It's been a long time coming for Hunterdon Central's field hockey program.
Exactly six years to the day. The Red Devils ended their drought with a 2-1 win over Bridgewater-Raritan on Sept. 10. The victory was coach Jenn Sponzo's first over the Panthers since a 1-0 triumph on Sept. 10, 2007 -- ending a 13-game skid in the series.
Senior midfielders Jane Higley and Morgan Lojek scored goals, with senior midfielder Ally Baligian and junior forward Breanna Semanchik recording assists for the Red Devils (2-1). Junior Hannah Cechini, who is starting her first season on the varsity level, made 10 saves.
Under Sponzo, Central is 8-15-2 vs. Bridgewater dating to 1999. Coach Kathie DeBonis' Panthers have been a force in Group 4 since 2005, appearing in the last eight Group 4 finals.
Hunterdon Central went to four straight Group 4 finals (2001-04) before Bridgewater emerged as a state powerhouse. The Skyland Conference rivals, now in the same division since '09, have met seven times in the postseason since '01. The Panthers have won the last five, including semifinal wins in the North 2, Group 4 sectionals (4-0 in '12) and in Group 4 (4-1 in '11). Central's last postseason win in the series was 2-1 in the 2004 North 2, Group 4 semifinals.
Central has been on the upswing in recent seasons, winning the North 2, Group 4 title in 2011, while Bridgewater was in North 1. Both are in different sections this season. Keep an eye on the Red Devils as we move forward in 2013.
On to the first set of our weekly rankings. I believe the top five teams are the best five. I also expected that six through 10 will be a revolving door as we move forward.
1. Warren Hills (2-1-1) -- Blue Streaks, who are aiming for a return trip to the Group 3 final, have an ambitious early-season schedule. Good for them, as its one of few programs in the area willing to test itself against top-flight competition. After a 3-3 tie against Group 1 power Shore to open the season, coach Laurie Kerr's team dropped a 2-1 decision to last year's Group 2 champion Bishop Eustace on Saturday. Junior forward Sydney Muntone leads the offense with five goals and scored at least one in the first four games. The Profita sisters, Dani and Nikki, also hold down a strong forward line. Another big week on tap for this bunch.
Up next: at Voorhees on Tuesday; at Somerville on Thursday; Bridgewater-Raritan at home on Saturday.
2. Hunterdon Central (2-1) -- Red Devils came off a stunning 2-1 loss to Ridge with a 2-1 win over Bridgewater-Raritan. Junior forward Kendall Nickel (two goals) and Baligian are the team's top offensive players. Cechini has done a solid job in the cage thus far, so if the defense continues to play well, this is a team to keep an eye on. Sponzo is eight wins shy of 200 for her outstanding career.
Up next: at Pingry on Tuesday; at Lawrenceville on Thursday; Phillipsburg at home on Saturday.
3. South Hunterdon (4-0) -- Eagles are making a resurgence back to prominence and a big statement with Saturday's 2-1 win in overtime against No. 4 Voorhees. Forward Amber Dey scored both goals in the win. It was South's first win over the Vikes since a 2-1 victory on Oct. 15, 2004. That also was the last meeting between these Hunterdon County schools, which used to be in the same division in the Skyland Conference. Voorhees leads 24-18-7 in the all-time series, but South is 2-0-2 in the last four meetings dating to 2003. The Eagles have outscored their opponents, 14-2, in four games.
Up next: at North Plainfield on Tuesday; at Mount St. Mary on Thursday; Stuart Country Day at home on Friday.
4. Voorhees (3-2) -- Coach Taylor Webb's team started off with a 6-1 win over No. 7 Phillipsburg before a 3-0 loss to a tough West Essex squad in an independent clash. In their annual Save the Cherubs charity affair, Voorhees dropped a 2-1 decision to No. 3 South Hunterdon. Junior forward Abby Flagler scored the lone goal. It was the renewal of a longtime county rivalry, which had been dormant from 2005-12. The Vikes' last win against the Eagles was 1-0 in the '02 Hunterdon-Warren Tournament in assistant coach Ann Bonavita's last season as head coach. Bonavita's teams went 19-4-2 vs. South in her 11 seasons. Prior to that run, Voorhees was 5-12-3 vs. South since the Vikes began their program in 1975.
Up next: Warren Hills at home on Tuesday; at Delaware Valley on Thursday.
5. High Point (2-0) -- Wildcats started their season strong with wins over Pompton Lakes (3-0 on Sept. 9) and No. 10 Vernon (5-0 on Friday). Maddie Smith scored two goals in the opener, while senior forward Brittany DeLima scored three times in the win over the Vikings, while junior forward Rachel Orr had three assists. Junior goalie Autumn Smith combined to make 10 saves in the two shutouts. Senior forward Carly Satter leads the team with four assists.
Up next: at Mount Olive on Tuesday; Morris Hills at home on Thursday; at Pingry on Saturday.
6. Delaware Valley (1-3) -- Terriers have the misfortune of playing in a killer division with Warren Hills, Voorhees and Montgomery as members of the Skyland Conference Raritan. After opening with a 2-0 win over Somerville, Del Val was shut out by East Brunswick (2-0), Warren Hills (3-0) and Montgomery (2-0). Big week on tap with Raritan Division foes P'burg and Voorhees.
Up next: Phillipsburg at home on Tuesday; Voorhees at home on Thursday; Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg (Pa.) at home on Friday.
7. Phillipsburg (1-2-1) -- Stateliners are off to a slow start, but got in the win column with Saturday's 3-1 win over No. 9 North Hunterdon. Sophomore forward Kylie Marhold scored two goals in the win and goalie Rachael Horun made three saves. Coach Jenn Paulus' team also lost to Warren Hills (5-0 on Friday) and played to 0-0 tie against Somerville in a Skyland Conference Raritan Division battle.
Up next: at Delaware Valley on Tuesday; at Montgomery on Thursday; at Hunterdon Central on Saturday.
8. Belvidere (1-2) -- County Seaters opened their season with a 3-0 win over Mount St. Mary before losses to Bernards (8-1) and South Hunterdon (2-0). Forward Hannah Koch leads the team with two goals, one in the opener and one in the loss to Bernards.
Up next: at Franklin on Tuesday; at North Plainfield on Thursday; at Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg on Saturday.
9. North Hunterdon (1-2) -- After a winless season in 2012, first-year coach Suzanne Toke got her first victory with a 1-0 win over Watchung Hills on Sept. 10. This after an extremely tough opener, a 7-0 loss to powerhouse and 2012 Skyland Conference Delaware Division champion Bridgewater-Raritan. Junior midfielder Grace Plasshe scored the Lions' goal against the Warriors, while junior goalie Hannah Kose made four saves for the shutout.
Up next: at Hillsborough on Thursday.
10. Vernon (2-1) -- Tough call here, but the Vikings get the nod based on their 1-0 win over Wallkill Valley in the season opener. Coach Hollyce Schoepp's team followed that with a 1-0 win over Blair Academy in an independent clash. Senior forward Julia Hammerton had the winner against Wallkill and senior midfielder Miranda Logan scored against the Bucs.
Up next: at Sparta on Tuesday; Mount Olive at home on Thursday.
On the bubble: Hackettstown (2-0); Newton (1-1); Wallkill Valley (2-2).
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