Field hockey: Final Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex ranks

1. Warren Hills (23-2) -- Blue Streaks won Skyland Conference Raritan Division and Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament titles, as well as the program's eighth straight sectional championship. With Voorhees moving down to the Valley Division for the next two seasons, look for coach Josie Potter to pick up at least one top-flight independent (such as Oak Knoll or West Essex) to prep for another run at the Group 3 title. Junior Sarah Korczukowski is a candidate to fill that center midfield spot next season after a breakout 2019 campaign.

2. Voorhees (18-5) -- Vikings won nine of their final 11 games, but the two losses were tough ones -- 2-0 to Warren Hills in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament final and 2-1 against Madison in the North 2, Group 2 sectional final. Second-year coach Shannon Hughes' senior-laden team did score a 3-2 victory in overtime against North Hunterdon in that stretch. Sophomore Sadie Eichlin and junior Grace Schiavo were leaders on defense and will be counted on heavily in 2020.

Central won the program's 14th sectional title overall.

3. Hunterdon Central (13-10-2) -- Red Devils got hot at the right time, winning eight of their last 10 games, including a 2-1 victory at top-seeded North Hunterdon in the North 2, Group 4 final to capture the program's first sectional title since 2013. Senior midfielder Sammy Freeman scored the decisive goal and logged nine overall during that stretch. The season ended with a 9-0 loss to Eastern in the Group 4 final, Central's first appearance in a title game since 2004.

4. North Hunterdon (15-8) -- Lions' first winning season in 10 years ended with a 2-1 loss against Hunterdon Central in the North 2, Group 4 sectional final -- the program's first appearance since its last title run in 1993. With only three seniors -- Emma Landis, Sana Sarker and Mira Carver -- on the roster, look for coach Maria Bachert's team to be a major headache for opponents next season as freshman forward Lauren Masters (30 goals) and sophomore Ryan Anderson (26 assists) possess elite speed.

5. South Hunterdon (17-3) -- Eagles won five in a row -- including a 3-0 win over Delaware Valley in the North 2, Group 1 quarterfinals -- before a 7-2 loss to perennial power Shore Regional in the sectional semifinals. Junior midfielder Rebecca Phillips (16 goals, 13 assists) and junior forward Chandler Storcella (14 goals), along with sophomore forward Natalia Oprzadek (14 goals) will give South, which won the Skyland Conference Mountain Division title, plenty of firepower next season.

6. Delaware Valley (15-5) -- Terriers dropped a rematch with South Hunterdon -- 3-0 in the North 2, Group 1 quarterfinals -- after handing the Eagles a 5-2 loss in the regular season on Sept. 17. Coach Stephanie Rifflard's team won seven of its last nine, including a 9-0 victory over Burlington City to open the postseason, and captured the Skyland Conference Valley Division title. Junior forward Kristen Bill (8 goals, 6 assists) and sophomore forward Samantha Snowden (17 goals) will be among the key returnees in 2020.

7. Belvidere (10-9-1) -- County Seaters' bid for a North 1, Group 1 sectional title ended with a 1-0 loss at eventual champion Pequannock in the quarterfinals. Considering the heavy graduation losses from the 2018 sectional runner-up team, coach Beth Franceschino should be extremely pleased with the season overall, which included 1-0 win over Newton in the second round of the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament. Junior forward Olivia Zmyewski (11 goals, 8 assists) was among the area scoring leaders.

8. Newton (15-4) -- Braves saw their six-game win streak snapped with a 1-0 loss to Pequannock in the North 1, Group 1 sectional semifinals, but coach Lisa Bechtel's team, which avenged an earlier loss to Vernon with a 2-1 victory on Oct. 10, did gain a share of the NJAC Freedom Division title with a 3-0 win over High Point on Oct. 17 to go 7-1 in divisional play. Sophomore forwards Julia Fitt (11 goals, 7 assists) and Sidney Pavlishin (9 goals) paced the offense, along with junior Elissar Abou-Jaoude (10 goals).

9. Vernon (16-3) -- Vikings bounced back from a tough 2-1 loss to Newton on Oct. 10 by winning four of their last five, including a 3-2 victory over Hackettstown in the North 2, Group 2 semifinals, to reach the program's first title game in nine years, where coach Kieran Killeen's team, which had five seniors on the roster, dropped an 8-0 decision to Group 2 state champion West Essex. The share of the NJAC Freedom Division title was Vernon's first conference championship since 1996.

10. Hackettstown (9-9-1) -- Tigers saw their season end with a 3-2 loss to Vernon in the North 2, Group 2 sectional semifinals after reaching the title game in 2018. Coach Rachael Gorski's team logged a pair of postseason wins -- 2-0 against Parsippany and 1-0 in overtime against Lakeland in the quarterfinals. Junior forward Megan Doyle was huge down the stretch, recording 12 of her team-best 17 goals in the final seven games.