The fifth annual Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament commences in earnest on Saturday with eight first-round games.
Two-time champion and No. 2 seed Voorhees (8-3), which defeated High Point, 1-0, in last year's final, faces No. 7 Wallkill Valley, a 1-0 winner over No. 10 North Hunterdon in a play-in game, for the third straight year. The teams have split quarterfinal round meetings in Hardyston, with the Rangers winning 1-0 in 2011 and the Vikings earning a 3-0 win in last year's semifinals.
Among the more intriguing first-round games is No. 7 Phillipsburg at No. 2 Sparta. The Stateliners (2-7-2) are struggling this season, while the Spartans (5-3) are off to one of their best starts.
The upper half of the draw is absolutely loaded with Voorhees, No. 1 High Point (9-0-1) and No. 4 Warren Hills (8-3-1) all up top. High Point has played in back-to-back finals, while Warren Hills has won or shared two county championships.
The Blue Streaks, winners of five straight, are coming off an impressive 4-1 victory over the Vikings on Thursday in which coach Laurie Kerr became the winningest coach in the Warren County program's history.
"We're starting to put things together," said Kerr, who has 227 wins in 14 seasons. "Hopefully, we'll keep the ball rolling ... into the cage."
Here's a capsule look at all of Saturday's games. Due to SATs, most start times are 3 p.m. or later:
8B-Delaware Valley (5-5-1) at 1A-High Point (9-0-1) -- Terriers have been one-and-done the previous two years and face a tall order against the two-time runner-up. Senior forward Robyn Case leads Del Val with three goals. Sans a 7-0 win over Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg (Pa.), the Terriers have scored just six goals in their other 10 games. Wildcats tied Pingry, 3-3, in their only tough test to date and have scored at least three goals in all but one game, while producing seven shutouts on defense. Senior forward Carly Satter (7 goals, 10 assists) and junior forward Alexis Ambrosino (11 goals) power the Sussex County school's offensive attack.
Prediction: High Point, 3-1.
5A-Kittatinny (5-3-1) at 4B-Warren Hills (8-3-1) -- Cougars (1-4 all-time in HWS games) are also enjoying one of their best starts in recent seasons, but are decided underdogs in this one, especially on turf since they play all of their home games on grass. Sophomore forward Maureen Douglas (three goals) and junior midfielder Sunny Karns (three assists in the last four games) pace the offense, while junior goalie Julie Pevarnik has five shutouts. Blue Streaks, who are tied with Voorhees for most county tournament wins -- both 11-2 overall -- are rolling right now behind a potent forward line led by junior Sydney Muntone (11 goals) and freshman Dani Profita (6 goals) and solid junior midfielder Nikki Profita (seven goals, nine assists). Juniors Allie Brouhard and Amanda Crampton anchor the defense.
Prediction: Warren Hills, 4-0.
6B-Belvidere (4-6-1) at 3A-Lenape Valley (6-3-1) -- County Seaters, who had won a county game every year until last season, are looking for a better showing in this one after a 4-0 loss to the Patriots last Saturday in a regular-season clash at home. The Warren County school has lost four of its last five games, so forwards Liz Dalrymple (3 goals) and Erin Sassaman (7 assists) will need to generate offense. Lenape Valley, which is 1-4 in county games, is looking to continue its remarkable turnaround after winning five games total the previous two seasons. Junior forward Kassidy Forik (10 goals) and junior captain Sally Olson (four goals, four assists) are players to watch for the Pats, along with junior forward Alyssa Falleni (seven assists).
Prediction: Lenape Valley, 3-1.
7A-Wallkill Valley (6-6) at 2B-Voorhees (8-3) -- Rubber game of the county series between these teams. Rangers won't have the benefit of home field this time, but it will still be played on a grass surface. Senior forwards Casey Pustelniak (8 goals) and Barbara Hannan (four assists) lead the offense, which has struggled of late with two goals in the last four games. The Vikings are still stinging from a 4-1 loss to Warren Hills on Thursday, so expect third-year coach Taylor Webb's team to come out fired up for this one. Sophomore forward Kathryn Roncoroni (20 goals) is having a great season and has scored at least twice in all but the two games where she was kept off the board (West Essex and Warren Hills). The likely loss of senior Kathryn Boyce with a leg injury means junior Lauren Pianucci will serve as the full-time goalie.
Prediction: Voorhees, 3-0.
9B-North Warren (2-6-1) at 1B-South Hunterdon (10-1) -- Former Skyland Conference rivals renew their rivalry. Patriots are coming off their first HWS win, a 2-1 victory in overtime against No. 8 Pope John in a play-in game. Junior forward Jessica Towey and senior midfielder Lauren Miano, each with four goals, are the offensive players to watch. Eagles are back among the area's elite teams this season, owning a 2-1 win in overtime against Voorhees. The Hunterdon County school hasn't had much success in the tri-county tournament, but a potent offense, led by senior forwards Kaycee Zelkvosky (22 goals) and Amber Dey (11 goals), make this a very dangerous squad. Senior goalie Samantha Soscia is experienced and has allowed just five goals in 11 games.
Prediction: South Hunterdon, 5-1.
5B-Hackettstown (6-3) at 4A-Vernon (5-5) -- Good matchup here. Tigers are off to one of their best starts under fourth-year coach Stephen Speirs, but have been a little up-and-down on offense against the better teams on their schedule. Senior forward Kalie Thies is having a fine season with nine goals and six assists. Vikings do have a common opponent with the Tigers, losing 1-0 to Wallkill Valley on opening day, while Hackettstown won a 2-0 decision on Sept. 26. Coach Hollyce Schoepp's team hasn't scored more than one goal in a game and that probably has to change to win this one. Senior forward Julie Hammerton has two of the Vikings' seven goals. Goalie Lauren Incarnato has five shutouts.
Prediction: Hackettstown, 3-1.
6A-Newton (3-5-1) at 3B-Hunterdon Central (8-2) -- Braves are 6-3 all-time in HWS games, including their only first-round exit, a 1-0 loss to Phillipsburg last year. This is a tough matchup out of the gate for coach Lisa Bechtel's young team. Senior forward Katherine Kellenberger has half of the Sussex County school's 14 goals this season and senior forward Melissa Bencivenga has seven assists. Red Devils, coached by Jenn Sponzo, who is two wins shy of 200, have played a far superior schedule thus far and own a big 2-1 win over eight-time Group 4 runner-up Bridgewater. The offense is paced by junior forwards Kendall Nickel (six goals) and Taylor Barrett (six goals), along with senior Sarah Pulkowski, who has six goals all in the last six games.
Prediction: Hunterdon Central, 4-1.
7B-Phillipsburg (2-7-2) at 2A-Sparta (5-3) -- Stateliners very badly need a win after dropping five of their last six, scoring a total of two goals in that stretch. P'burg has an advantage in that it's played a tough early-season schedule, including games against Hunterdon Central, Voorhees and Warren Hills. Senior forward Marissa Perino has four of the Warren County team's six goals. Spartans, who have never advanced to the HWS quarterfinals, are tasting a great deal of success this season coming off last year's 5-11 campaign. Sophomore forwards Gretchen Bowie (five goals) and Rhett Curran (four goals) pace the offense, while senior goalie Julia Keenan has three shutouts. This game will be on grass, so that could be a factor since P'burg plays mostly on turf, going 0-1-1 on grass fields.
Prediction: Phillipsburg, 2-1 OT (upset special).
Friday, October 4, 2013
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Field hockey: Streaks turn tables on Vikes in rematch
WASHINGTON TWP. -- Warren Hills' field hockey team passed a major test by all accounts on Thursday afternoon.
Behind an attacking offense and a stifling defense, the Blue Streaks rolled to a 4-1 victory over Voorhees in another significant chapter of the Open Mike area's most storied rivalry on the turf at Washington School District Stadium.
Warren Hills dominated for much of the 60 minutes, finishing with a 21-2 advantage in shots and a 12-4 edge on penalty corners. A crisp passing game throughout the contest really set the tone for about as complete of a win as the Streaks have had in this longtime series. The four goals were the most scored by the Warren County school in this series since a 4-1 win in the 2003 North 2, Group 3 sectional final at Voorhees. Conversely, it was the most goals given up by a Voorhees team since a 7-0 loss to Bridgewater in 2009.
"Our passing game was terrific today," said veteran Warren Hills coach Laurie Kerr, now 8-17-3 overall against Voorhees dating to 2000. "We played with confidence and were able to get a lot of touches. We've worked extremely hard on passing since the last Voorhees game. It feels good to win and by more than one goal."
Additionally, Kerr (227-66-12 in 14 seasons) surpassed longtime coach Luanne Ferenci (226-101-41 from 1981-99) for the program's wins record. Kerr played for Ferenci in the mid 1980s and succeeded her as coach following the 1999 season.
"Luanne was my mentor, my coach and my colleague," said Kerr, a health and physical education teacher along with Ferenci. "She was a big influence on the program."
Warren Hills improved to 8-3-1 overall with its fifth straight win, but more importantly stayed in the hunt for at least a share of the program's third straight Skyland Conference Raritan Division title. Voorhees (8-3, 8-1), which had its five-game win streak snapped, was in the driver's seat after a 2-1 overtime win in the teams' first meeting on Sept. 17. The Vikes came into this one with an opportunity to clinch the title.
Instead, the Streaks need wins over Somerville (Oct. 8) and Montgomery (Oct. 10) and a Voorhees loss to Delaware Valley (Oct. 8) to win the title outright. A win by the heavily-favored Vikings over Del Val would ensure the Hunterdon County school at least a share of the championship.
"They knew that," said Kerr, when asked if her team was aware it needed to win to keep its division title hopes alive. "I feel wonderful for these kids. They work so hard. And playing this well on your home field is even better."
Warren Hills struck first when freshman forward Dani Profita connected off a feed from junior back Amanda Crampton on the team's third penalty corner with 17 minutes left in the first half. Less than two minutes later, junior back Allie Brouhard converted a penalty stroke to give the Streaks a commanding 2-0 lead.
The stroke occurred when Profita was fouled on a breakaway as she was hooked by a defender with Voorhees goalie Lauren Pianucci coming to the top of the circle to thwart the drive. Brouhard took the stroke, firing it into the left corner of the cage for her second goal of the season and a huge momentum booster.
"Dani worked hard to earn that [stroke] and I had to get it in for her and my team," Brouhard said. "When you're up, 1-0, it's good to get that extra goal."
Warren Hills continued to dictate the action for most of the second half until sophomore Emma Garcia got Voorhees on the board late with 4:41 remaining in the game -- the Vikes' lone shot of the half. Kerr had just switched out goalies, removing starter Taylor Austin and inserting Kylie Guidi, something the coach has done several times this season, when the Vikes capitalized for their only goal.
"We didn't step to the ball and when we did, we scored," said third-year Vikes coach Taylor Webb. "We had some energy, but it was too little too late. We didn't have many opportunities. We sat back on our heels and were more defensive instead of being aggressive."
Earlier in the half, Voorhees lost second-half starting goalie Kathryn Boyce with what looked to be a serious right leg injury. Lauren Pianucci, who starts the first half of games, came back in and helped keep the Streaks at bay until junior midfielder Nikki Profita connected for a huge goal with 1:28 left to make it 3-1 and essentially end the Voorhees rally.
Junior Sydney Muntone's team-leading 11th goal with 40 seconds left was merely window dressing with the game in hand. Last week, Muntone gave a verbal commitment to Temple University.
Defensively, Brouhard and her teammates did an excellent job of limiting opportunities and keeping talented Voorhees sophomore forward Kathryn Roncoroni off the scoreboard for just the third time all season. Roncoroni, who scored both times in the first meeting, entered the game having scored 11 goals in the Vikings' previous five games and had scored at least two in each during that stretch. She leads them with 20 overall.
"We knew she was their best player and we had to make sure we marked her tight the whole game," Brouhard said. "I think we did a good job of that. That was not Warren Hills field hockey the last time we played and we had to show them that today. They're a good team and to hold them to only four corners shows the defense is working hard."
Voorhees now leads 30-18-6 in the all-time series dating to 1975, while Warren Hills has won four of the last seven meetings since 2011.
Voorhees (8-3, 8-1) 0 1 -- 1
Warren Hills (8-3-1, 7-1) 2 2 -- 4
Scoring
First half -- WH, Dani Profita, 6th, (Amanda Crampton), 17:00; WH, Allie Brouhard, 2nd (penalty stroke), 15:26.
Second half -- V, Emma Garcia, 4th, (Hannah Schiavo), 4:41; WH, Nikki Profita, 7th, 1:28; WH, Sydney Muntone, 11th, (D. Profita), 0:40.
Shots -- Voorhees 2; Warren Hills 21.
Saves -- Lauren Pianucci 14, Kathryn Boyce 2, Emily Scheier 1 (goal line) (V); Taylor Austin 1, Kylie Guidi 0 (WH).
Penalty corners -- Voorhees 4; Warren Hills 12.
Behind an attacking offense and a stifling defense, the Blue Streaks rolled to a 4-1 victory over Voorhees in another significant chapter of the Open Mike area's most storied rivalry on the turf at Washington School District Stadium.
Warren Hills dominated for much of the 60 minutes, finishing with a 21-2 advantage in shots and a 12-4 edge on penalty corners. A crisp passing game throughout the contest really set the tone for about as complete of a win as the Streaks have had in this longtime series. The four goals were the most scored by the Warren County school in this series since a 4-1 win in the 2003 North 2, Group 3 sectional final at Voorhees. Conversely, it was the most goals given up by a Voorhees team since a 7-0 loss to Bridgewater in 2009.
"Our passing game was terrific today," said veteran Warren Hills coach Laurie Kerr, now 8-17-3 overall against Voorhees dating to 2000. "We played with confidence and were able to get a lot of touches. We've worked extremely hard on passing since the last Voorhees game. It feels good to win and by more than one goal."
Additionally, Kerr (227-66-12 in 14 seasons) surpassed longtime coach Luanne Ferenci (226-101-41 from 1981-99) for the program's wins record. Kerr played for Ferenci in the mid 1980s and succeeded her as coach following the 1999 season.
"Luanne was my mentor, my coach and my colleague," said Kerr, a health and physical education teacher along with Ferenci. "She was a big influence on the program."
Warren Hills improved to 8-3-1 overall with its fifth straight win, but more importantly stayed in the hunt for at least a share of the program's third straight Skyland Conference Raritan Division title. Voorhees (8-3, 8-1), which had its five-game win streak snapped, was in the driver's seat after a 2-1 overtime win in the teams' first meeting on Sept. 17. The Vikes came into this one with an opportunity to clinch the title.
Instead, the Streaks need wins over Somerville (Oct. 8) and Montgomery (Oct. 10) and a Voorhees loss to Delaware Valley (Oct. 8) to win the title outright. A win by the heavily-favored Vikings over Del Val would ensure the Hunterdon County school at least a share of the championship.
"They knew that," said Kerr, when asked if her team was aware it needed to win to keep its division title hopes alive. "I feel wonderful for these kids. They work so hard. And playing this well on your home field is even better."
Warren Hills struck first when freshman forward Dani Profita connected off a feed from junior back Amanda Crampton on the team's third penalty corner with 17 minutes left in the first half. Less than two minutes later, junior back Allie Brouhard converted a penalty stroke to give the Streaks a commanding 2-0 lead.
The stroke occurred when Profita was fouled on a breakaway as she was hooked by a defender with Voorhees goalie Lauren Pianucci coming to the top of the circle to thwart the drive. Brouhard took the stroke, firing it into the left corner of the cage for her second goal of the season and a huge momentum booster.
"Dani worked hard to earn that [stroke] and I had to get it in for her and my team," Brouhard said. "When you're up, 1-0, it's good to get that extra goal."
Warren Hills continued to dictate the action for most of the second half until sophomore Emma Garcia got Voorhees on the board late with 4:41 remaining in the game -- the Vikes' lone shot of the half. Kerr had just switched out goalies, removing starter Taylor Austin and inserting Kylie Guidi, something the coach has done several times this season, when the Vikes capitalized for their only goal.
"We didn't step to the ball and when we did, we scored," said third-year Vikes coach Taylor Webb. "We had some energy, but it was too little too late. We didn't have many opportunities. We sat back on our heels and were more defensive instead of being aggressive."
Earlier in the half, Voorhees lost second-half starting goalie Kathryn Boyce with what looked to be a serious right leg injury. Lauren Pianucci, who starts the first half of games, came back in and helped keep the Streaks at bay until junior midfielder Nikki Profita connected for a huge goal with 1:28 left to make it 3-1 and essentially end the Voorhees rally.
Junior Sydney Muntone's team-leading 11th goal with 40 seconds left was merely window dressing with the game in hand. Last week, Muntone gave a verbal commitment to Temple University.
Defensively, Brouhard and her teammates did an excellent job of limiting opportunities and keeping talented Voorhees sophomore forward Kathryn Roncoroni off the scoreboard for just the third time all season. Roncoroni, who scored both times in the first meeting, entered the game having scored 11 goals in the Vikings' previous five games and had scored at least two in each during that stretch. She leads them with 20 overall.
"We knew she was their best player and we had to make sure we marked her tight the whole game," Brouhard said. "I think we did a good job of that. That was not Warren Hills field hockey the last time we played and we had to show them that today. They're a good team and to hold them to only four corners shows the defense is working hard."
Voorhees now leads 30-18-6 in the all-time series dating to 1975, while Warren Hills has won four of the last seven meetings since 2011.
Voorhees (8-3, 8-1) 0 1 -- 1
Warren Hills (8-3-1, 7-1) 2 2 -- 4
Scoring
First half -- WH, Dani Profita, 6th, (Amanda Crampton), 17:00; WH, Allie Brouhard, 2nd (penalty stroke), 15:26.
Second half -- V, Emma Garcia, 4th, (Hannah Schiavo), 4:41; WH, Nikki Profita, 7th, 1:28; WH, Sydney Muntone, 11th, (D. Profita), 0:40.
Shots -- Voorhees 2; Warren Hills 21.
Saves -- Lauren Pianucci 14, Kathryn Boyce 2, Emily Scheier 1 (goal line) (V); Taylor Austin 1, Kylie Guidi 0 (WH).
Penalty corners -- Voorhees 4; Warren Hills 12.
Monday, September 30, 2013
Field hockey: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex rankings
As promised earlier this season, the Open Mike area rankings continue to shuffle from six through 10.
Lenape Valley at No. 6 is particularly stunning, but the Patriots (6-1-1) are enjoying success after several frustrating seasons. The Sussex County school went a combined 5-28-2 in third-year coach Kate Rothman's first two seasons, so hats off to the Pats.
Looking forward to Thursday's showdown between Voorhees and Warren Hills, as the bitter rivals meet for the second time this season and the 54th overall dating to 1975. There's no other series in the area that compares to this one, as the schools have gone into overtime in four of the last 10 meetings since 2009. In addition, 14 of the last 25 games dating to 2003 have been decided by one goal, while three ended in 1-1 ties.
Voorhees (7-2) holds a commanding 30-17-6 edge in the all-time series, including a 2-0 win in last year's Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex semifinals and a 2-1 win in overtime this season on Sept. 17. Warren Hills won both regular-season matchups in 2012 en route to the Skyland Conference Raritan Division title.
"Both schools are very strong and well respected, and have winning teams," said third-year Vikings coach Taylor Webb after the win on Sept. 17 that evened her record to 3-3 against Warren Hills. "It means a lot to beat the other team. It says a lot about your team and you take a lot of pride in winning."
The fifth annual Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament got underway on Saturday with two play-in games. Wallkill Valley earned a 1-0 win over North Hunterdon in a 7-10 matchup, while North Warren advanced for just the second time in tournament history with a thrilling 2-1 win in overtime against Pope John in an 8-9 battle.
First-round matchups are on tap for this Saturday. No. 7 Phillipsburg at No. 2 Sparta, along with No. 5 Hackettstown at No. 4 Vernon are intriguing matchups.
Check back here on Friday for a preview of all the first-round matchups. Seeds and pairings are also posted on Open Mike.
Now on to this week's rankings:
1. Hunterdon Central (7-1) -- Red Devils still holding down the top spot after going 2-0 last week -- beating Watchung Hills (5-1 on Tuesday) and Hillsborough (2-0 on Thursday) in a pair of Skyland Conference Delaware Division matchups. Coach Jenn Sponzo's team has allowed just two goals in its last four contests. Junior forward Taylor Barrett scored three goals last week, including two against Watchung. Junior forward Kendall Nickel also scored twice against the Warriors. Junior goalie Hannah Cechini made 11 saves in the shutout of the Raiders. Chance for Central to avenge its lone loss on Tuesday.
Up next: at Ridge on Tuesday; Bridgewater-Raritan at home on Thursday; Newton at home on Saturday in HWS.
2. South Hunterdon (8-1) -- Eagles took their first loss last week, dropping a 3-2 decision to Bernards in a battle of the top teams in the Skyland Conference Valley Division. The Hunterdon County school rebounded with a 3-0 win over Franklin on Thursday, as midfielder Amber Dey scored a pair of goals in the victory. Dey also scored a goal in the loss to Bernards.
Up next: Belvidere at home on Tuesday; North Plainfield at home on Thursday; North Warren at home on Saturday in HWS.
3. Voorhees (7-2) -- Vikings posted wins in their only games last week -- 3-0 over Phillipsburg and 2-1 over Montgomery in Skyland Conference Raritan Division clashes. Coach Taylor Webb's team is 7-0 in the division and can take a big step toward claiming the title with a win on Thursday at archrival Warren Hills. I will have more on this later, but the conference realignment for 2014-15 has these teams in different divisions, so this could be the last year they meet twice. It's a travesty that the best rivalry in the tri-county area will likely have one less game next year. Sophomore forward Kathryn Roncoroni scored a total of four goals last week, raising her team-leading total to 17.
Up next: Somerville at home on Tuesday; at Warren Hills on Thursday; Wallkill Valley at home on Saturday in HWS.
4. Warren Hills (6-3-1) -- Blue Streaks rebounded from a bit of a slow start with a 3-0 week, capped by Saturday's 1-0 independent win over Peddie. Coach Laurie Kerr's troops also posted Skyland Conference Raritan Division wins over Montgomery (2-0 on Tuesday) and Delaware Valley (6-0 on Thursday). Junior forward Sydney Muntone collected three more goals in the wins, while junior midfielder Nikki Profita scored twice and added an assist in the win over Del Val. Goalie Taylor Austin posted three shutouts. Chance for the Warren County school to avenge a 2-1 loss in overtime on Sept. 17 to No. 3 Voorhees this coming Thursday.
Up next: at Phillipsburg on Tuesday; Voorhees at home on Thursday; Kittatinny at home on Saturday in HWS.
5. High Point (7-0-1) -- Wildcats keep rolling following a 3-0 week, capping it with a 4-1 win over Montville on Friday that extended the Sussex County school's NJAC American Division win streak to 46 dating to 2010. That run will be tested on Tuesday against Morris Knolls in a battle for first place. Senior forward Carly Satter scored a goal and added two assists in the win. Coach Bev Keur's team also beat Pope John (6-0 on Monday) and Sparta (1-0 on Wednesday). Junior forward Alexis Ambrosino scored three goals against the Lions.
Up next: at Morris Knolls on Tuesday; at Vernon on Thursday; Delaware Valley at home on Saturday in HWS.
6. Lenape Valley (6-1-1) -- The surprise team of the season moves up another spot after a 3-0 week. Coach Kate Rothman's Patriots posted wins over Jefferson (4-0 on Tuesday), North Warren (2-0 on Thursday) and No. 9 Belvidere (4-0 on Saturday). The Pats have shut out their last six opponents as freshman goalie Kaylee Gentilucci stopped 12 shots in the win over North Warren. Junior forward Kassidy Forik is red-hot on offense, scoring eight of her team-leading 10 goals last week, including three each in the wins over Jefferson and Belvidere.
Up next: Wallkill Valley at home on Monday; Parsippany at home on Wednesday; Belvidere at home on Saturday in HWS.
7. Hackettstown (5-2) -- Tigers move up a spot following a 1-1 week. Coach Stephen Speirs' team dropped a tough 4-3 decision to Parsippany last Tuesday in a key NJAC Freedom Division clash before rebounding with a 2-0 win over Wallkill Valley on Thursday. Senior forward Kalie Thies continues to fuel the offense, scoring a goal in each of those contests. She leads the team with eight goals overall. Be interesting to see how the Tigers, who drew a No. 5 seed, fare in the HWS tourney.
Up next: at Kittatinny on Monday; at Newton on Wednesday; at Vernon on Saturday in the HWS.
8. Kittatinny (3-3-1) -- Cougars enter here following a 3-1 win over previously-ranked Newton last Tuesday in an NJAC American Division clash. First-year coach Emily Murray's team closed the week with a 1-0 win over Jefferson. Sophomore forward/midfielder Maureen Douglas scored a goal in each of the victories. Junior goalie Julie Pevarnik made two saves in the shutout of the Falcons. Huge week on tap for the Sussex County school facing three ranked clubs.
Up next: Hackettstown at home on Monday; Wallkill Valley at home on Wednesday; at Warren Hills on Saturday in HWS.
9. Belvidere (3-5-1) -- County Seaters drop three spots following Saturday's 4-0 independent loss to Lenape Valley, which was ranked one spot behind the Warren County school last week. The teams will do it again this Saturday in the opening round of the HWS tourney. Coach Kristin Gaitan's team also dropped a 4-0 decision to Bernards last Thursday and lost 2-1 to Mount St. Mary last Tuesday in Skyland Conference Valley Division clashes. Midfielder Liz Dalrymple scored the Seaters' lone goal.
Up next: at South Hunterdon on Tuesday; Franklin at home on Thursday; at Lenape Valley on Saturday in HWS.
10. Wallkill Valley (5-5) -- Rangers are back in after a 2-1 week and an earlier win over No. 8 Kittatinny carries weight in this topsy-turvy season. Coach Irene Chernati's team opened the week with a 4-0 win over North Warren on Tuesday before dropping a 2-0 decision to No. 7 Hackettstown on Thursday in a pair of NJAC Freedom Division clashes. The Sussex County school closed with a 1-0 win over North Hunterdon in an HWS play-in game on Saturday. Sophomore forward Leah Struble had the game-winning goal.
Up next: at Lenape Valley on Monday; at Kittatinny on Wednesday; at Voorhees on Saturday in HWS.
On the bubble: Newton (3-4); Sparta (4-3); Vernon (5-3).
Lenape Valley at No. 6 is particularly stunning, but the Patriots (6-1-1) are enjoying success after several frustrating seasons. The Sussex County school went a combined 5-28-2 in third-year coach Kate Rothman's first two seasons, so hats off to the Pats.
Looking forward to Thursday's showdown between Voorhees and Warren Hills, as the bitter rivals meet for the second time this season and the 54th overall dating to 1975. There's no other series in the area that compares to this one, as the schools have gone into overtime in four of the last 10 meetings since 2009. In addition, 14 of the last 25 games dating to 2003 have been decided by one goal, while three ended in 1-1 ties.
Voorhees (7-2) holds a commanding 30-17-6 edge in the all-time series, including a 2-0 win in last year's Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex semifinals and a 2-1 win in overtime this season on Sept. 17. Warren Hills won both regular-season matchups in 2012 en route to the Skyland Conference Raritan Division title.
"Both schools are very strong and well respected, and have winning teams," said third-year Vikings coach Taylor Webb after the win on Sept. 17 that evened her record to 3-3 against Warren Hills. "It means a lot to beat the other team. It says a lot about your team and you take a lot of pride in winning."
The fifth annual Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament got underway on Saturday with two play-in games. Wallkill Valley earned a 1-0 win over North Hunterdon in a 7-10 matchup, while North Warren advanced for just the second time in tournament history with a thrilling 2-1 win in overtime against Pope John in an 8-9 battle.
First-round matchups are on tap for this Saturday. No. 7 Phillipsburg at No. 2 Sparta, along with No. 5 Hackettstown at No. 4 Vernon are intriguing matchups.
Check back here on Friday for a preview of all the first-round matchups. Seeds and pairings are also posted on Open Mike.
Now on to this week's rankings:
1. Hunterdon Central (7-1) -- Red Devils still holding down the top spot after going 2-0 last week -- beating Watchung Hills (5-1 on Tuesday) and Hillsborough (2-0 on Thursday) in a pair of Skyland Conference Delaware Division matchups. Coach Jenn Sponzo's team has allowed just two goals in its last four contests. Junior forward Taylor Barrett scored three goals last week, including two against Watchung. Junior forward Kendall Nickel also scored twice against the Warriors. Junior goalie Hannah Cechini made 11 saves in the shutout of the Raiders. Chance for Central to avenge its lone loss on Tuesday.
Up next: at Ridge on Tuesday; Bridgewater-Raritan at home on Thursday; Newton at home on Saturday in HWS.
2. South Hunterdon (8-1) -- Eagles took their first loss last week, dropping a 3-2 decision to Bernards in a battle of the top teams in the Skyland Conference Valley Division. The Hunterdon County school rebounded with a 3-0 win over Franklin on Thursday, as midfielder Amber Dey scored a pair of goals in the victory. Dey also scored a goal in the loss to Bernards.
Up next: Belvidere at home on Tuesday; North Plainfield at home on Thursday; North Warren at home on Saturday in HWS.
3. Voorhees (7-2) -- Vikings posted wins in their only games last week -- 3-0 over Phillipsburg and 2-1 over Montgomery in Skyland Conference Raritan Division clashes. Coach Taylor Webb's team is 7-0 in the division and can take a big step toward claiming the title with a win on Thursday at archrival Warren Hills. I will have more on this later, but the conference realignment for 2014-15 has these teams in different divisions, so this could be the last year they meet twice. It's a travesty that the best rivalry in the tri-county area will likely have one less game next year. Sophomore forward Kathryn Roncoroni scored a total of four goals last week, raising her team-leading total to 17.
Up next: Somerville at home on Tuesday; at Warren Hills on Thursday; Wallkill Valley at home on Saturday in HWS.
4. Warren Hills (6-3-1) -- Blue Streaks rebounded from a bit of a slow start with a 3-0 week, capped by Saturday's 1-0 independent win over Peddie. Coach Laurie Kerr's troops also posted Skyland Conference Raritan Division wins over Montgomery (2-0 on Tuesday) and Delaware Valley (6-0 on Thursday). Junior forward Sydney Muntone collected three more goals in the wins, while junior midfielder Nikki Profita scored twice and added an assist in the win over Del Val. Goalie Taylor Austin posted three shutouts. Chance for the Warren County school to avenge a 2-1 loss in overtime on Sept. 17 to No. 3 Voorhees this coming Thursday.
Up next: at Phillipsburg on Tuesday; Voorhees at home on Thursday; Kittatinny at home on Saturday in HWS.
5. High Point (7-0-1) -- Wildcats keep rolling following a 3-0 week, capping it with a 4-1 win over Montville on Friday that extended the Sussex County school's NJAC American Division win streak to 46 dating to 2010. That run will be tested on Tuesday against Morris Knolls in a battle for first place. Senior forward Carly Satter scored a goal and added two assists in the win. Coach Bev Keur's team also beat Pope John (6-0 on Monday) and Sparta (1-0 on Wednesday). Junior forward Alexis Ambrosino scored three goals against the Lions.
Up next: at Morris Knolls on Tuesday; at Vernon on Thursday; Delaware Valley at home on Saturday in HWS.
6. Lenape Valley (6-1-1) -- The surprise team of the season moves up another spot after a 3-0 week. Coach Kate Rothman's Patriots posted wins over Jefferson (4-0 on Tuesday), North Warren (2-0 on Thursday) and No. 9 Belvidere (4-0 on Saturday). The Pats have shut out their last six opponents as freshman goalie Kaylee Gentilucci stopped 12 shots in the win over North Warren. Junior forward Kassidy Forik is red-hot on offense, scoring eight of her team-leading 10 goals last week, including three each in the wins over Jefferson and Belvidere.
Up next: Wallkill Valley at home on Monday; Parsippany at home on Wednesday; Belvidere at home on Saturday in HWS.
7. Hackettstown (5-2) -- Tigers move up a spot following a 1-1 week. Coach Stephen Speirs' team dropped a tough 4-3 decision to Parsippany last Tuesday in a key NJAC Freedom Division clash before rebounding with a 2-0 win over Wallkill Valley on Thursday. Senior forward Kalie Thies continues to fuel the offense, scoring a goal in each of those contests. She leads the team with eight goals overall. Be interesting to see how the Tigers, who drew a No. 5 seed, fare in the HWS tourney.
Up next: at Kittatinny on Monday; at Newton on Wednesday; at Vernon on Saturday in the HWS.
8. Kittatinny (3-3-1) -- Cougars enter here following a 3-1 win over previously-ranked Newton last Tuesday in an NJAC American Division clash. First-year coach Emily Murray's team closed the week with a 1-0 win over Jefferson. Sophomore forward/midfielder Maureen Douglas scored a goal in each of the victories. Junior goalie Julie Pevarnik made two saves in the shutout of the Falcons. Huge week on tap for the Sussex County school facing three ranked clubs.
Up next: Hackettstown at home on Monday; Wallkill Valley at home on Wednesday; at Warren Hills on Saturday in HWS.
9. Belvidere (3-5-1) -- County Seaters drop three spots following Saturday's 4-0 independent loss to Lenape Valley, which was ranked one spot behind the Warren County school last week. The teams will do it again this Saturday in the opening round of the HWS tourney. Coach Kristin Gaitan's team also dropped a 4-0 decision to Bernards last Thursday and lost 2-1 to Mount St. Mary last Tuesday in Skyland Conference Valley Division clashes. Midfielder Liz Dalrymple scored the Seaters' lone goal.
Up next: at South Hunterdon on Tuesday; Franklin at home on Thursday; at Lenape Valley on Saturday in HWS.
10. Wallkill Valley (5-5) -- Rangers are back in after a 2-1 week and an earlier win over No. 8 Kittatinny carries weight in this topsy-turvy season. Coach Irene Chernati's team opened the week with a 4-0 win over North Warren on Tuesday before dropping a 2-0 decision to No. 7 Hackettstown on Thursday in a pair of NJAC Freedom Division clashes. The Sussex County school closed with a 1-0 win over North Hunterdon in an HWS play-in game on Saturday. Sophomore forward Leah Struble had the game-winning goal.
Up next: at Lenape Valley on Monday; at Kittatinny on Wednesday; at Voorhees on Saturday in HWS.
On the bubble: Newton (3-4); Sparta (4-3); Vernon (5-3).
Sunday, September 29, 2013
Field hockey: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex leaders
(Through Sept. 28)
Player
|
School
|
Goals
|
Assists
|
Points
|
Kaycee Zelkovsky
|
South Hunterdon
|
17
|
5
|
39
|
Kathryn Roncoroni
|
Voorhees
|
17
|
2
|
36
|
Amber Dey
|
South Hunterdon
|
10
|
8
|
28
|
Sydney Muntone
|
Warren Hills
|
10
|
3
|
23
|
Alexis Ambrosino
|
High Point
|
9
|
4
|
22
|
Brittany DeLima
|
High Point
|
10
|
0
|
20
|
Kalie Thies
|
Hackettstown
|
8
|
4
|
20
|
Kassidy Forik
|
Lenape Valley
|
10
|
0
|
20
|
Nikki Profita
|
Warren Hills
|
6
|
7
|
19
|
Casey Pustelniak
|
Wallkill Valley
|
7
|
3
|
17
|
Taylor Barrett
|
Hunterdon Central
|
6
|
4
|
16
|
Carly Satter
|
High Point
|
4
|
8
|
16
|
Ashley Eick
|
South Hunterdon
|
7
|
1
|
15
|
Ashley Kerekgyarto
|
Voorhees
|
6
|
3
|
15
|
Erin Sassaman
|
Belvidere
|
3
|
7
|
13
|
Hannah Koch
|
Belvidere
|
5
|
3
|
13
|
Dani Profita
|
Warren Hills
|
5
|
3
|
13
|
Kendall Nickel
|
Hunterdon Central
|
6
|
1
|
13
|
Sierramarie Fitzgerald
|
Hackettstown
|
4
|
4
|
12
|
Kelly Healy
|
Hackettstown
|
5
|
1
|
11
|
Maddie Smith
|
High Point
|
3
|
4
|
10
|
Sally Olson
|
Lenape Valley
|
3
|
4
|
10
|
Barbara Hannan
|
Wallkill Valley
|
3
|
4
|
10
|
Katherine Kellenberger
|
Newton
|
4
|
2
|
10
|
Lauren Miano
|
North Warren
|
4
|
2
|
10
|
Alyssa Falleni
|
Lenape Valley
|
2
|
6
|
10
|
Field hockey: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex standings
(Through Sept. 28)
|
Skyland Conference
|
|||
|
Delaware Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
Bridgewater-Raritan
|
(7-1)
|
(5-1)
|
|
|
Hunterdon Central
|
(7-1)
|
(4-1)
|
|
|
Ridge
|
(5-3)
|
(4-2)
|
|
|
Pingry
|
(3-3-1)
|
(3-2)
|
|
|
Hillsborough
|
(3-6)
|
(2-4)
|
|
|
North Hunterdon
|
(1-6)
|
(1-4)
|
|
|
Watchung Hills
|
(1-7)
|
(0-5)
|
|
|
Raritan Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
Voorhees
|
(7-2)
|
(7-0)
|
|
|
Warren Hills
|
(6-3-1)
|
(5-1)
|
|
|
Montgomery
|
(4-4)
|
(3-3)
|
|
|
Delaware Valley
|
(3-5-1)
|
(2-4-1)
|
|
|
Phillipsburg
|
(2-5-2)
|
(1-4-2)
|
|
|
Somerville
|
(0-8-1)
|
(0-6-1)
|
|
|
Valley Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
South Hunterdon
|
(8-1)
|
(6-1)
|
|
|
Bernards
|
(7-2)
|
(6-1)
|
|
|
Mount Saint Mary
|
(6-4)
|
(4-3)
|
|
|
Belvidere
|
(3-5-1)
|
(2-4-1)
|
|
|
Franklin
|
(3-6-2)
|
(2-4-1)
|
|
|
North Plainfield
|
(0-9)
|
(0-7)
|
|
|
Northwest Jersey Athletic
Conference
|
|||
|
Freedom Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
Parsippany
|
(7-0)
|
(6-0)
|
|
|
Lenape Valley
|
(6-1-1)
|
(4-1-1)
|
|
|
Hackettstown
|
(5-2)
|
(4-2)
|
|
|
Kittatinny
|
(3-3-1)
|
(3-2-1)
|
|
|
Wallkill Valley
|
(5-5)
|
(3-3)
|
|
|
Newton
|
(3-4)
|
(2-4)
|
|
|
North Warren
|
(2-5-1)
|
(0-5-1)
|
|
|
Jefferson
|
(0-5-1)
|
(0-5-1)
|
|
|
American Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
High Point
|
(7-0-1)
|
(6-0)
|
|
|
Morris Knolls
|
(5-3)
|
(5-1)
|
|
|
Montville
|
(5-3)
|
(4-2)
|
|
|
Sparta
|
(4-3)
|
(4-2)
|
|
|
Vernon
|
(5-3)
|
(3-3)
|
|
|
Mount Olive
|
(2-5)
|
(2-4)
|
|
|
Morris Hills
|
(1-7)
|
(0-6)
|
|
|
Pope John
|
(0-9)
|
(0-6)
|
|
Thursday, September 26, 2013
Field hockey: Official HWS seeds, pairings
The fifth annual Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex tournament gets underway on Saturday with two pigtail round games.
Here's this year's complete schedule:
Pigtails on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the higher seeds, with the winners advancing to the eight pre-quarterfinal round contests on Saturday, Oct. 5 at the higher seeds. The quarterfinals are slated for Saturday, Oct. 12 at the higher seeds with the semifinals to be played on Saturday, Oct. 19.
The championship game will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26 on the turf at Hackettstown's Morrison Field, provided it's a neutral site. Voorhees posted a 1-0 win over High Point in last year's title game, the Hunterdon County school's second HWS championship and its 10th county title overall.
On Saturday, North Hunterdon travels to Wallkill Valley and North Warren will visit Pope John in the two play-in games. Those winners move into next Saturday's slate of first-round games. The higher seeds will host up until the championship game.
Note: Power points -- for only a team's first seven contests or up to games including Wednesday's cutoff -- were used to determine seeds. Teams also gained residual points for any wins accrued by opponents they defeated up to that school's first seven games. Head-to-head results were applied only to teams seeded directly above and below each other, as in the case of Kittatinny and Newton, which lost to 3-1 to the Cougars on Tuesday.
On Saturday, North Hunterdon travels to Wallkill Valley and North Warren will visit Pope John in the two play-in games. Those winners move into next Saturday's slate of first-round games. The higher seeds will host up until the championship game.
Top bracket
5A-Kittatinny (2-3-1, 51.5) at 4B-Warren Hills (3-3-1, 70.5)
6B-Belvidere (3-3-1, 56.25) at 3A-Lenape Valley (4-1-1, 71)
10B-North Hunterdon (1-4, 19) vs. 7A-Wallkill Valley (3-4, 46) winner at 2B-Voorhees (5-2, 96.5)
Bottom bracket
5B-Hackettstown (4-2, 61.5) at 4A-Vernon (4-3, 62)
6A-Newton (3-3, 58.5) at 3B-Hunterdon Central (6-1, 88)
7B-Phillipsburg (1-4-2, 41.5) at 2A-Sparta (4-2, 72)
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
Field hockey: Preliminary look at HWS tourney seeds
The fifth annual Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex tournament gets under way on Saturday with two pigtail round games.
Here's this year's complete schedule:
Pigtails on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the higher seeds, with the winners advancing to the eight pre-quarterfinal round contests on Saturday, Oct. 5 at the higher seeds. The quarterfinals are slated for Saturday, Oct. 12 at the higher seeds with the semifinals to be played on Saturday, Oct. 19.
The championship game will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26 on the turf at Hackettstown's Morrison Field, provided it's a neutral site. Voorhees posted a 1-0 win over High Point in last year's title game, the Hunterdon County school's second HWS championship and its 10th county title overall.
But first thing's first, the teams must be paired and seeded, which takes place on Wednesday evening.
There's a new format for seeding this year with power points being used to pair the schools, unlike previous years when they were determined by coaches' votes. I believe this change is for the better, but I don't like using a team's first seven games, or if less than seven, their number of games played up to and including Wednesday's cutoff.
By my count, seven of the 18 schools will not have played seven games, giving 11 other teams the advantage of extra power points. In head-to-head cases, teams may jump only the school directly above or below, so if a No. 5 beat a No. 4 they would flip spots.
Based on my calculations, Pope John would host North Warren in an 8-9 matchup, while No. 10 North Hunterdon would travel to No. 7 Wallkill Valley for Saturday's pigtail round.
UPDATE: Here are the other potential matchups (A-Sussex, B-H/W). Note: Kittatinny will be the No. 5 seed and Newton the No. 6 seed based on a head-to-head win for the Cougars.
8B-Delaware Valley (1-4-1, 29.75) at 1A-High Point (6-0-1, 89.5)
5A-Kittatinny (2-3-1, 50.5) at 4B-Hackettstown (4-2, 61.5)
6B-Belvidere (3-3-1, 56.25) at 3A-Lenape Valley (4-1-1, 71)
10B-North Hunterdon (1-4, 19) vs. 7A-Wallkill Valley (3-4, 38) winner at 2B-Hunterdon Central (6-1, 88)
9B-North Warren (1-4-1, 20) vs. 8A-Pope John (0-7, 19) winner at 1B-South Hunterdon (7-0, 118.5)
5B-Warren Hills (3-3-1, 60) at 4A-Vernon (4-3, 62)
6A-Newton (3-3, 58.5) at 3B-Voorhees (5-2, 86.5)
7B-Phillipsburg (1-4-2, 36.5) at 2A-Sparta (4-2, 72)
Here's this year's complete schedule:
Pigtails on Saturday, Sept. 28 at the higher seeds, with the winners advancing to the eight pre-quarterfinal round contests on Saturday, Oct. 5 at the higher seeds. The quarterfinals are slated for Saturday, Oct. 12 at the higher seeds with the semifinals to be played on Saturday, Oct. 19.
The championship game will be held on Saturday, Oct. 26 on the turf at Hackettstown's Morrison Field, provided it's a neutral site. Voorhees posted a 1-0 win over High Point in last year's title game, the Hunterdon County school's second HWS championship and its 10th county title overall.
But first thing's first, the teams must be paired and seeded, which takes place on Wednesday evening.
There's a new format for seeding this year with power points being used to pair the schools, unlike previous years when they were determined by coaches' votes. I believe this change is for the better, but I don't like using a team's first seven games, or if less than seven, their number of games played up to and including Wednesday's cutoff.
By my count, seven of the 18 schools will not have played seven games, giving 11 other teams the advantage of extra power points. In head-to-head cases, teams may jump only the school directly above or below, so if a No. 5 beat a No. 4 they would flip spots.
Based on my calculations, Pope John would host North Warren in an 8-9 matchup, while No. 10 North Hunterdon would travel to No. 7 Wallkill Valley for Saturday's pigtail round.
UPDATE: Here are the other potential matchups (A-Sussex, B-H/W). Note: Kittatinny will be the No. 5 seed and Newton the No. 6 seed based on a head-to-head win for the Cougars.
Top bracket
5A-Kittatinny (2-3-1, 50.5) at 4B-Hackettstown (4-2, 61.5)
6B-Belvidere (3-3-1, 56.25) at 3A-Lenape Valley (4-1-1, 71)
10B-North Hunterdon (1-4, 19) vs. 7A-Wallkill Valley (3-4, 38) winner at 2B-Hunterdon Central (6-1, 88)
Bottom bracket
5B-Warren Hills (3-3-1, 60) at 4A-Vernon (4-3, 62)
6A-Newton (3-3, 58.5) at 3B-Voorhees (5-2, 86.5)
7B-Phillipsburg (1-4-2, 36.5) at 2A-Sparta (4-2, 72)
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