The fifth annual Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament resumes on Saturday with the quarterfinal round.
No. 1 seeds High Point (Sussex) and South Hunterdon (Hunterdon-Warren) are set to host games, along with No. 2s Voorhees and Sparta. Winners advance to next Saturday's semifinals at the sites of the higher remaining seed. The championship game is set for Saturday. Oct. 26 at Hackettstown High School.
The most intriguing quarterfinal contest pits No. 4 Warren Hills against High Point at 4:30 p.m. -- a rematch of the 2011 final won by Warren Hills, 3-1.
High Point (11-0-1), which has won seven straight since a 3-3 tie with Pingry on Sept. 21, is scheduled to play a night game on Friday, its Play for Pink charity contest against Kittatinny. We'll see how coach Bev Keur's team reacts to back-to-back games after a late night affair. 'Cats also have an advantage playing on their home grass field since Warren Hills is a speed team that thrives on a turf surface.
Warren Hills (10-3-1), also winners of seven in a row, posted a 1-0 win in overtime against Montgomery on Thursday to keep its Skyland Conference Raritan Division title hopes alive. The Streaks need a win over Somerville (Tuesday, Oct. 29) to share the championship with Voorhees.
Here's a capsule look at all four quarterfinals:
4B-Warren Hills (10-3-1) at 1A-High Point (11-0-1) -- Blue Streaks, who are bidding to reach their fourth HWS final, have outscored their opponents, 27-1, during their seven-game win streak and are playing their best hockey of the season after going 3-3-1 during a brutal early-season stretch that included games against state powers Shore (3-3 tie), Bishop Eustace (2-1 loss) and Bridgewater (2-1 loss). Junior forward Sydney Muntone has scored five goals with six assists during this win streak and leads the team with 12 goals overall. Junior midfielder Nikki Profita and freshman forward Dani Profita also lead a potent attack. Juniors Amanda Crampton and Allie Brouhard help anchor a defense that's produced nine shutouts. High Point has outscored its opponents 45-6 behind a stout defense, led by senior Michaela O'Hern and goalie Autumn Smith (.890 saves percentage). Offensively, forwards Alexis Ambrosino (13 goals, 8 assists) and Brittany DeLima (14 goals), along with senior Carly Satter (14 assists) pace the 'Cats.
Prediction: Warren Hills, 3-1.
3A-Lenape Valley (9-3-1) at 2B-Voorhees (11-3) -- Patriots are one of the feel-good stories of the season after winning a total of five games the last two seasons under third-year coach Kate Rothman. The Sussex County school faces a rather tall order here on the road against the defending champions and easily the best team its faced this season. Freshman goalie Kaylee Gentilucci (.929 saves percentage) has helped anchor a stingy defense that's yielded eight goals and produced eight shutouts. Junior forward Alyssa Falleni (five goals, seven assists) and junior captain Sally Olson (seven assists) lead the offense. Vikings, who, along with Warren Hills, own the most wins in HWS history with 12, have won three in a row since a 4-1 loss to Warren Hills and are primed for another title run after winning in 2010 and '12. Sophomore forward Kathryn Roncoroni (25 goals) is eight shy of the school record held by Colleen Boyce (33 in 2010). Back Emily Scheier and goalie Lauren Pianucci are among the leaders of a strong defense that's allowed two goals in eight games (sans the four against Warren Hills).
Prediction: Voorhees, 3-0.
5B-Hackettstown (8-4) at 1B-South Hunterdon (12-1) -- Tigers, now in the NJAC after residing for years in the Skyland Conference with the Eagles, are the only non top-four seed still standing, blitzing No. 4 Vernon, 9-0, in the opening round. It's been a turnaround campaign for the Warren County school, which won back-to-back Hunterdon-Warren titles in 2004 and '05. Senior forwards Kalie Thies (nine goals, nine assists) and Sierramarie Fitzgerald (nine goals, eight assists) are powering the offense, while the defense, led by goalie Rose Bishop, has yielded just three goals in the team's last six games. Eagles are enjoying a return to their glory days when the tiny Group 1 school was a state power -- winning a tri-county record 14 sectional titles and three state championships. South has outscored its opponents, 55-6, behind a potent forward line anchored by senior forwards Kaycee Zelkovsky (28 goals) and Amber Dey (12 goals, 11 assists). Senior goalie Samantha Soscia (.929 saves percentage) anchors the defense. South beat Hackettstown, 2-1 in overtime, in the schools' last meeting on Sept. 24, 2011. Prior to that, Hackettstown won three straight meetings from 2009-2010.
Prediction: South Hunterdon, 3-1.
3B-Hunterdon Central (11-2) at 2A-Sparta (8-3) -- Red Devils will make the long trek to Sussex County, as coach Jenn Sponzo's team comes in riding a three-game win streak since a 3-2 overtime loss to Bridgewater, a team Central defeated earlier this season, 2-1, on Sept. 10. Junior forwards Taylor Barrett (eight goals, six assists) and Kendall Nickel (nine goals, six assists) are leading an offense that has scored at least one goal in every game and is averaging nearly three per game. Senior forward Sarah Pulkowski has scored all eight of her goals in the team's last nine games. Spartans are enjoying one of their best seasons ever under second-year coach Kristin Savasta, whose 2012 team finished 5-11. Sophomore forwards Gretchen Bowie (seven goals) and Rhett Curran (nine goals) pace the offense. Curran has connected for seven goals in the last four games.
Prediction: Hunterdon Central, 4-2.
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