Field hockey: Wallkill ends HP streak, PJ wins

It was a long time in the making, but Wallkill Valley's field hockey team extended its win streak against Sussex County rival High Point with Friday night's 1-0 win in the annual Play Pink game under the lights at Arthur Smith Stadium in Wantage.

Wallkill Valley (12-5-2) has won the last two meetings in the series, including a 2-1 win at High Point in the previous matchup on Sept. 25, 2009. The Wildcats (16-2-1) saw their 11-game win streak snapped with the loss -- their first this month and first since a 4-0 setback against Pingry on Sept. 22.

The two schools met annually as members of the former Sussex County Interscholastic League. The SCIL folded after the 2008 season, and both schools joined the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference for 2009.

The 'Cats won the last SCIL contest, 1-0, on Nov. 4, 2008. High Point also earned a 3-2 win in the first meeting that season.

Olivia Ganz popped in the decisive goal in the first half off a feed from Emma Chick, and stalwart Rangers goalie Emily Stukenborg made 20 saves for her 11th shutout this season.

'Cats senior Darby Smith was held without a goal or an assist for just the fourth time in 19 games.

High Point must regroup in a hurry as it takes on Voorhees in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament championship game on Saturday. Game time is 4 p.m. at Hackettstown High School.

No. 6 seed Wallkill Valley hosts No. 11 Westwood in the North 1, Group 2 playoffs on Saturday.

In state playoff action on Friday:

Pope John 3, River Dell 0 -- Senior forward Rachel Spetz scored a goal and assisted on another as the No. 7 seed Lions (11-5-2) ran their win streak to four in a row in the opening round of the North 1, Group 2 playoffs. Senior forward Lydia Hoff scored two goals and goalie Sam Scalabrini recorded her seventh shutout and third in a row. First-year coach Gina DiMaio guided PJ, which has won seven of its last eight, to its first state win since the school's 6-0 win over River Dell in 2009. That Lions team eventually lost to West Essex in the semifinals. Pope John will travel to No. 2 seed Parsippany for a quarterfinal matchup on Thursday.

South Hunterdon 2, Koinonia 0 -- Kaycee Zelkovsky scored both goals -- raising her HWS leading total to 29 -- as the fourth-seeded Eagles (14-5-1) advanced to the North 2, Group 1 quarterfinals to face No. 4 Keyport on Wednesday.

Morristown-Beard 4, North Warren 0 -- Jessica Wright scored a pair of goals for No. 7 Mo-Beard as No. 10 North Warren (3-15) dropped its first-round game in North 1, Group 1.