HARDYSTON TWP. -- Score one for the Wallkill Valley field hockey team's offense. Make that four.
Sophomore forward Leah Struble knocked in a pair of second-half goals to put the finishing touches on the Rangers' 4-0 victory over Pequannock on Thursday in the opening round of the NJSIAA North 1, Group 1 playoffs at Sisco Field.
Wallkill Valley (9-11), the No. 5 seed, advances to meet No. 4 Mountain Lakes in the quarterfinals on Tuesday. The Rangers have won three in a row following a six-game losing skid, including wins over Hackettstown (1-0 on Oct. 22) and Lenape Valley (2-0 on Oct. 24).
Lenape Valley (14-5-1), which is the top seed in this section, dropped both regular-season meetings against Wallkill Valley, which also earned a 1-0 win in Stanhope on Sept. 30 in an NJAC Freedom Division clash. The Rangers would love a third meeting in the sectional semifinals.
"We really want to play Lenape Valley again," said senior forward Casey Pustelniak, who gave the Rangers a 2-0 lead against No. 12 seed Pequannock (2-15) with the first of the team's three second-half goals.
Wallkill Valley, which has won four of its last five opening-round playoff games and last reached the semifinals in 2010, is the last team from Sussex County to win a sectional title -- capturing its seventh in 2006. Scoring goals has been a major issue for coach Irene Chernati's teams the last few years as it entered Thursday with a season total of 23 in 19 games.
Senior forward Barbara Hannan gave the Rangers an early lead with her fourth goal off a feed from Erica McNulty with 20:26 left in the first half. That's all a stout defense, led by backs Casey Murphy and Megan Good, needed in pitching its eighth shutout and third straight. First-year goalie Merinda Gruszecki faced just one shot-on-goal.
Pustelniak, who leads Wallkill with 14 goals, made it a two-goal advantage by flicking in a perfect pass from senior midfielder Emma Chick at the left post during one of the Rangers' 14 second-half penalty corners. Struble connected off another corner just over five minutes later on a nice redirect from Hannan and for all intents and purposes the game was over.
It was the fourth time this season that Wallkill collected four goals in a game -- the others in wins over Mount Olive (4-0 on Sept. 9), Jefferson (4-1 on Sept. 18) and North Warren (4-0 on Sept. 24).
"It felt good [to score]. Once we get them in, they keep coming," Hannan said. "We have a lot of games where we can't get them in."
Wallkill Valley had some great opportunities to put this one out of reach in the first half. But credit Pequannock's tenacious circle defense and goalie Kaitlin Natoli for keeping the game within reach until Pustelniak triggered a three-goal run. The Rangers finished with lopsided edges in shots (18-1) and corners (19-4).
Pequannock (2-15) 0 0 -- 0
Wallkill Valley (9-11) 1 3 -- 4
Scoring
First half -- WV, Barbara Hannan, 4th, (Erica McNulty), 20:26.
Second half -- WV, Casey Pustelniak, 14th, (Emma Chick), 20:07; WV, Leah Struble, 3rd, (Hannan), 14:43; WV, Struble, 4th, 9:32.
Shots -- Pequannock 1; Wallkill Valley 18.
Saves -- Kaitlin Natoli 14, Alyson McMahon 0 (P); Merinda Gruszecki 1 (WV).
Penalty corners -- Pequannock 4; Wallkill Valley 19.
Officials -- Laura McCarthy and Sherry Shortway.
Elsewhere in playoff action involving Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex teams:
Voorhees 2, Hackettstown 0 -- Sophomore Kathryn Roncoroni and senior Ashley Kerekgyarto scored to lift fourth-seeded Voorhees in a North 2, Group 2 quarterfinal in Lebanon Township. The Vikings (16-4), who have won three in a row and seven of their last eight, advance to meet either top-seeded Parsippany or No. 8 Summit in next Thursday's semifinals. Roncoroni leads Voorhees with 29 goals and is four shy of matching the school record set by Colleen Boyce (33 in 2010). Goalie Lauren Pianucci made two saves for the Hunterdon County school's ninth shutout. The fifth-seeded Tigers, who made their third straight first-round exit, finish their season at 12-8. Sophomore goalie Rose Bishop made 14 saves in the loss. The Warren County school, now 1-4 in sectional games during fourth-year coach Stephen Speirs' tenure, last earned a postseason win -- 4-1 at River Dell -- in the first round of the 2010 North 1, Group 2 playoffs.
Newton 6, North Warren 0 -- Sophomore forward Emily Weiss scored three goals and junior goalie Jenna Zawislak recorded her fifth shutout as the seventh-seeded Braves (7-12-1) snapped a three-game skid and advanced in the North 1, Group 1 playoffs to face No. 2 Westwood on Tuesday. Senior forward Katherine Kellenberger scored two goals -- her team-leading 11th and 12th. The 10th-seeded Patriots finish 4-14-2, including three losses to Newton, which posted wins of 4-1 and 1-0 in two NJAC Freedom Division contests. North Warren is now 0-5 against the Sussex County school since joining the conference in 2012 and has been outscored 19-1 in those meetings.
Boonton 4, Belvidere 0 -- Goalie Maddie Beaumont made 14 saves as the ninth-seeded County Seaters fell in the opening round of the North 1, Group 1 playoffs in Boonton. Belvidere ends its season at 6-10-3. Maddy Leva scored a pair of goals for No. 8 Boonton (10-9), which advances to meet No. 1 Lenape Valley in Tuesday's quarterfinals. Belvidere is now 0-5 in sectional games under fifth-year coach Kristin Gaitan and the Warren County school has not won a state playoff game since capturing a sectional title in 1996 -- going 0-8 from 2003-13 and missing the postseason from 1997-02 when teams needed a .500 record to qualify.
Rumson 2, Delaware Valley 0 -- Goalie Morgan Davies made 13 saves for No. 8 seed Delaware Valley in a North 2, Group 2 quarterfinal loss. Del Val saw its four-game win streak end as it finished the season at 9-10-1, its most wins since going 9-12 in 2009 after the program's last 10-win season in '08. No. 1 Rumson (17-1-1) advances to meet either No. 5 Matawan or No. 4 Johnson in next Thursday's semifinals.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Field hockey: Sectional tournament schedule (HWS)
Thursday, Oct. 31
(All games at 2 p.m.)
North 1, Group 1
Pequannock at Wallkill Valley
North Warren at Newton
Belvidere at Boonton
North 1, Group 2
Hackettstown at Voorhees
North 2, Group 2
Delaware Valley at Rumson
Friday, Nov. 1
North 1, Group 2
Ramsey at High Point, 2 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 2
North 1, Group 3
Sparta at Wayne Valley, 2 p.m.
North 2, Group 3
Princeton at Warren Hills, 4 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 4
(Both games at 2 p.m.)
North 2, Group 4
Hillsborough at Hunterdon Central
North 1, Group 4
North Hunterdon at Morris Knolls
Tuesday, Nov. 5
(All games at 2 p.m.)
North 1, Group 1
Boonton at Lenape Valley
Wallkill Valley at Mountain Lakes
Whippany Park at Kittatinny
Newton at Westwood
North 2, Group 1
Bernards at South Hunterdon
Thursday, Nov. 7
North 1, Group 2
Voorhees at Parsippany, 11 a.m.
High Point at West Essex, noon
North 2, Group 3
Morristown at Warren Hills, 11 a.m.
Friday, Nov. 8
(Semifinals)
North 1, Group 1
Mountain Lakes at Lenape Valley, 2 p.m.
Newton at Whippany Park, noon
North 2, Group 4
West Windsor South at Hunterdon Central, 10 a.m.
(All games at 2 p.m.)
North 1, Group 1
Pequannock at Wallkill Valley
North Warren at Newton
Belvidere at Boonton
North 1, Group 2
Hackettstown at Voorhees
North 2, Group 2
Delaware Valley at Rumson
Friday, Nov. 1
North 1, Group 2
Ramsey at High Point, 2 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 2
North 1, Group 3
Sparta at Wayne Valley, 2 p.m.
North 2, Group 3
Princeton at Warren Hills, 4 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 4
(Both games at 2 p.m.)
North 2, Group 4
Hillsborough at Hunterdon Central
North 1, Group 4
North Hunterdon at Morris Knolls
Tuesday, Nov. 5
(All games at 2 p.m.)
North 1, Group 1
Boonton at Lenape Valley
Wallkill Valley at Mountain Lakes
Whippany Park at Kittatinny
Newton at Westwood
North 2, Group 1
Bernards at South Hunterdon
Thursday, Nov. 7
North 1, Group 2
Voorhees at Parsippany, 11 a.m.
High Point at West Essex, noon
North 2, Group 3
Morristown at Warren Hills, 11 a.m.
Friday, Nov. 8
(Semifinals)
North 1, Group 1
Mountain Lakes at Lenape Valley, 2 p.m.
Newton at Whippany Park, noon
North 2, Group 4
West Windsor South at Hunterdon Central, 10 a.m.
Field hockey: P'burg falls; Lions pull upset in playoffs
RANDOLPH -- To its credit, Phillipsburg's field hockey team kept battling to the final whistle in a disappointing season that ended with a 4-0 loss to Randolph on Wednesday in the opening round of the NJSIAA North 1, Group 4 playoffs at John DaSilva Memorial Field.
The Stateliners wrap up the year at 2-13-2 -- the program's fourth losing campaign in the last seven years and just the 11th in 52 seasons overall. It also was P'burg's lowest wins total since going 0-7-2 in the first season under legendary coach Ruth Gibbs, who started the program in 1962.
"They played hard the whole season," said third-year P'burg coach Jennifer Paulus, whose team trailed 3-0 at halftime and gave up two goals on penalty strokes in the loss. "[Randolph] is a good team with a lot of speed and we gave up two goals on strokes. My defense played well."
Randolph (9-8-1), the No. 6 seed which advances to meet No. 3 Ridge in Monday's quarterfinals, struck first on a penalty stroke by senior forward Lindsey Klein, her team-leading 17th goal. Freshman forward Taralyn Naslonski made it a 2-0 lead when she converted for her 16th goal off a nice crossing pass to left side from junior forward Kelly O'Neill.
The Rams tacked on one more with 28 seconds the half, as O'Neill connected for her ninth goal.
Phillipsburg, the No. 11 seed, managed just one shot-on-goal in the first half, but nearly connected with 10:25 left with a blast off the pads of Randolph goalie Courtney Calantone.
The game was marred by five cards -- two green and three yellow -- with one foul being called on the Stateliners (a green on junior midfielder Viktoria Schultz for not being five yards on defense). The Rams played a man down on four occasions, three times for not being five yards and another for pushing with 1:55 left in the game. In addition, P'burg also lost senior back Sara Solimani with an apparent head injury after a nasty collision with a defender with 7:19 left in the first half. It was a scary scene as Solimani collapsed to the turf and did not return.
Paulus made some adjustments to her lineup to try and contain Naslonski, a speedy center midfielder.
"Vikki Schultz played a really hard game and we moved [sophomore center midfielder] Lacy O'Dowd to right back," Paulus said. "We put [junior back] Emily DiMarco at center mid to showcase her defensive skills. We wanted to get a beefier defense against [Naslonski]."
But the story once again for P'burg, which started six seniors, was its inability to put the ball in the cage. The 'Liners managed just eight goals all season -- scoring just once all season at home in a 6-1 loss to Voorhees in the season opener on Sept. 6 and recording just two goals during an eight-game losing streak to finish the season. Senior left inner Marissa Perino led the team with four goals.
"We were too much passing instead of going to goal," said Paulus, whose teams have dropped back-to-back first-round playoff games since reaching the sectional semifinals in 2011. "Randolph was all over us man-to-man. You've got to have confidence to take shots."
P'burg, which won the last of its four sectional titles in 1999, picked it up in the second half and was awarded eight penalty corners to none for Randolph. The 'Liners finished with a 10-1 edge on corners.
But senior midfielder Marley Bracklemanns capped the scoring by converting Randolph's second penalty stroke -- a rocket into the right corner past junior goalie Rachael Horun, who made eight saves in the loss.
"I think we played better in the second half and we got about nine seniors into the game," Paulus said. "We've struggled so much putting the ball in the cage."
Phillipsburg (2-13-2) 0 0 -- 0
Randolph (9-8-1) 3 1 -- 4
Scoring
First half -- R, Lindsey Klein, 17th, (penalty stroke), 27:38; R, Taralyn Naslonski, 16th, (Kelly O'Neill), 19:14; R, O'Neill, 9th, 0:28.
Second half -- R, Marley Bracklemanns, 2nd, (penalty stroke), 15:43.
Shots -- Phillipsburg 3; Randolph 12.
Saves -- Rachael Horun 8 (P); Courtney Calantone 3 (R).
Penalty corners -- Phillipsburg 10; Randolph 1.
Elsewhere in North 1, Group 4:
North Hunterdon 2, Columbia 1 -- Junior forward Jamie Ruggiero scored a pair of goals -- her third and fourth of the season -- as the 12th-seeded Lions upset the No. 5 seed in the opening round. North Hunterdon (2-14-1) snapped an eight-game losing streak with its first win since Sept. 10 (1-0 over Watchung Hills) and its first state playoff win since 2009 (3-2 in OT over Ridge in the North 1, Group 4 quarterfinals).
Junior Grace Plassche and senior Jenn Coronato had assists in Wednesday's win, as North advances to meet No. 4 seed Morris Knolls in Monday's quarterfinals. First-year Lions coach Suzanne Toke inherited a program that finished 0-17-1 in 2012. North had scored just eight goals all season and only two in their previous 10 games.
The Stateliners wrap up the year at 2-13-2 -- the program's fourth losing campaign in the last seven years and just the 11th in 52 seasons overall. It also was P'burg's lowest wins total since going 0-7-2 in the first season under legendary coach Ruth Gibbs, who started the program in 1962.
"They played hard the whole season," said third-year P'burg coach Jennifer Paulus, whose team trailed 3-0 at halftime and gave up two goals on penalty strokes in the loss. "[Randolph] is a good team with a lot of speed and we gave up two goals on strokes. My defense played well."
Randolph (9-8-1), the No. 6 seed which advances to meet No. 3 Ridge in Monday's quarterfinals, struck first on a penalty stroke by senior forward Lindsey Klein, her team-leading 17th goal. Freshman forward Taralyn Naslonski made it a 2-0 lead when she converted for her 16th goal off a nice crossing pass to left side from junior forward Kelly O'Neill.
The Rams tacked on one more with 28 seconds the half, as O'Neill connected for her ninth goal.
Phillipsburg, the No. 11 seed, managed just one shot-on-goal in the first half, but nearly connected with 10:25 left with a blast off the pads of Randolph goalie Courtney Calantone.
The game was marred by five cards -- two green and three yellow -- with one foul being called on the Stateliners (a green on junior midfielder Viktoria Schultz for not being five yards on defense). The Rams played a man down on four occasions, three times for not being five yards and another for pushing with 1:55 left in the game. In addition, P'burg also lost senior back Sara Solimani with an apparent head injury after a nasty collision with a defender with 7:19 left in the first half. It was a scary scene as Solimani collapsed to the turf and did not return.
Paulus made some adjustments to her lineup to try and contain Naslonski, a speedy center midfielder.
"Vikki Schultz played a really hard game and we moved [sophomore center midfielder] Lacy O'Dowd to right back," Paulus said. "We put [junior back] Emily DiMarco at center mid to showcase her defensive skills. We wanted to get a beefier defense against [Naslonski]."
But the story once again for P'burg, which started six seniors, was its inability to put the ball in the cage. The 'Liners managed just eight goals all season -- scoring just once all season at home in a 6-1 loss to Voorhees in the season opener on Sept. 6 and recording just two goals during an eight-game losing streak to finish the season. Senior left inner Marissa Perino led the team with four goals.
"We were too much passing instead of going to goal," said Paulus, whose teams have dropped back-to-back first-round playoff games since reaching the sectional semifinals in 2011. "Randolph was all over us man-to-man. You've got to have confidence to take shots."
P'burg, which won the last of its four sectional titles in 1999, picked it up in the second half and was awarded eight penalty corners to none for Randolph. The 'Liners finished with a 10-1 edge on corners.
But senior midfielder Marley Bracklemanns capped the scoring by converting Randolph's second penalty stroke -- a rocket into the right corner past junior goalie Rachael Horun, who made eight saves in the loss.
"I think we played better in the second half and we got about nine seniors into the game," Paulus said. "We've struggled so much putting the ball in the cage."
Phillipsburg (2-13-2) 0 0 -- 0
Randolph (9-8-1) 3 1 -- 4
Scoring
First half -- R, Lindsey Klein, 17th, (penalty stroke), 27:38; R, Taralyn Naslonski, 16th, (Kelly O'Neill), 19:14; R, O'Neill, 9th, 0:28.
Second half -- R, Marley Bracklemanns, 2nd, (penalty stroke), 15:43.
Shots -- Phillipsburg 3; Randolph 12.
Saves -- Rachael Horun 8 (P); Courtney Calantone 3 (R).
Penalty corners -- Phillipsburg 10; Randolph 1.
Elsewhere in North 1, Group 4:
North Hunterdon 2, Columbia 1 -- Junior forward Jamie Ruggiero scored a pair of goals -- her third and fourth of the season -- as the 12th-seeded Lions upset the No. 5 seed in the opening round. North Hunterdon (2-14-1) snapped an eight-game losing streak with its first win since Sept. 10 (1-0 over Watchung Hills) and its first state playoff win since 2009 (3-2 in OT over Ridge in the North 1, Group 4 quarterfinals).
Junior Grace Plassche and senior Jenn Coronato had assists in Wednesday's win, as North advances to meet No. 4 seed Morris Knolls in Monday's quarterfinals. First-year Lions coach Suzanne Toke inherited a program that finished 0-17-1 in 2012. North had scored just eight goals all season and only two in their previous 10 games.
Skyland Conference realignment for 2014-16
I'm a little late in the game on this, but here's the official Skyland Conference realignment for baseball, field hockey and wrestling for the 2014-15 and 2015-16 school years.
There are plenty of mixed feelings on the realignment -- which occurs every two years -- in all three sports. My personal feeling is that football has been destroyed in this state with realignment by group size and the advent of the Mid-State 38 and the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference in our area.
Rivalries in football and other sports are dying off left and right, I mean, is anyone getting jacked up to see Warren Hills play Scotch Plains or High Point take on Mount Olive in football? Judging by the 20 or so people in the stands for some of these games, I'd say no.
In field hockey, we are lucky in this area to have one of the best rivalries in all of New Jersey with Voorhees and Warren Hills. Each year, these two schools battle at least twice in the Raritan Division and on occasion a third time in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament.
But next year, the two state powers will reside in different divisions -- Warren Hills in the Raritan and Voorhees in the Valley. Now what sense does that make? Sports are all about rivalries and realignment is ruining one of the best in the sport. Both coaches -- Warren Hills' Laurie Kerr and Voorhees' Taylor Webb have said their teams will meet once in the 2014 regular season, but who knows what the future holds.
In wrestling, I feel the powers that be did an excellent job in realigning the divisions, that for the most part take in consideration geography and competitive balance. Most of the Raritan Division schools are none to happy about Bound Brook moving in from the small-school Valley Division, but you'd rather see the Crusaders matching up against Phillipsburg and Hunterdon Central than Bernards and North Plainfield, which are nowhere near that level and are just trying to maintain programs.
What realignment has done on the mats is create arguably the toughest single division of any conference in New Jersey. This grouping on its own is a stellar conference and puts many to shame.
What realignment has done on the mats is create arguably the toughest single division of any conference in New Jersey. This grouping on its own is a stellar conference and puts many to shame.
Over on the baseball side, we saw some battles in the Raritan Division last year under the current alignment of Delaware Valley, Somerville, Warren Hills, Voorhees, Ridge and Franklin, and in previous years with Pingry and North Plainfield among this group.
While the division doesn't drastically change for 2015, add in Bernards and Rutgers Prep and take out Ridge and Franklin, Blue Streaks coach Mike Quinto would like to see the Raritan remain as is. It certainly is a far cry better than when Warren Hills was in the bigger division with powers Hunterdon Central, Immaculata and Watchung Hills.
"We've had a competitive baseball division the last couple of years. Almost anybody can win it," said Quinto, whose 2010 team went 2-14 in divisional play. "When we played with the big boys, we had some good teams and we struggled. This [current setup] is competitive for the most part. All the teams can beat each other on any given day."
That was supposed to be the goal of Skyland Conference realignment. Strike competitive balance and consider geography in the process. In this era of budget cuts, some of these divisions make absolutely ZERO sense. Why don't Phillipsburg and Warren Hills, for example, reside in the same division? It's stupid in turn to make them go to Hillsborough or Bernards.
It is what it is for the next two years. Hopefully, brighter minds will prevail for the next round in 2016-18.
(Note: There are crossovers between the Delaware and Raritan divisions and the Valley and Mountain divisions in field hockey and only between the Delaware and Raritan in baseball. There are no crossovers in wrestling, all division teams wrestle each other one time).
Baseball
|
|||
Delaware
|
Raritan
|
Valley
|
Mountain
|
Bridgewater
|
Franklin
|
Bernards
|
Belvidere
|
Hillsborough
|
Montgomery
|
Delaware Valley
|
Bound Brook
|
Hunterdon Central
|
North Hunterdon
|
Rutgers Prep
|
Gill St. Bernard's
|
Immaculata
|
Phillipsburg
|
Somerville
|
Manville
|
Watchung Hills
|
Ridge
|
Voorhees
|
North Plainfield
|
Warren Hills
|
Pingry
|
||
South Hunterdon
|
|||
Field Hockey
|
|||
Delaware
|
Raritan
|
Valley
|
Mountain
|
Bridgewater
|
Montgomery
|
Bernards
|
Belvidere
|
Hillsborough
|
North Hunterdon
|
Delaware Valley
|
Mount St. Mary
|
Hunterdon Central
|
Phillipsburg
|
Franklin
|
North Plainfield
|
Pingry
|
Warren Hills
|
Somerville
|
South Hunterdon
|
Ridge
|
Watchung Hills
|
Voorhees
|
|
Wrestling
|
|||
Delaware
|
Raritan
|
Valley
|
|
Bridgewater
|
Bound Brook
|
Belvidere
|
|
Franklin
|
Delaware Valley
|
Bernards
|
|
Hillsborough
|
Hunt. Central
|
Manville
|
|
Montgomery
|
North Hunterdon
|
North Plainfield
|
|
Ridge
|
Phillipsburg
|
Pingry
|
|
Somerville
|
Voorhees
|
Rutgers Prep
|
|
Watchung Hills
|
Warren Hills
|
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Field hockey: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex standings
(Through Oct. 29)
|
Skyland Conference
|
|||
|
Delaware Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
x-Bridgewater-Raritan
|
(16-2)
|
(11-1)
|
|
|
Hunterdon Central
|
(15-6)
|
(10-2)
|
|
|
Ridge
|
(13-8)
|
(8-4)
|
|
|
Pingry
|
(6-11-1)
|
(6-6)
|
|
|
Hillsborough
|
(6-13)
|
(4-8)
|
|
|
Watchung Hills
|
(3-14-2)
|
(1-10-1)
|
|
|
North Hunterdon
|
(1-14-1)
|
(1-10-1)
|
|
|
Raritan Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
y-Voorhees
|
(15-4)
|
(9-1)
|
|
|
y-Warren Hills
|
(17-3-1)
|
(9-1)
|
|
|
Montgomery
|
(9-9-1)
|
(5-5)
|
|
|
Delaware Valley
|
(9-9-1)
|
(4-5-1)
|
|
|
Phillipsburg
|
(2-12-2)
|
(1-7-2)
|
|
|
Somerville
|
(1-17-3)
|
(0-9-1)
|
|
|
Valley Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
y-South Hunterdon
|
(15-3)
|
(9-1)
|
|
|
y-Bernards
|
(15-4)
|
(9-1)
|
|
|
Mount Saint Mary
|
(12-7-1)
|
(5-5)
|
|
|
Belvidere
|
(6-9-3)
|
(4-5-1)
|
|
|
Franklin
|
(8-9-2)
|
(2-7-1)
|
|
|
North Plainfield
|
(0-15-1)
|
(0-10)
|
|
|
Northwest Jersey
Athletic Conference
|
|||
|
Freedom Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
x-Parsippany
|
(17-1)
|
(14-0)
|
|
|
Lenape Valley
|
(13-5-1)
|
(9-4-1)
|
|
|
Kittatinny
|
(8-7-3)
|
(7-5-2)
|
|
|
Hackettstown
|
(12-7)
|
(8-6)
|
|
|
Wallkill Valley
|
(8-11)
|
(6-8)
|
|
|
Newton
|
(6-12-1)
|
(4-9-1)
|
|
|
Jefferson
|
(3-12-2)
|
(3-9-2)
|
|
|
North Warren
|
(4-13-2)
|
(1-11-2)
|
|
|
American Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
x-High Point
|
(15-1-3)
|
(13-0-1)
|
|
|
Morris Knolls
|
(11-6-1)
|
(10-3)
|
|
|
Sparta
|
(11-7-1)
|
(9-4-1)
|
|
|
Montville
|
(9-9)
|
(8-6)
|
|
|
Vernon
|
(10-9)
|
(7-7)
|
|
|
Mount Olive
|
(5-12-1)
|
(3-10)
|
|
|
Morris Hills
|
(4-15)
|
(3-11)
|
|
|
Pope John
|
(1-17)
|
(1-13)
|
|
|
x-division champion
|
|||
|
y-co-division champion
|
|||
Monday, October 28, 2013
Field hockey: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex rankings
State tournament time is at last upon us. Why the NJSIAA only counts the first 13 games yet has a cutoff date of Oct. 23 is one of those mysteries of life.
Regardless, the regular season was capped with No. 1 Warren Hills winning a record three Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex titles on Saturday by posting a 1-0 win over No. 5 Hackettstown on the turf at Morrison Field.
There was a time when the Blue Streaks couldn't buy a county championship -- dropping all five of their finals appearances in the former Hunterdon-Warren Tournament. Coach Laurie Kerr's program shared the first HWS title with Newton in 2009 (the final was never played) and beat High Point for the 2011 title.
"Hopefully this is the start of a complete season to the finish line," Kerr said.
Warren Hills (16-3-1) certainly has bigger fish to fry with the ultimate goal of winning a Group 3 title which has eluded the Warren County school in six previous trips to the state finals. They'll need to be at full strength, as talented freshman forward Dani Profita was slowed in the HWS final after taking a stick below her right knee that required a few stitches after to fix. Profita gave a gutsy effort and remained in the game for several minutes before coming off for medical attention. She ultimately returned, but was limping throughout the remainder of the game.
Credit Hackettstown (12-7) for giving a hard-nosed effort in the loss. The Tigers were overwhelming underdogs and will use this loss a major confidence booster heading into a first-round showdown with No. 2 Voorhees in a tough North 1, Group 2 bracket that includes No. 7 High Point as the No. 3 seed and defending champion West Essex as the No. 2 seed. Parsippany (17-1), which owns two wins over Hackettstown, is the top seed.
"Next year, we want to be back in the championship game," Hackettstown coach Stephen Speirs said after the loss to Warren Hills.
One thing both Kerr and Speirs agreed on, along with several others I polled, is that the county semifinals should also be played on turf. If this is a tournament to be showcased, it's a disservice to the athletes to not play these important games on turf.
"When you have a turf field, you can do so many more skills," Kerr said. "That's why in [NCAA] Division I hockey, you aren't allowed to touch a blade of grass. The competition is great and the skill level is getting better."
Lenape Valley drew the No. 1 seed for the North 1, Group 1 playoffs as the Patriots seek the program's third sectional title and first since 1990. No Sussex County school has won a championship -- 38 for the county overall -- since High Point claimed the North 1, Group 3 crown in 2006.
Now onto the final set of rankings for the regular season:
1. Warren Hills (16-3-1) -- Blue Streaks capped a 3-0 week with a 1-0 victory over No. 5 Hackettstown on Saturday to claim the program's third Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex title. Junior midfielder Nikki Profita scored the winning goal and was named the tournament's MVP. Profita opened the week by scoring three goals in a 4-0 win over co-Skyland Conference Valley Division champion Bernards and had a goal and an assist in a 6-0 shutout of Pingry on Thursday. Coach Laurie Kerr's team can earn a share of the Raritan Division title with a win over Somerville on Tuesday.
Up next: Somerville at home on Tuesday; Princeton at home on Saturday in North 2, Group 3 playoffs.
2. Voorhees (14-4) -- Light week for the Vikings, who posted a 2-0 win over Ridge in a Skyland Conference crossover game on Thursday. Senior forward Ashley Kerekgyarto and sophomore midfielder Isabelle Houser scored the goals, while senior goalie Lauren Pianucci faced just one shot in recording the Hunterdon County school's seventh shutout. Coach Taylor Webb's team drew the No. 4 seed and will host Hackettstown in the opening round of the North 1, Group 2 playoffs.
Up next: at Hunterdon Central on Tuesday; Hackettstown at home on Friday in the North 1, Group 2 playoffs.
3. South Hunterdon (15-3) -- Eagles had a short week, posting a 1-0 win in overtime against Montgomery on Tuesday in a Skyland Conference crossover game. Senior forward Amber Dey scored the goal, while senior goalie Samantha Soscia made nine saves for her 12th shutout. The Hunterdon County school will host Valley Division rival Bernards in a 4-5 matchup in the North 2, Group 1 playoffs on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The teams split in the regular season, with South winning on the road, 3-1, on Sept. 6. Bernards prevailed 3-2 in the rematch on Sept. 24.
Up next: Bernards at home on Tuesday, Nov. 5 in the North 2, Group 1 playoffs.
4. Lenape Valley (13-5-1) -- Patriots split a pair of NJAC Freedom Division contests last week, posting a 1-0 win over North Warren on Tuesday before a 2-0 loss at Wallkill Valley on Thursday. Junior forward Kassidy Forik scored the winning goal against North Warren, as coach Kate Rothman's team wrapped up second place in the division standings. The loss to Wallkill was inexplicably the Pats' second to the Rangers this season. It was only the fourth time that Lenape's offense was kept off the board in 19 games. The Pats drew the top seed for the North 1, Group 1 playoffs.
Up next: West Morris at home on Wednesday.
5. Hackettstown (12-7) -- Tigers gave a good account in a 1-0 loss to No. 1 Warren Hills on Saturday in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex title game at Morrison Field. Sophomore goalie Rose Bishop turned away eight shots and made several outstanding saves to keep her team in the game. Earlier in the week, coach Stephen Speirs' team avenged an earlier loss to No. 8 Kittatinny with a 2-0 win at home on Thursday in an NJAC Freedom Division clash. Forwards Kalie Thies and Michelle Carlson scored the goals. The Tigers began the week with a 1-0 loss to Wallkill Valley, which had lost six straight, on Tuesday.
Up next: at Voorhees on Friday in the North 1, Group 2 playoffs.
6. Hunterdon Central (15-5) -- Red Devils fall a couple of spots after a 2-1 loss in overtime to previously-unranked Delaware Valley on Thursday in a Skyland Conference crossover contest. It was the first loss to Del Val during coach Jenn Sponzo's 15-year tenure. Central opened last week with a 4-2 win at Hillsborough in a Delaware Division contest as the Red Devils finished second in the standings behind champion Bridgewater-Raritan. Junior forward Kendall Nickel scored goal and had an assist, while senior forward Sarah Pulkowski scored three goals in the win for Central, which earned the top seed for the North 2, Group 4 playoffs.
Up next: Voorhees at home on Tuesday; Old-Bridge-Hillsborough winner at home on Monday in the North 2, Group 4 playoffs.
7. High Point (15-1-3) -- Wildcats went 2-0-1 last week, clinching their fourth straight NJAC American Division title with a 1-0 win over Morris Knolls on Friday in Wantage. The victory also extended the Sussex County school's division unbeaten streak to 54 games dating to 2010. Senior forward Brittany DeLima scored the winning goal. A 51-game division win streak was snapped with Monday's 1-1 tie at No. 9 Sparta. Coach Bev Keur's team, which drew the No. 3 seed for the North 1, Group 2 playoffs, also posted a 1-0 win over Montville on Wednesday with junior forward Alexis Ambrosino scoring the game-winner.
Up next: Ramsey-Parsippany Hills winner at home on Friday in the North 1, Group 2 playoffs.
8. Kittatinny (8-7-3) -- Cougars went 1-1 last week in NJAC Freedom Division matchups, earning a 3-2 win over Jefferson at home on Tuesday and dropping a 2-0 decision at No. 5 Hackettstown on Thursday in a chilly night affair at Morrison Field. Junior forward Melissa Toye and senior forward Brianna McNeel scored goals against the Falcons. Coach Emily Murray's team drew the No. 3 seed for the North 1, Group 1 playoffs.
Up next: Butler-Whippany Park winner at home on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
9. Sparta (10-7-1) -- Spartans capped a 1-1-1 week with a 2-1 victory at Mount Olive on Friday in an NJAC American Division clash. Sophomore forward Rhett Curran scored both goals -- her 13th in the team's last 11 contests. Coach Kristin Savasta's club opened the week with a hard-fought 1-1 tie at home to snap High Point's 51-game divisional win streak. Curran scored the lone goal. Sparta, which drew the No. 5 seed for the North 1, Group 3 playoffs, also dropped a 4-0 decision to Morris Knolls on Wednesday, its second loss by the same score to the Golden Eagles.
Up next: at Wayne Valley on Saturday in the North 1, Group 3 playoffs.
10. Delaware Valley (9-9-1) -- Terriers re-enter the rankings after a big 2-1 win in overtime against No. 6 Hunterdon Central on Thursday, followed by a 2-1 win at Hillsborough on Friday in a pair of Skyland Conference crossover contests. Junior Brianna Skripko and Katie Maddalena scored the goals against the Red Devils, while senior forward Robyn Case and junior Alyssa Orrico scored against the Raiders. Third-year coach Stephanie Carino's team recorded the program's first state tournament win since 2008, a 2-1 victory over Somerville on Monday in the North 2, Group 2 playoffs. No. 8 seed Del Val beat No. 9 Somerville twice during the regular season -- 2-0 on Sept. 6 and 2-0 on Sept. 24.
Up next: at Rumson on Friday in the North 2, Group 2 playoffs.
On the bubble -- Vernon (10-8); Wallkill Valley (8-11).
Regardless, the regular season was capped with No. 1 Warren Hills winning a record three Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex titles on Saturday by posting a 1-0 win over No. 5 Hackettstown on the turf at Morrison Field.
There was a time when the Blue Streaks couldn't buy a county championship -- dropping all five of their finals appearances in the former Hunterdon-Warren Tournament. Coach Laurie Kerr's program shared the first HWS title with Newton in 2009 (the final was never played) and beat High Point for the 2011 title.
"Hopefully this is the start of a complete season to the finish line," Kerr said.
Warren Hills (16-3-1) certainly has bigger fish to fry with the ultimate goal of winning a Group 3 title which has eluded the Warren County school in six previous trips to the state finals. They'll need to be at full strength, as talented freshman forward Dani Profita was slowed in the HWS final after taking a stick below her right knee that required a few stitches after to fix. Profita gave a gutsy effort and remained in the game for several minutes before coming off for medical attention. She ultimately returned, but was limping throughout the remainder of the game.
Credit Hackettstown (12-7) for giving a hard-nosed effort in the loss. The Tigers were overwhelming underdogs and will use this loss a major confidence booster heading into a first-round showdown with No. 2 Voorhees in a tough North 1, Group 2 bracket that includes No. 7 High Point as the No. 3 seed and defending champion West Essex as the No. 2 seed. Parsippany (17-1), which owns two wins over Hackettstown, is the top seed.
"Next year, we want to be back in the championship game," Hackettstown coach Stephen Speirs said after the loss to Warren Hills.
One thing both Kerr and Speirs agreed on, along with several others I polled, is that the county semifinals should also be played on turf. If this is a tournament to be showcased, it's a disservice to the athletes to not play these important games on turf.
"When you have a turf field, you can do so many more skills," Kerr said. "That's why in [NCAA] Division I hockey, you aren't allowed to touch a blade of grass. The competition is great and the skill level is getting better."
Lenape Valley drew the No. 1 seed for the North 1, Group 1 playoffs as the Patriots seek the program's third sectional title and first since 1990. No Sussex County school has won a championship -- 38 for the county overall -- since High Point claimed the North 1, Group 3 crown in 2006.
Now onto the final set of rankings for the regular season:
1. Warren Hills (16-3-1) -- Blue Streaks capped a 3-0 week with a 1-0 victory over No. 5 Hackettstown on Saturday to claim the program's third Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex title. Junior midfielder Nikki Profita scored the winning goal and was named the tournament's MVP. Profita opened the week by scoring three goals in a 4-0 win over co-Skyland Conference Valley Division champion Bernards and had a goal and an assist in a 6-0 shutout of Pingry on Thursday. Coach Laurie Kerr's team can earn a share of the Raritan Division title with a win over Somerville on Tuesday.
Up next: Somerville at home on Tuesday; Princeton at home on Saturday in North 2, Group 3 playoffs.
2. Voorhees (14-4) -- Light week for the Vikings, who posted a 2-0 win over Ridge in a Skyland Conference crossover game on Thursday. Senior forward Ashley Kerekgyarto and sophomore midfielder Isabelle Houser scored the goals, while senior goalie Lauren Pianucci faced just one shot in recording the Hunterdon County school's seventh shutout. Coach Taylor Webb's team drew the No. 4 seed and will host Hackettstown in the opening round of the North 1, Group 2 playoffs.
Up next: at Hunterdon Central on Tuesday; Hackettstown at home on Friday in the North 1, Group 2 playoffs.
3. South Hunterdon (15-3) -- Eagles had a short week, posting a 1-0 win in overtime against Montgomery on Tuesday in a Skyland Conference crossover game. Senior forward Amber Dey scored the goal, while senior goalie Samantha Soscia made nine saves for her 12th shutout. The Hunterdon County school will host Valley Division rival Bernards in a 4-5 matchup in the North 2, Group 1 playoffs on Tuesday, Nov. 5. The teams split in the regular season, with South winning on the road, 3-1, on Sept. 6. Bernards prevailed 3-2 in the rematch on Sept. 24.
Up next: Bernards at home on Tuesday, Nov. 5 in the North 2, Group 1 playoffs.
4. Lenape Valley (13-5-1) -- Patriots split a pair of NJAC Freedom Division contests last week, posting a 1-0 win over North Warren on Tuesday before a 2-0 loss at Wallkill Valley on Thursday. Junior forward Kassidy Forik scored the winning goal against North Warren, as coach Kate Rothman's team wrapped up second place in the division standings. The loss to Wallkill was inexplicably the Pats' second to the Rangers this season. It was only the fourth time that Lenape's offense was kept off the board in 19 games. The Pats drew the top seed for the North 1, Group 1 playoffs.
Up next: West Morris at home on Wednesday.
5. Hackettstown (12-7) -- Tigers gave a good account in a 1-0 loss to No. 1 Warren Hills on Saturday in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex title game at Morrison Field. Sophomore goalie Rose Bishop turned away eight shots and made several outstanding saves to keep her team in the game. Earlier in the week, coach Stephen Speirs' team avenged an earlier loss to No. 8 Kittatinny with a 2-0 win at home on Thursday in an NJAC Freedom Division clash. Forwards Kalie Thies and Michelle Carlson scored the goals. The Tigers began the week with a 1-0 loss to Wallkill Valley, which had lost six straight, on Tuesday.
Up next: at Voorhees on Friday in the North 1, Group 2 playoffs.
6. Hunterdon Central (15-5) -- Red Devils fall a couple of spots after a 2-1 loss in overtime to previously-unranked Delaware Valley on Thursday in a Skyland Conference crossover contest. It was the first loss to Del Val during coach Jenn Sponzo's 15-year tenure. Central opened last week with a 4-2 win at Hillsborough in a Delaware Division contest as the Red Devils finished second in the standings behind champion Bridgewater-Raritan. Junior forward Kendall Nickel scored goal and had an assist, while senior forward Sarah Pulkowski scored three goals in the win for Central, which earned the top seed for the North 2, Group 4 playoffs.
Up next: Voorhees at home on Tuesday; Old-Bridge-Hillsborough winner at home on Monday in the North 2, Group 4 playoffs.
7. High Point (15-1-3) -- Wildcats went 2-0-1 last week, clinching their fourth straight NJAC American Division title with a 1-0 win over Morris Knolls on Friday in Wantage. The victory also extended the Sussex County school's division unbeaten streak to 54 games dating to 2010. Senior forward Brittany DeLima scored the winning goal. A 51-game division win streak was snapped with Monday's 1-1 tie at No. 9 Sparta. Coach Bev Keur's team, which drew the No. 3 seed for the North 1, Group 2 playoffs, also posted a 1-0 win over Montville on Wednesday with junior forward Alexis Ambrosino scoring the game-winner.
Up next: Ramsey-Parsippany Hills winner at home on Friday in the North 1, Group 2 playoffs.
8. Kittatinny (8-7-3) -- Cougars went 1-1 last week in NJAC Freedom Division matchups, earning a 3-2 win over Jefferson at home on Tuesday and dropping a 2-0 decision at No. 5 Hackettstown on Thursday in a chilly night affair at Morrison Field. Junior forward Melissa Toye and senior forward Brianna McNeel scored goals against the Falcons. Coach Emily Murray's team drew the No. 3 seed for the North 1, Group 1 playoffs.
Up next: Butler-Whippany Park winner at home on Tuesday, Nov. 5.
9. Sparta (10-7-1) -- Spartans capped a 1-1-1 week with a 2-1 victory at Mount Olive on Friday in an NJAC American Division clash. Sophomore forward Rhett Curran scored both goals -- her 13th in the team's last 11 contests. Coach Kristin Savasta's club opened the week with a hard-fought 1-1 tie at home to snap High Point's 51-game divisional win streak. Curran scored the lone goal. Sparta, which drew the No. 5 seed for the North 1, Group 3 playoffs, also dropped a 4-0 decision to Morris Knolls on Wednesday, its second loss by the same score to the Golden Eagles.
Up next: at Wayne Valley on Saturday in the North 1, Group 3 playoffs.
10. Delaware Valley (9-9-1) -- Terriers re-enter the rankings after a big 2-1 win in overtime against No. 6 Hunterdon Central on Thursday, followed by a 2-1 win at Hillsborough on Friday in a pair of Skyland Conference crossover contests. Junior Brianna Skripko and Katie Maddalena scored the goals against the Red Devils, while senior forward Robyn Case and junior Alyssa Orrico scored against the Raiders. Third-year coach Stephanie Carino's team recorded the program's first state tournament win since 2008, a 2-1 victory over Somerville on Monday in the North 2, Group 2 playoffs. No. 8 seed Del Val beat No. 9 Somerville twice during the regular season -- 2-0 on Sept. 6 and 2-0 on Sept. 24.
Up next: at Rumson on Friday in the North 2, Group 2 playoffs.
On the bubble -- Vernon (10-8); Wallkill Valley (8-11).