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).
Monday, September 30, 2013
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)
Monday, September 23, 2013
Field hockey: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex rankings
Throw out the records and just play. It's not a mantra that many field hockey teams in the Open Mike area have adopted over the years.
But Warren Hills' field hockey team is doing just that in preparation for another march to the Group 3 final. At 3-3-1 entering the week, coach Laurie Kerr's Blue Streaks are already battle tested with games against Shore Regional (Group 1 power), Bishop Eustace (Group 2 champion in 2012) and Bridgewater-Raritan (eight-time Group 4 runner-up).
"Coach Kerr made these hard games happen, because we want to get better," said Warren Hills junior forward Sydney Muntone, who leads the team with seven goals. "The only way we're going to get better is to play tough teams. It gets you focused on winning."
Warren Hills dropped 2-1 decisions to Bishop Eustace and Bridgewater and also to Skyland Conference Raritan Division rival Voorhees in this early-season gauntlet on the schedule. Saturday's loss to Bridgewater was a hard-fought contest packed with action.
Panthers coach Kathie DeBonis does a great job with the Somerset County program and has beaten Warren Hills in seven of the last eight meetings dating to 2006. A stark contrast from when the Streaks went 17-0-1 against Bridgewater in DeBonis' first nine seasons.
"We set high expectations for our girls," DeBonis said, when asked how the program transformed into one of New Jersey's best year in and year out. "The girls bought into the vision of the program and they're sold on it. They want to be a part of it and we're all on the same page."
Programs in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area should take note. With the impending realignment of the Skyland Conference for 2014-15, in which Voorhees and Warren Hills will no longer be in the same division for some stupid reason as its the best rivalry in three counties, the top teams will struggle to get quality competition in their divisions. Same holds true for the NJAC, where High Point is riding a 43-game win streak in the American Division.
If you want to be the best, schedule the best.
Note: The Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament seeds and pairings will be released some time around mid-week. Check back here for those matchups and a sneak preview. Play-in games are scheduled for this Saturday. Power points will be used for the first time to seed the teams and the cutoff includes Wednesday's games.
Now onto this week's rankings. As promised, there's a whole lotta shakin' going on from six through 10.
1. Hunterdon Central (5-1 ) -- Red Devils are the new No. 1 following their 3-0 week with wins over Pingry (3-2 on Tuesday), Lawrenceville (2-1 on Thursday) and Phillipsburg (1-0 on Saturday). Coach Jenn Sponzo's team has played five one-goal games to start the season and has won four. Junior forward Taylor Barrett had a big week with two goals and three assists, while junior forward Kendall Nickel leads the team in scoring with four goals overall.
Up next: at Watchung Hills on Tuesday; Hillsborough at home on Thursday.
2. South Hunterdon (7-0) -- Eagles move up a spot following their 3-0 week and are off to one of the best starts in program history, one rich with success in Group 1. Wins over North Plainfield (9-0 on Tuesday), Mount St. Mary (3-0 on Thursday) and Stuart Day (7-0 on Friday) followed that big overtime victory against No. 3 Voorhees. Forward Kaycee Zelkovsky is scoring at a record pace with an Open Mike-area best 16 through seven games, including five against North Plainfield and four against Stuart Day. It will be interesting to see where this team falls in the HWS seedings since it plays in the Skyland's lower division.
Up next: Bernards at home on Tuesday; at Franklin on Thursday.
3. Voorhees (5-2) -- Vikings shook up the rankings by beating former No. 1 Warren Hills, 2-1 in overtime last Tuesday at home. Third-year coach Taylor Webb evened her record against the Streaks at 3-3 after the program's second straight win in the series dating to last year. The Hunterdon County school is 30-17-6 vs. Warren Hills since 1975, when the Voorhees opened its doors. Sensational sophomore forward Kathryn Roncoroni scored both of the goals in that one and leads the Vikes with 13 through seven games. She also scored twice in Thursday's 3-0 win over Delaware Valley.
Up next: Phillipsburg at home on Tuesday; at Montgomery on Thursday.
4. Warren Hills (3-3-1) -- Blue Streaks fall three spots following the loss to No. 3 Voorhees last Tuesday in another classic battle in that epic series. Junior midfielder Nikki Profita set up the Streaks' lone goal in the 2-1 loss in overtime, with her assist on the game-tying goal by forward Jessica Nissen in the second half. Freshman forward Dani Profita scored the only goal in the 2-1 loss to Bridgewater. In their only other game last week, Muntone and Nikki Profita connected for a pair of goals in an 8-0 rout of Somerville on Thursday.
Up next: Montgomery at home on Tuesday; at Delaware Valley on Thursday; at Peddie on Saturday.
5. High Point (4-0-1) -- As expected, the Wildcats have clearly established themselves as the top program in Sussex County once again this season. Coach Bev Keur's team rolled to NJAC American Division wins over Mount Olive (3-0 on Tuesday) and Morris Hills (5-0 on Thursday) before playing to a 3-3 tie with Skyland Conference Delaware Division member Pingry on Saturday. Senior forward Brittany DeLima, junior forward Alexis Ambrosino and sophomore forward Maddie Smith scored goals in the draw. 'Cats will almost certainly draw the top seed in the Sussex bracket for the upcoming HWS tourney.
Up next: at Pope John on Monday; Sparta at home on Wednesday; at Montville on Friday.
6. Belvidere (3-2-1) -- County Seaters moving on up after their 2-0-1 week, with wins over North Plainfield (3-1 on Thursday) and Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 8-0 on Saturday. Coach Kristin Gaitan's team also played Franklin to a 1-1 tie last Tuesday in a Skyland Conference Valley Division clash. Forwards Hannah Koch (five goals) and Erin Sassaman (seven assists) are powering the offense. Koch had two goals and three assists against NDES.
Up next: at Mount St. Mary on Tuesday; Bernards at home on Thursday; Lenape Valley at home on Saturday.
7. Lenape Valley (3-1-1) -- Patriots enter the rankings for the first time since the blog was created in 2009. Coach Kate Rothman's program seems to have turned a corner after several tough campaigns, including a 2-15-1 season a year ago. Lenape had five wins total in Rothman's first two seasons, so needless to say this is a major turnaround. A major step was last Monday's 4-0 win over Newton, which the Pats followed up with a 1-0 win over Hackettstown in another NJAC Freedom Division clash before ending the week with a 0-0 tie against Kittatinny in what is shaping up to be a very close division race this year. Junior forward Sally Olson, a captain, scored two goals against Newton, including a penalty stroke.
Up next: Jefferson at home on Tuesday; at North Warren on Thursday; at Belvidere on Saturday.
8. Hackettstown (4-1) -- Tigers also enter the rankings for the first time this season after a 2-1 week, including wins over Jefferson (6-0 last Monday) and North Warren (7-2 on Friday). In between, coach Stephen Speirs' team dropped a 1-0 decision to No. 7 Lenape Valley in an NJAC Freedom Division tilt. Senior forward Kalie Thies scored three goals against North Warren, while totaling three assists in the two victories. Big game on tap with 2012 division champion Parsippany.
Up next: Parsippany at home on Tuesday; Wallkill Valley at home on Thursday.
9. Newton (3-2) -- Braves rebounded from back-to-back losses to Hackettstown and Lenape Valley (4-0 last Monday) with wins over North Warren (4-1 on Wednesday) and Wallkill Valley (2-1 in overtime on Friday). Senior forward Katherine Kellenberger played a big role in both victories -- with a goal and an assist against the Patriots and the game-winner in OT against the Rangers. Goalie Jenna Zawislak has been solid early on with a combined 17 saves in last week's wins.
Up next: at Kittatinny on Tuesday; at Parsippany on Thursday.
10. Sparta (3-1) -- Spartans are the second team to enter the rankings for the first time ever as coach Kristin Savasta's program has taken a major step forward after an 0-16 campaign in 2011. After five wins in her first season a year ago, the Sussex County school is on pace to shatter that mark. Sparta has reeled off three straight wins following a 4-0 loss to No. 9 Newton in the opener -- beating Vernon (2-0 last Tuesday) and Pope John (5-0 last Thursday). Sophomore forward Rhett Curran is powering the offense with two goals and three assists in four games, while sophomore forward Gretchen Bowie leads with three goals.
On the bubble -- Vernon (3-2); Wallkill Valley (3-4).
But Warren Hills' field hockey team is doing just that in preparation for another march to the Group 3 final. At 3-3-1 entering the week, coach Laurie Kerr's Blue Streaks are already battle tested with games against Shore Regional (Group 1 power), Bishop Eustace (Group 2 champion in 2012) and Bridgewater-Raritan (eight-time Group 4 runner-up).
"Coach Kerr made these hard games happen, because we want to get better," said Warren Hills junior forward Sydney Muntone, who leads the team with seven goals. "The only way we're going to get better is to play tough teams. It gets you focused on winning."
Warren Hills dropped 2-1 decisions to Bishop Eustace and Bridgewater and also to Skyland Conference Raritan Division rival Voorhees in this early-season gauntlet on the schedule. Saturday's loss to Bridgewater was a hard-fought contest packed with action.
Panthers coach Kathie DeBonis does a great job with the Somerset County program and has beaten Warren Hills in seven of the last eight meetings dating to 2006. A stark contrast from when the Streaks went 17-0-1 against Bridgewater in DeBonis' first nine seasons.
"We set high expectations for our girls," DeBonis said, when asked how the program transformed into one of New Jersey's best year in and year out. "The girls bought into the vision of the program and they're sold on it. They want to be a part of it and we're all on the same page."
Programs in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area should take note. With the impending realignment of the Skyland Conference for 2014-15, in which Voorhees and Warren Hills will no longer be in the same division for some stupid reason as its the best rivalry in three counties, the top teams will struggle to get quality competition in their divisions. Same holds true for the NJAC, where High Point is riding a 43-game win streak in the American Division.
If you want to be the best, schedule the best.
Note: The Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament seeds and pairings will be released some time around mid-week. Check back here for those matchups and a sneak preview. Play-in games are scheduled for this Saturday. Power points will be used for the first time to seed the teams and the cutoff includes Wednesday's games.
Now onto this week's rankings. As promised, there's a whole lotta shakin' going on from six through 10.
1. Hunterdon Central (5-1 ) -- Red Devils are the new No. 1 following their 3-0 week with wins over Pingry (3-2 on Tuesday), Lawrenceville (2-1 on Thursday) and Phillipsburg (1-0 on Saturday). Coach Jenn Sponzo's team has played five one-goal games to start the season and has won four. Junior forward Taylor Barrett had a big week with two goals and three assists, while junior forward Kendall Nickel leads the team in scoring with four goals overall.
Up next: at Watchung Hills on Tuesday; Hillsborough at home on Thursday.
2. South Hunterdon (7-0) -- Eagles move up a spot following their 3-0 week and are off to one of the best starts in program history, one rich with success in Group 1. Wins over North Plainfield (9-0 on Tuesday), Mount St. Mary (3-0 on Thursday) and Stuart Day (7-0 on Friday) followed that big overtime victory against No. 3 Voorhees. Forward Kaycee Zelkovsky is scoring at a record pace with an Open Mike-area best 16 through seven games, including five against North Plainfield and four against Stuart Day. It will be interesting to see where this team falls in the HWS seedings since it plays in the Skyland's lower division.
Up next: Bernards at home on Tuesday; at Franklin on Thursday.
3. Voorhees (5-2) -- Vikings shook up the rankings by beating former No. 1 Warren Hills, 2-1 in overtime last Tuesday at home. Third-year coach Taylor Webb evened her record against the Streaks at 3-3 after the program's second straight win in the series dating to last year. The Hunterdon County school is 30-17-6 vs. Warren Hills since 1975, when the Voorhees opened its doors. Sensational sophomore forward Kathryn Roncoroni scored both of the goals in that one and leads the Vikes with 13 through seven games. She also scored twice in Thursday's 3-0 win over Delaware Valley.
Up next: Phillipsburg at home on Tuesday; at Montgomery on Thursday.
4. Warren Hills (3-3-1) -- Blue Streaks fall three spots following the loss to No. 3 Voorhees last Tuesday in another classic battle in that epic series. Junior midfielder Nikki Profita set up the Streaks' lone goal in the 2-1 loss in overtime, with her assist on the game-tying goal by forward Jessica Nissen in the second half. Freshman forward Dani Profita scored the only goal in the 2-1 loss to Bridgewater. In their only other game last week, Muntone and Nikki Profita connected for a pair of goals in an 8-0 rout of Somerville on Thursday.
Up next: Montgomery at home on Tuesday; at Delaware Valley on Thursday; at Peddie on Saturday.
5. High Point (4-0-1) -- As expected, the Wildcats have clearly established themselves as the top program in Sussex County once again this season. Coach Bev Keur's team rolled to NJAC American Division wins over Mount Olive (3-0 on Tuesday) and Morris Hills (5-0 on Thursday) before playing to a 3-3 tie with Skyland Conference Delaware Division member Pingry on Saturday. Senior forward Brittany DeLima, junior forward Alexis Ambrosino and sophomore forward Maddie Smith scored goals in the draw. 'Cats will almost certainly draw the top seed in the Sussex bracket for the upcoming HWS tourney.
Up next: at Pope John on Monday; Sparta at home on Wednesday; at Montville on Friday.
6. Belvidere (3-2-1) -- County Seaters moving on up after their 2-0-1 week, with wins over North Plainfield (3-1 on Thursday) and Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 8-0 on Saturday. Coach Kristin Gaitan's team also played Franklin to a 1-1 tie last Tuesday in a Skyland Conference Valley Division clash. Forwards Hannah Koch (five goals) and Erin Sassaman (seven assists) are powering the offense. Koch had two goals and three assists against NDES.
Up next: at Mount St. Mary on Tuesday; Bernards at home on Thursday; Lenape Valley at home on Saturday.
7. Lenape Valley (3-1-1) -- Patriots enter the rankings for the first time since the blog was created in 2009. Coach Kate Rothman's program seems to have turned a corner after several tough campaigns, including a 2-15-1 season a year ago. Lenape had five wins total in Rothman's first two seasons, so needless to say this is a major turnaround. A major step was last Monday's 4-0 win over Newton, which the Pats followed up with a 1-0 win over Hackettstown in another NJAC Freedom Division clash before ending the week with a 0-0 tie against Kittatinny in what is shaping up to be a very close division race this year. Junior forward Sally Olson, a captain, scored two goals against Newton, including a penalty stroke.
Up next: Jefferson at home on Tuesday; at North Warren on Thursday; at Belvidere on Saturday.
8. Hackettstown (4-1) -- Tigers also enter the rankings for the first time this season after a 2-1 week, including wins over Jefferson (6-0 last Monday) and North Warren (7-2 on Friday). In between, coach Stephen Speirs' team dropped a 1-0 decision to No. 7 Lenape Valley in an NJAC Freedom Division tilt. Senior forward Kalie Thies scored three goals against North Warren, while totaling three assists in the two victories. Big game on tap with 2012 division champion Parsippany.
Up next: Parsippany at home on Tuesday; Wallkill Valley at home on Thursday.
9. Newton (3-2) -- Braves rebounded from back-to-back losses to Hackettstown and Lenape Valley (4-0 last Monday) with wins over North Warren (4-1 on Wednesday) and Wallkill Valley (2-1 in overtime on Friday). Senior forward Katherine Kellenberger played a big role in both victories -- with a goal and an assist against the Patriots and the game-winner in OT against the Rangers. Goalie Jenna Zawislak has been solid early on with a combined 17 saves in last week's wins.
Up next: at Kittatinny on Tuesday; at Parsippany on Thursday.
10. Sparta (3-1) -- Spartans are the second team to enter the rankings for the first time ever as coach Kristin Savasta's program has taken a major step forward after an 0-16 campaign in 2011. After five wins in her first season a year ago, the Sussex County school is on pace to shatter that mark. Sparta has reeled off three straight wins following a 4-0 loss to No. 9 Newton in the opener -- beating Vernon (2-0 last Tuesday) and Pope John (5-0 last Thursday). Sophomore forward Rhett Curran is powering the offense with two goals and three assists in four games, while sophomore forward Gretchen Bowie leads with three goals.
On the bubble -- Vernon (3-2); Wallkill Valley (3-4).