It's the perfect time for a field hockey team to be clicking and Warren Hills hopes the program's finest hour ends with what's been an elusive state championship.
The Blue Streaks are one victory away following a 9-0 dismantling of Northern Highlands in a Group 3 semifinal on Thursday at Boonton High School. Warren Hills (22-3-1), which extended its program record win streak to 19, will face nemesis Ocean City (19-5) -- a 1-0 winner over Allentown in the other semifinal -- for the state title at noon on Saturday at Toms River East High School.
The Skyland Conference will have two representatives in Saturday's finals as Bridgewater-Raritan advanced to its ninth straight Group 4 final with a 4-2 win over Hunterdon Central in the nightcap at Boonton. The Panthers (21-2), who lost to state power Eastern in the previous eight finals, are the last team to beat Warren Hills -- 2-1 on Sept. 21 in Washington.
Warren Hills, which is 0-7 all-time in state finals, matched the 2011 and '12 teams for most wins in a season. The Streaks would love one more to own that record and end its drought in title games. Veteran coach Laurie Kerr's teams were the Group 3 runner-up in 2000, '01, '03, '09 and '12. Last year, Ocean City beat Warren Hills for the fourth time with a 2-0 victory at The College of New Jersey.
"We've never won 23 games in a season and we've never won 20 in a row," said Kerr, who is 241-66-12 overall in 14 seasons, including a 33-13 mark in postseason games and 6-1 in state semifinals. "We'd love to get 23 and 20 in a row. The kids are so composed. This was just another day at the office."
Junior back Amanda Crampton led the offensive onslaught with three goals against Northern Highlands (21-2), which had its 19-game win streak snapped with the loss. Coach Rich Smith's Highlanders reached the semifinals for the first time since 1993 by claiming its seventh North 1 sectional title.
"Amanda is my brick wall on defense and she had a hat trick," said Kerr, who emptied the bench in the final minutes.
The Blue Streaks scored on eight of their 11 penalty corners, including the first four goals of the game. Crampton's first goal -- a direct shot -- off a feed from junior forward Sydney Muntone capped the first-half scoring with 15:25 left before the break. Junior midfielder Nikki Profita, senior midfielder Nikki Schott and Muntone also had first-half goals.
"We had a few days of practice where it was so darn cold out, and we've been working on corners," Kerr said.
Muntone continued her stellar play in the postseason with a pair of goals to go with two assists. The Temple recruit has seven assists overall in four playoff wins. Profita added one goal and one assist for the third straight game, becoming just the seventh player in program history to record 20 goals in a season -- joining Lindsey Schott (27 in 2011), Kate Alleger (26 in 1996), Niki Miller (25 in 2012, 22 in 2011), Megan Springmeyer (23 in 2007), Lori Toole (23 in 1979) and Gail Petteruti (21 in 1984).
Muntone matched Toole for fourth place on the all-time goals list with 48 career, while Profita is next on the list with 44. Lindsey Schott leads with 72 from 2008-11, followed by Miller (61 from 2009-12) and Springmeyer (54 from 2004-07).
Schott notched her third goal and assist in the playoffs, while sophomore goalie Taylor Austin recorded her third straight shutout as the Streaks' stout defense earned its 19th of the season, also a program record.
"Nikki Schott has really stepped it up," Kerr said of the four-year starter. "She knows this is the end [of her career]."
Now, a fifth meeting in the Group 3 final with Ocean City awaits a very talented Warren Hills team.
"They are confident and composed," Kerr said of her Streaks. "The pressure on for them and the entire community, and everyone that has supported the program. We just have to get that monkey off our backs."
Northern Highlands (21-2) 0 0 -- 0
Warren Hills (22-3-1) 4 5 -- 9
Scoring
First half -- WH, Nikki Profita, 20th, (Dani Profita), 21:19; WH, Nikki Schott, 9th, (Allie Brouhard), 20:08; WH, Sydney Muntone, 18th, (Brouhard), 17:31; WH, Amanda Crampton, 3rd, (Muntone), 15:25.
Second half -- WH, Muntone, 19th, 28:11; WH, Crampton, 4th, (Muntone), 21:30; WH, Jessica Nissen, 13th, (Schott), 13:00; WH, Crampton, 5th, (N. Profita), 4:47; WH, Katie Thompson, 3rd, (Lexie Meyerhofer), 2:15.
Shots -- Northern Highlands 0; Warren Hills 26.
Saves -- Alexa Markel 17 (NH); Taylor Austin 0 (WH).
Penalty corners -- Northern Highlands 2; Warren Hills 11.
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