|
Skyland Conference
|
|||
|
Delaware Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
xyz-Bridgewater-Raritan
|
(23-2)
|
(12-0)
|
|
|
Pingry
|
(13-6)
|
(9-3)
|
|
|
Hunterdon Central
|
(13-9)
|
(7-5)
|
|
|
Ridge
|
(8-13)
|
(6-6)
|
|
|
Watchung Hills
|
(8-11)
|
(4-8)
|
|
|
Hillsborough
|
(7-13)
|
(4-8)
|
|
|
North Hunterdon
|
(0-17-1)
|
(0-12)
|
|
|
Raritan Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
xz-Warren Hills
|
(22-3)
|
(10-0)
|
|
|
Montgomery
|
(14-6-3)
|
(6-2-2)
|
|
|
y-Voorhees
|
(13-5-1)
|
(6-3-1)
|
|
|
Phillipsburg
|
(10-10)
|
(4-6)
|
|
|
Delaware Valley
|
(6-10-1)
|
(2-7-1)
|
|
|
Somerville
|
(4-14-1)
|
(0-10)
|
|
|
Valley Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
x-South Hunterdon
|
(15-6-1)
|
(9-1)
|
|
|
x-Bernards
|
(12-6)
|
(9-1)
|
|
|
Belvidere
|
(9-7-1)
|
(5-4)
|
|
|
Franklin
|
(7-12)
|
(4-5)
|
|
|
Mount Saint Mary
|
(2-14-2)
|
(1-8)
|
|
|
North Plainfield
|
(0-17)
|
(0-9)
|
|
|
Northwest Jersey
Athletic Conference
|
|||
|
Freedom Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
x-Parsippany
|
(19-2)
|
(13-0)
|
|
|
Wallkill Valley
|
(13-6-2)
|
(10-3-1)
|
|
|
Newton
|
(10-8)
|
(9-5)
|
|
|
Jefferson
|
(11-7)
|
(8-5)
|
|
|
Hackettstown
|
(9-9-1)
|
(8-6)
|
|
|
Kittatinny
|
(3-11-2)
|
(3-9-2)
|
|
|
North Warren
|
(3-16)
|
(2-12)
|
|
|
Lenape Valley
|
(2-15-1)
|
(0-13-1)
|
|
|
American Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
x-High Point
|
(18-4-1)
|
(13-0)
|
|
|
Montville
|
(13-6-2)
|
(9-3-2)
|
|
|
Pope John
|
(11-6-2)
|
(9-3-1)
|
|
|
Morris Knolls
|
(11-9)
|
(8-5)
|
|
|
Sparta
|
(5-11)
|
(4-8)
|
|
|
Vernon
|
(4-12)
|
(4-9)
|
|
|
Morris Hills
|
(4-13)
|
(2-10)
|
|
|
Mount Olive
|
(1-17-1)
|
(1-12-1)
|
|
|
x-Division champion
|
|||
|
y-County champion
|
|||
|
z-Sectional champion
|
|||
Monday, November 19, 2012
Field hockey: Final HWS standings
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Field hockey: Streaks fall short in Group 3 title game
Seven wasn't the lucky number necessary to break the state final curse.
For Warren Hills' field hockey team, the quest for that elusive championship goes on as the Blue Streaks dropped a 2-0 decision to nemesis Ocean City on Sunday in the NJSIAA Group 3 title game at Lions Stadium on the campus of The College of New Jersey in Ewing Township.
Warren Hills (22-3), which matched the 2011 team for the school's wins record, is now 0-7 all time in the state finals -- losing four of those to Ocean City. The Red Raiders (21-1), who won their seventh title and first since 2009, also beat the Streaks here in 1999 and 2001, and in '09 at Toms River East. Warren Hills is now 0-6 at TCNJ -- also falling to West Deptford (2-1 in 1997), Cumberland (1-0 in 2000) and Moorestown (2-1 in OT in 2003) at Lions Stadium. This was the first title game decided by a greater than one-goal margin.
"We just didn't play our passing game today," said Warren Hills coach Laurie Kerr, now 0-5 in state finals. "We couldn't penetrate against [a stout Ocean City defense]. We were forcing way too many passes and we couldn't generate that attack that we're used to."
The game also marked the end of a fabulous career for senior forward Niki Miller, the Streaks' single-season assists and points leader, as well as their career assists record holder. Miller, a UMass recruit, finishes the season with 25 goals and 29 assists -- good for 79 points. She ranks second all time with 61 goals and 179 points to go with her record 57 assists.
Miller was held without a goal or an assist for only the fourth time this season -- three of those resulted in losses. Voorhees was the only other team to shut out Warren Hills -- 2-0 in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex semifinals on Oct. 20.
"It was really hard to play center forward in this game -- they stopped what we usually do [offensively]," said Miller, a class act who was extremely gracious in defeat. "We couldn't get [the ball] through [the OC defense] and we didn't take the opportunity to go around. We were very off of our game today."
Credit the Ocean City defense for holding a potent Warren Hills offense in check. The Red Raiders cut the Streaks off on just about every pass, clogged the lanes and won most of the 50/50 balls. The Streaks were held to just one shot on goal -- by Miller early in the game -- and just five penalty corners.
Kerr was miffed about the lack of offense, given that her unit scored a total of 19 goals in the previous four postseason games. Sophomores Nikki Profita, Sydney Muntone and Jessica Nissen combined for 54 goals this season.
"We didn't have any shots in the second half, which stuns me the most," Kerr said. "Even [Miller] couldn't get her proper dodge going. We didn't get any momentum and flow established. We were so offensive-minded and hungry all season. It seemed like we looked around today and waited for someone else to get it done. We didn't do it as a team. I'm really surprised we didn't score."
The game was a defensive struggle and scoreless at the break, despite Ocean City nearly dominating most of the first half and getting opportunities on five corners in the final eight minutes.
Midway through the second half, the Red Raiders finally got on the board and seized control for good. Sophomore Lauren McNally followed up her own rebound on the team's fifth corner of the half to break the tie and freshman reserve Jordan Allegretto delivered a dagger to make it a two-goal margin with 9:37 to go after a nice reverse-stick pass in the circle set her up.
Miller felt that the Streaks were still OK down 1-0, but that second goal was just too much to overcome.
"If we just could have held them off for a few more minutes ... we had some breakdowns," she said. "We couldn't get it back once it was 2-0."
The Warren Hills defense, which had been very leaky this postseason, actually kept the Streaks in the game. Senior goalie Katie Wintersteen made several tremendous stops, including one on a corner early in the first half and another by coming way up in the circle, and played very well in her final game.
But the Streaks are left searching for answers that will help end their title drought. Miller offered some insight for future teams to benefit from.
"We seemed to psych ourselves out since no [Warren Hills team] has done it," said Miller, who was a freshman on the 2009 team that lost to OC. "I thought we definitely could do it this year. I felt we were more confident [than 2009]. [Ocean City] was what I thought they were. I don't think they were the best team we played this year. We played Bridgewater [a 9-2 loser to Eastern in the Group 4 final] and we scrimmaged [Group 1 champion] Oak Knoll. Chatham [who the Streaks beat 6-3 in the North 2, Group 3 sectional semis] was a very good team too."
Ocean City, which returns seven starters, and a sophomore-laden Warren Hills will be among the favorites to get here again in 2013.
Warren Hills (22-3) 0 0 -- 0
Ocean City (21-1) 0 2 -- 2
Scoring
Second half -- OC, Lauren McNally, 18th, 15:53; OC, Jordan Allegretto, 9th, 9:37.
Shots -- Warren Hills 1; Ocean City 10.
Saves -- Katie Wintersteen 7, Stephanie Collins 1 (defensive) (WH); Katie Johnson 1 (OC).
Penalty corners -- Warren Hills 5; Ocean City 13.
Saturday, November 17, 2012
Field hockey: Streaks seek revenge in Group 3 final
Warren Hills' field hockey team is one win away from doing something that no other team in the program's 48-year history has accomplished -- capture an elusive state championship.
It's a fact not lost on the players or veteran coach Laurie Kerr, whose teams have fallen short in four of the school's previous six Group 3 final appearances. Warren Hills (22-2) can end the drought with a win over nemesis Ocean City (20-1) on Sunday in the championship game at The College of New Jersey. Start time is 2 p.m.
Warren Hills and Belvidere are the only Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex schools to reach seven state finals. The County Seaters won titles in 1989 and '90, in addition to appearances in '82, '88, '91, '92 and '96. No team from the tri-county area has won a championship since Hunterdon Central (six finals appearances) claimed the last of its three titles in 1996.
The Group 3 final will be the third game played on the turf at Lions Stadium, the former site of the Group championships before they moved to Toms River East from 2006-11. Due to Superstorm Sandy, the venue was changed and the Tournament of Champions (involving the four Group winners) that had followed the Group finals since 2006 was cancelled.
Bridgewater-Raritan will be the other Skyland Conference representative on Sunday, as coach Kathie DeBonis' Panthers face superpower Eastern for the eighth straight year in the Group 4 final at 4 p.m.
"It would be fantastic if we could both win," said Kerr, whose Streaks lost 3-1 to Bridgewater and are one win from establishing a school record for wins. "Eastern is off the charts [good]."
Bridgewater (23-1), which recently claimed its eighth sectional title (consecutively since 2005), has lost the last seven Group 4 finals to Eastern (24-0). The South Jersey school has won 14 straight sectional titles and 15 Group titles (13 straight since 1999) under coach Danyle Heilig (349-10-8 in 14 seasons). A win on Sunday would match Moorestown for the most state titles in New Jersey history with 16. Sophomore forward Austyn Cuneo needs four goals to break the state record of 70 in one season.
In the other games: Four-time champion Oak Knoll squares off against St. Joseph-Hammonton for the Group 1 crown at 10 a.m., while defending champion West Essex takes on two-time winner Bishop Eustace for the Group 2 prize at noon. West Essex, which beat Eustace in 2008 and lost to the South Jersey school in 2010, also seeks its 16th championship.
Ocean City is seeking its eighth state title and first since defeating Warren Hills in a thrilling overtime affair in '09. In that one, Colleen Slaughter converted a penalty stroke for the 2-1 win in Toms River. The Red Raiders beat the Streaks in overtime in '99 (2-1 in former coach Luanne Ferenci's final game) and 2-1 again in '01. Those two finals were played at TCNJ.
OC also won titles in 1997, '98, 2002 and '05 -- beating High Point in the '97 and '02 contests.
This one figures to be an offensive showcase.
Warren Hills features talented senior forward Niki Miller, who leads the Streaks with 25 goals and 29 assists. The UMass recruit, a freshman on the '99 runner-up team, is the school's career and single-season assists leader, as well as the single-season points leader. Miller, who ranks second on the career goals list with 61, needs two goals to match Lindsey Schott's single-season mark of 27 in 2011.
In Miller's four years, the Streaks have gone 81-13-1 overall with three conference, two Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex and two sectional titles, along with two state championship game appearances.
Super sophomores Nikki Profita (19 goals, 15 assists), Sydney Muntone (19 goals, 13 assists) and Jessica Nissen (16 goals) spearhead an offense that has produced 99 goals for an average of 4.1 per game.
"They just keep going to goal and trying to score," Kerr said. "Jessica Nissen has a real nose for the cage. Those are the things you can't teach kids -- how to score."
Profita, who has six postseason goals and seven in her last six games, is excited for the chance to make school history. Her cousin, Rebecca Pulsinelli, played in the 2001 final and Profita watched the 2009 final from the stands.
"It would be so great [to win the school's first title], especially this year because we are such a big family and we love each other," Profita said.
The offense will need to be sharp to help out a defense that has struggled of late. Through the first 19 games, the Streaks yielded a total of 13 goals. In the last five games, they've allowed 12, including nine in four state playoff games.
"We're just going to have to play our offensive-minded game," Kerr said.
Kerr said her team will also have to adjust to the AstroTurf at Lions Stadium, which plays much faster than the field turf at the Washington school's home stadium.
"It's real turf and real quick," Kerr said. "I love it because we have a quick team, but it will be an adjustment."
It won't be easy keeping a potent Ocean City attack under wraps. The Red Raiders have scored 120 goals in 21 games (5.7 per) and feature five double-digit goal scorers and five with 10 or more assists.
Junior forward Paige Broadley leads OC with 20 goals, followed by senior forward Jacquie Fenton (17, 15), sophomore Lauren McNally (17, 12), sophomore Kelly Hanna (15, 17) and junior Leah Davies (13, 10). Senior Casey Hanna has 14 assists.
Defensively, the Red Raiders have produced 18 shutouts. Besides an 8-1 loss to Eastern, OC allowed two goals to Moorestown and two in a 4-2 regular-season win over Camden Catholic.
Ocean City's home field has been unplayable ever since Sandy -- forcing the Red Raiders to play all of their state games on the road.
It's a fact not lost on the players or veteran coach Laurie Kerr, whose teams have fallen short in four of the school's previous six Group 3 final appearances. Warren Hills (22-2) can end the drought with a win over nemesis Ocean City (20-1) on Sunday in the championship game at The College of New Jersey. Start time is 2 p.m.
Warren Hills and Belvidere are the only Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex schools to reach seven state finals. The County Seaters won titles in 1989 and '90, in addition to appearances in '82, '88, '91, '92 and '96. No team from the tri-county area has won a championship since Hunterdon Central (six finals appearances) claimed the last of its three titles in 1996.
The Group 3 final will be the third game played on the turf at Lions Stadium, the former site of the Group championships before they moved to Toms River East from 2006-11. Due to Superstorm Sandy, the venue was changed and the Tournament of Champions (involving the four Group winners) that had followed the Group finals since 2006 was cancelled.
Bridgewater-Raritan will be the other Skyland Conference representative on Sunday, as coach Kathie DeBonis' Panthers face superpower Eastern for the eighth straight year in the Group 4 final at 4 p.m.
"It would be fantastic if we could both win," said Kerr, whose Streaks lost 3-1 to Bridgewater and are one win from establishing a school record for wins. "Eastern is off the charts [good]."
Bridgewater (23-1), which recently claimed its eighth sectional title (consecutively since 2005), has lost the last seven Group 4 finals to Eastern (24-0). The South Jersey school has won 14 straight sectional titles and 15 Group titles (13 straight since 1999) under coach Danyle Heilig (349-10-8 in 14 seasons). A win on Sunday would match Moorestown for the most state titles in New Jersey history with 16. Sophomore forward Austyn Cuneo needs four goals to break the state record of 70 in one season.
In the other games: Four-time champion Oak Knoll squares off against St. Joseph-Hammonton for the Group 1 crown at 10 a.m., while defending champion West Essex takes on two-time winner Bishop Eustace for the Group 2 prize at noon. West Essex, which beat Eustace in 2008 and lost to the South Jersey school in 2010, also seeks its 16th championship.
Ocean City is seeking its eighth state title and first since defeating Warren Hills in a thrilling overtime affair in '09. In that one, Colleen Slaughter converted a penalty stroke for the 2-1 win in Toms River. The Red Raiders beat the Streaks in overtime in '99 (2-1 in former coach Luanne Ferenci's final game) and 2-1 again in '01. Those two finals were played at TCNJ.
OC also won titles in 1997, '98, 2002 and '05 -- beating High Point in the '97 and '02 contests.
This one figures to be an offensive showcase.
Warren Hills features talented senior forward Niki Miller, who leads the Streaks with 25 goals and 29 assists. The UMass recruit, a freshman on the '99 runner-up team, is the school's career and single-season assists leader, as well as the single-season points leader. Miller, who ranks second on the career goals list with 61, needs two goals to match Lindsey Schott's single-season mark of 27 in 2011.
In Miller's four years, the Streaks have gone 81-13-1 overall with three conference, two Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex and two sectional titles, along with two state championship game appearances.
Super sophomores Nikki Profita (19 goals, 15 assists), Sydney Muntone (19 goals, 13 assists) and Jessica Nissen (16 goals) spearhead an offense that has produced 99 goals for an average of 4.1 per game.
"They just keep going to goal and trying to score," Kerr said. "Jessica Nissen has a real nose for the cage. Those are the things you can't teach kids -- how to score."
Profita, who has six postseason goals and seven in her last six games, is excited for the chance to make school history. Her cousin, Rebecca Pulsinelli, played in the 2001 final and Profita watched the 2009 final from the stands.
"It would be so great [to win the school's first title], especially this year because we are such a big family and we love each other," Profita said.
The offense will need to be sharp to help out a defense that has struggled of late. Through the first 19 games, the Streaks yielded a total of 13 goals. In the last five games, they've allowed 12, including nine in four state playoff games.
"We're just going to have to play our offensive-minded game," Kerr said.
Kerr said her team will also have to adjust to the AstroTurf at Lions Stadium, which plays much faster than the field turf at the Washington school's home stadium.
"It's real turf and real quick," Kerr said. "I love it because we have a quick team, but it will be an adjustment."
It won't be easy keeping a potent Ocean City attack under wraps. The Red Raiders have scored 120 goals in 21 games (5.7 per) and feature five double-digit goal scorers and five with 10 or more assists.
Junior forward Paige Broadley leads OC with 20 goals, followed by senior forward Jacquie Fenton (17, 15), sophomore Lauren McNally (17, 12), sophomore Kelly Hanna (15, 17) and junior Leah Davies (13, 10). Senior Casey Hanna has 14 assists.
Defensively, the Red Raiders have produced 18 shutouts. Besides an 8-1 loss to Eastern, OC allowed two goals to Moorestown and two in a 4-2 regular-season win over Camden Catholic.
Ocean City's home field has been unplayable ever since Sandy -- forcing the Red Raiders to play all of their state games on the road.
Friday, November 16, 2012
Warren Hills tops West Morris in Group semifinals
One more win.
That's all Warren Hills' field hockey team needs to end the program's state championship drought after a hard-fought 6-4 win over West Morris -- the first meeting between the schools -- on Friday in the NJSIAA Group 3 semifinals in Washington.
Warren Hills (22-2), which has won six in a row, will play nemesis Ocean City -- a 3-2 winner in overtime against Moorestown in the other semifinal -- for the Group 3 title at 2 p.m. Sunday on the turf at The College of New Jersey. The Blue Streaks, who matched the 2011 team for most wins in school history, will be looking to snap an 0-for-6 skid in state finals. Ocean City (20-1) beat Warren Hills in the 1999, 2001 and 2009 title games.
"It's exciting," said veteran coach Laurie Kerr, whose teams were the Group 3 runner-up in 2000, '01, 03 and '09. "It will be nice to replace that zero [in state finals] with a one."
On Friday, the Streaks, now 7-3 in state semifinals, jumped out to a 4-1 halftime lead before West Morris (13-7-1) came storming back with a pair of goals on penalty strokes, and another off a penalty corner, to knot the game at 4. Both strokes were converted by Mikayla Young, while Lindsay Roller notched her 16th goal on the corner.
Sophomores Nikki Profita and Sydney Muntone helped Warren Hills regain the lead for good with goals in the final three minutes. Profita, who notched three goals on the day and has 19 for the season, broke the tie off a feed from assists leader Niki Miller. Profita assisted on Muntone's goal that iced it with just over a minute remaining.
Miller and sophomore Jessica Nissen also scored first-half goals for the Streaks, who claimed the program's 556th victory. Kerr is now seven wins shy of matching her former coach, Luanne Ferenci, for the most coaching wins in the Warren County school's 48-year history. Miller's 25th goal leaves her two shy of Lindsey Schott's school record of 27 in 2011.
"I think once we got up, 4-1, the kids started thinking about [the magnitude of the game] a little bit," Kerr said. "But they finally snapped out of it. Our sophomores really stepped it up."
Defensively, backs Allie Brouhard and Stephanie Collins made goal-line saves to aid senior goalkeeper Katie Wintersteen, who stopped seven shots. Collins had a pair of saves in Wednesday's 4-1 win over South Plainfield in the North 2, Group 3 sectional final.
The Streaks have outscored their opponents, 19-9, in four postseason games. The nine goals allowed is significant when factoring in that the defense yielded a total of 13 in the team's first 19 games this season.
West Morris (13-7-1) 1 3 -- 4
Warren Hills (22-2) 4 2 -- 6
Scoring
First half -- WH, Jessica Nissen, 16th, (Nikki Schott); WM, Mikayla Young, 6th, (Emily Rubright); WH, Nikki Profita, 17th, (Sydney Muntone); WH, Profita, 18th, WH, Niki Miller, 25th.
Second half -- WM, Young, 7th, (penalty stroke); WM, Lindsay Roller, 16th; WM, Young, 8th, (penalty stroke); WH, Profita, 19th, (Miller); WH, Muntone, 19th, (Profita).
Shots -- West Morris 13; Warren Hills 19.
Saves -- Cristina Eichelosdoerfer 13 (WM); Katie Wintersteen 7, Stephanie Collins 1 (defensive), Allie Brouhard 1 (defensive) (WH).
That's all Warren Hills' field hockey team needs to end the program's state championship drought after a hard-fought 6-4 win over West Morris -- the first meeting between the schools -- on Friday in the NJSIAA Group 3 semifinals in Washington.
Warren Hills (22-2), which has won six in a row, will play nemesis Ocean City -- a 3-2 winner in overtime against Moorestown in the other semifinal -- for the Group 3 title at 2 p.m. Sunday on the turf at The College of New Jersey. The Blue Streaks, who matched the 2011 team for most wins in school history, will be looking to snap an 0-for-6 skid in state finals. Ocean City (20-1) beat Warren Hills in the 1999, 2001 and 2009 title games.
"It's exciting," said veteran coach Laurie Kerr, whose teams were the Group 3 runner-up in 2000, '01, 03 and '09. "It will be nice to replace that zero [in state finals] with a one."
On Friday, the Streaks, now 7-3 in state semifinals, jumped out to a 4-1 halftime lead before West Morris (13-7-1) came storming back with a pair of goals on penalty strokes, and another off a penalty corner, to knot the game at 4. Both strokes were converted by Mikayla Young, while Lindsay Roller notched her 16th goal on the corner.
Sophomores Nikki Profita and Sydney Muntone helped Warren Hills regain the lead for good with goals in the final three minutes. Profita, who notched three goals on the day and has 19 for the season, broke the tie off a feed from assists leader Niki Miller. Profita assisted on Muntone's goal that iced it with just over a minute remaining.
Miller and sophomore Jessica Nissen also scored first-half goals for the Streaks, who claimed the program's 556th victory. Kerr is now seven wins shy of matching her former coach, Luanne Ferenci, for the most coaching wins in the Warren County school's 48-year history. Miller's 25th goal leaves her two shy of Lindsey Schott's school record of 27 in 2011.
"I think once we got up, 4-1, the kids started thinking about [the magnitude of the game] a little bit," Kerr said. "But they finally snapped out of it. Our sophomores really stepped it up."
Defensively, backs Allie Brouhard and Stephanie Collins made goal-line saves to aid senior goalkeeper Katie Wintersteen, who stopped seven shots. Collins had a pair of saves in Wednesday's 4-1 win over South Plainfield in the North 2, Group 3 sectional final.
The Streaks have outscored their opponents, 19-9, in four postseason games. The nine goals allowed is significant when factoring in that the defense yielded a total of 13 in the team's first 19 games this season.
West Morris (13-7-1) 1 3 -- 4
Warren Hills (22-2) 4 2 -- 6
Scoring
First half -- WH, Jessica Nissen, 16th, (Nikki Schott); WM, Mikayla Young, 6th, (Emily Rubright); WH, Nikki Profita, 17th, (Sydney Muntone); WH, Profita, 18th, WH, Niki Miller, 25th.
Second half -- WM, Young, 7th, (penalty stroke); WM, Lindsay Roller, 16th; WM, Young, 8th, (penalty stroke); WH, Profita, 19th, (Miller); WH, Muntone, 19th, (Profita).
Shots -- West Morris 13; Warren Hills 19.
Saves -- Cristina Eichelosdoerfer 13 (WM); Katie Wintersteen 7, Stephanie Collins 1 (defensive), Allie Brouhard 1 (defensive) (WH).
Thursday, November 15, 2012
Streaks continue title march in NJSIAA Group 3 semis
Warren Hills' youth on the field hockey field has served notice of big things to come all season long.
Now, just two wins away from the program's first field hockey state championship, those young Blue Streaks are helping pave the way with veteran performances.
Sophomore midfielder Nikki Profita is among the young and hungry goal scorers that has helped Warren Hills advance to the Group 3 semifinals at home against West Morris on Friday at 2 p.m. Profita scored two goals in the Streaks' 4-1 thumping of South Plainfield in Wednesday's North 2, Group 3 sectional final.
Moorestown squares off against Ocean City in the other state semifinal. Friday's semifinal winners advance to Sunday's Group 3 championship game to be played at 2 p.m.on the turf at The College of New Jersey.
Profita has been waiting for this opportunity for most of her young life. She's anxious to help Warren Hills end their 0-for-6 drought in the state title games since their first appearance in 1996.
"Ever since I was little, I would come to Warren Hills games," said Profita, who has 16 goals and 14 assists on the season. "I remember going to see my cousin [Rebecca Pulsinelli] play in 2001 [the Streaks' sectional champion team that dropped a 2-1 decision to Ocean City in the Group 3 final]. I went to watch the '09 team play [a 2-1 overtime loss to Ocean City in the title game]. To finally be on the team playing and get a sectional championship [the program's 10th] feels amazing."
Sophomores Sydney Muntone (18 goals, 12 assists) and Jessica Nissen (15 goals) also have played a big role on the forward line. Senior Niki Miller anchors the group with a team-high 24 goals and a school record 28 assists. Miller, a UMass recruit, is the school's all-time assists and single-season points record holder.
What has struck Miller and veteran coach Laurie Kerr, is the poise with which the younger players carry themselves on the field. They also aren't fazed one bit by the magnitude of these championship contests.
"They stay composed," said Kerr, whose teams are 28-12 overall in postseason play including a 6-2 record in sectional finals and a 4-1 mark in Group semifinals. "Maybe being so young is to our advantage. They don't know any better. They understand the tradition and they train all the time."
Profita says playing in clubs and offseason tournaments has lifted a lot of the pressure. In fact, she prefers playing under fire.
"I'd rather have a game tied than be winning by 10," Profita said.
Warren Hills (21-2), celebrating the program's 48th season, will be a heavy favorite to reach its seventh state championship game in this first-ever meeting against West Morris (13-6-1), the North 1 champion.
The Wolfpack, who claimed the program's second sectional title and first since 2010, split a pair of close games with Chatham this season and beat Wayne Hills, 3-1, in the sectional final. The Streaks handed Chatham a 6-3 loss in the sectional semis and blanked Wayne Hills, 5-0, in a regular-season matchup.
Junior Lindsay Roller (15 goals) and senior Caroline Boyland (seven goals) lead the Wolfpack's offense, while senior goalie Cristina Eichelosdoerfer has produced 10 shutouts.
Warren Hills' defense was solid on Wednesday after a few shaky performances in previous games. Backs Stephanie Collins and Meghan Dempski combined for three defensive saves to aid senior goalie Katie Wintersteen (10 shutouts).
Due to Superstorm Sandy, Miller will play one final game at home. In past years, semifinals were played at neutral sites. She's anxious to make a return trip to the finals and avenge a very tough OT loss her freshman season in '09.
"I think we can definitely get there," Miller said after contributing a pair of assists in Wednesday's win. "We definitely can go all the way."
Even the youngsters are champing at the bit for a chance to make school history.
"We just want to keep the [Warren Hills field hockey] legacy going," Profita said.
Now, just two wins away from the program's first field hockey state championship, those young Blue Streaks are helping pave the way with veteran performances.
Sophomore midfielder Nikki Profita is among the young and hungry goal scorers that has helped Warren Hills advance to the Group 3 semifinals at home against West Morris on Friday at 2 p.m. Profita scored two goals in the Streaks' 4-1 thumping of South Plainfield in Wednesday's North 2, Group 3 sectional final.
Moorestown squares off against Ocean City in the other state semifinal. Friday's semifinal winners advance to Sunday's Group 3 championship game to be played at 2 p.m.on the turf at The College of New Jersey.
Profita has been waiting for this opportunity for most of her young life. She's anxious to help Warren Hills end their 0-for-6 drought in the state title games since their first appearance in 1996.
"Ever since I was little, I would come to Warren Hills games," said Profita, who has 16 goals and 14 assists on the season. "I remember going to see my cousin [Rebecca Pulsinelli] play in 2001 [the Streaks' sectional champion team that dropped a 2-1 decision to Ocean City in the Group 3 final]. I went to watch the '09 team play [a 2-1 overtime loss to Ocean City in the title game]. To finally be on the team playing and get a sectional championship [the program's 10th] feels amazing."
Sophomores Sydney Muntone (18 goals, 12 assists) and Jessica Nissen (15 goals) also have played a big role on the forward line. Senior Niki Miller anchors the group with a team-high 24 goals and a school record 28 assists. Miller, a UMass recruit, is the school's all-time assists and single-season points record holder.
What has struck Miller and veteran coach Laurie Kerr, is the poise with which the younger players carry themselves on the field. They also aren't fazed one bit by the magnitude of these championship contests.
"They stay composed," said Kerr, whose teams are 28-12 overall in postseason play including a 6-2 record in sectional finals and a 4-1 mark in Group semifinals. "Maybe being so young is to our advantage. They don't know any better. They understand the tradition and they train all the time."
Profita says playing in clubs and offseason tournaments has lifted a lot of the pressure. In fact, she prefers playing under fire.
"I'd rather have a game tied than be winning by 10," Profita said.
Warren Hills (21-2), celebrating the program's 48th season, will be a heavy favorite to reach its seventh state championship game in this first-ever meeting against West Morris (13-6-1), the North 1 champion.
The Wolfpack, who claimed the program's second sectional title and first since 2010, split a pair of close games with Chatham this season and beat Wayne Hills, 3-1, in the sectional final. The Streaks handed Chatham a 6-3 loss in the sectional semis and blanked Wayne Hills, 5-0, in a regular-season matchup.
Junior Lindsay Roller (15 goals) and senior Caroline Boyland (seven goals) lead the Wolfpack's offense, while senior goalie Cristina Eichelosdoerfer has produced 10 shutouts.
Warren Hills' defense was solid on Wednesday after a few shaky performances in previous games. Backs Stephanie Collins and Meghan Dempski combined for three defensive saves to aid senior goalie Katie Wintersteen (10 shutouts).
Due to Superstorm Sandy, Miller will play one final game at home. In past years, semifinals were played at neutral sites. She's anxious to make a return trip to the finals and avenge a very tough OT loss her freshman season in '09.
"I think we can definitely get there," Miller said after contributing a pair of assists in Wednesday's win. "We definitely can go all the way."
Even the youngsters are champing at the bit for a chance to make school history.
"We just want to keep the [Warren Hills field hockey] legacy going," Profita said.
NJSIAA field hockey: Skyland sectional history
|
School
|
Titles
|
First
|
Last
|
|
South Hunterdon
|
14
|
1975
|
2002
|
|
Hunterdon Central
|
12
|
1992
|
2011
|
|
Warren Hills
|
10
|
1984
|
2012
|
|
Bridgewater-Raritan
|
8
|
2005
|
2012
|
|
Belvidere
|
7
|
1982
|
1996
|
|
Voorhees
|
6
|
1993
|
2006
|
|
Hillsborough
|
6
|
1977
|
1983
|
|
Pingry
|
5
|
2000
|
2005
|
|
Phillipsburg
|
4
|
1972
|
1999
|
|
Bernards
|
3
|
1983
|
1994
|
|
North Hunterdon
|
2
|
1986
|
1993
|
|
Ridge
|
1
|
2005
|
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