having played too many regular season contests. It left a talented group of seniors heartbroken and denied the Warren County school a shot at its first championship since 1999. Instead, Montclair beat Vernon, 5-0, in the final.
"In a way we're playing last year's game and this one on Friday," said first-year coach Jennifer Paulus, an assistant under former head coach Carrie Saul the previous two seasons. "I'm really excited. It's really sad what happened last year. I wasn't the head coach, but it was awful. The opportunity [to play for the title] was taken away from those seniors and the team."
So, here we are again, this time with Phillipsburg (10-10) and Montclair (9-6-4) in the sectional semifinals. These programs are no stranger to one another, squaring off for a fourth time in the playoffs since 2005.
The 'Liners won the last meeting, 1-0, in the 2009 quarterfinals. The Huskies prevailed in the 2005 and '06 semifinals, including a controversial 1-0 win in the latter. In that one, Jess Kasza scored what appeared to be the tying goal on a penalty corner with no time left in regulation. The goal was incorrectly waived off, as several high-ranking officials later confirmed after the contest.
So you could say that Phillipsburg is not only playing for the present, but its past as well. The 'Liners have won four sectional titles (1972, '77, '98, '99), while Montclair is seeking to become only the 13th school in New Jersey history to win 10 championships.
"I didn't expect us to be in the states. It's exciting to have the opportunity to go and win this year," Paulus said. "We're coming to play. Some of the girls weren't on the [varsity] team last year, but we're all supposed to be in this together. The girls want to play Montclair."
Phillipsburg is playing some of its best hockey of the season at the right time. The 'Liners, after falling to 4-7 on Oct. 7, have gone 6-3 since and have won four straight including a pair of state playoff wins against No. 11 seed North Hunterdon (3-1 on Oct. 26) and No. 3 Westfield (2-1 on Oct. 31). In between, P'burg beat Belvidere, 2-1, a meaningful victory for Paulus and assistant Shannon Kadi (O'Neil), who both played for the County Seaters. Paulus was a freshman on the 1996 team, guided by legendary coach Sally Ueberroth, that claimed the school's seventh and last sectional title before falling in the Group 1 final.
Paulus, whose sisters, Taylor and Cassie Rudd, also played at Belvidere, said one of the reasons for P'burg's improved second half is a lighter schedule. During the first half of the season, P'burg played Skyland Conference heavyweights like Warren Hills, Voorhees and Montgomery.
"We're clicking at the right time," Paulus said. "We played a lot of tough teams early. We lost some close games, twice to Voorhees by a goal and we were 0-0 with Warren Hills [in the second meeting on Oct. 18]. We lost to Montgomery [on Oct. 6] in double overtime on a [penalty] stroke.
"I told the girls that I've been in their situation. I told them this is what they've been practicing for and all the hard work in the offseason. It's great to see them doing it right now."
A talented forward line, anchored by seniors Lauren Nunes (8 goals, 9 assists) and Priscilla Howell (12 goals) has accounted for 11 goals in the team's last four games. But it's primarily been the emergence of junior right wing Katie Decker that's fueled the Warren County school's postseason run. Decker, who has four goals in the last four games, has eight for the season to go with 10 assists.
"She's a class act and a great kid," Paulus said of Decker. "She's a captain, an outstanding athlete and a true leader. Her speed is ridiculous. She doesn't stop playing the ball. I'm very pleased to have her back next season."
The defense was a big question mark coming into the season. But Mariya Saydek, Renee Custodio and Autumn Marinelli have pulled together as a completely new backfield from a year ago.
They will have to be on top of their game to stop a potent Montclair offense, led by senior Jillian Alonzo (15 goals) and Heather Hammerling (10 goals).
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