Thursday, October 29, 2015

Wrestling: HWS active wins leaders for 2015-16

  (Minimum 50 victories)

Wrestler
School
Record
Year
Kyle DiNapoli
Voorhees
96-26
Senior
Austin Scrivani
Kittatinny
96-26
Senior
Joe Renne
Hackettstown
92-28
Senior
Brandon Paetzell
Phillipsburg
88-9
Senior
Brian Smolinsky
North Hunterdon
79-24
Senior
Nick Klinger
Kittatinny
77-24
Senior
Jared Kobis
High Point
71-6
Senior
Garrett Gerndt
Sparta
69-32
Senior
Peter Nace
Hunterdon Central
68-16
Junior
Kyle Nothnagel
Phillipsburg
63-18
Senior
Al Falco
Sparta
61-39
Senior
Derek Ciavarro
North Hunterdon
60-37
Senior
Sam Palumbo
Lenape Valley
58-32
Senior
Anthony Carida
Hackettstown
57-28
Senior
Kyle Schlittler
Delaware Valley
56-22
Senior
Nick Palumbo
Lenape Valley
50-19
Junior
Matt Kolonia
Delaware Valley
50-21
Junior
Jake Vanwingerden
Kittatinny
50-29
Senior


Monday, October 26, 2015

Field hockey: HWS scoring leaders

   (Through Monday's games)

   Minimum 15 points

Player
School
Goals
Assists
Points
Kathryn Roncoroni
Voorhees
47
13
107
Dani Profita
Warren Hills
30
15
75
Molly Gorczyca
Hackettstown
30
4
64
Morgan Carr
Wallkill Valley
19
9
47
Megan Thompson
Warren Hills
15
9
39
Natalie Rivas
Newton
15
7
37
Katie Thompson
Warren Hills
12
13
37
Rhett Curran
Sparta
13
10
36
Rebecca Sigman
Warren Hills
16
4
36
Jillian Murray
Hunterdon Central
16
4
36
Kayli Yeisley
Hackettstown
12
7
31
Jackie Hallack
Sparta
9
12
30
Rachel Phillips
Warren Hills
7
16
30
Maddie Freeman
Hunterdon Central
12
6
30
Madison Hoskins
Hackettstown
9
9
27
Ellie Zgoda
Phillipsburg
10
5
25
Emily Garofalo
Vernon
11
3
25
Kate Barbato
Newton
11
3
25
Maddy Roerig
Warren Hills
12
1
25
Hannah Schiavo
Voorhees
7
9
23
Holly Reznik
Kittatinny
8
7
23
Gretchen Bowie
Sparta
9
4
22
Nikki Freeman
Hunterdon Central
6
10
22
Cori Lenzinger
Voorhees
9
3
21
Hailee Lolk
Kittatinny
8
5
21
Isabelle Houser
Voorhees
4
11
19
Kayla Halloran
High Point
8
3
19
Carly Leary
South Hunterdon
7
5
19
Cayla Andrews
Hackettstown
4
11
19
Kylie Marhold
Phillipsburg
8
3
19
Olivia Weiss
Newton
8
3
19
Abby Evans
Phillipsburg
9
0
18
Amanda Whitlock
Hunterdon Central
7
4
18
Tali Popinko
Warren Hills
4
10
18
Nicole Rizzo
Newton
1
16
18
Julia Kreider
South Hunterdon
8
1
17
Ashley Eick
South Hunterdon
7
3
17
Erica McNulty
Wallkill Valley
6
4
16
Bailey Connery
Lenape Valley
7
2
16
Ann Bill
Delaware Valley
6
3
15
Kristen Rafferty
Lenape Valley
6
3
15

Field hockey: HWS schedule for Oct. 26-31

Monday, Oct. 26


NJSIAA playoffs 

(All first-round games, 2 p.m., unless noted)

North 1, Group 4

North Hunterdon at East Brunswick, 3 p.m.

North 1, Group 1

Boonton at Lenape Valley
North Warren at Wallkill Valley
Butler at Belvidere

North 2, Group 1

Keyport at South Hunterdon

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Sparta at Mount Olive, 4 p.m.
Vernon at Morris Hills, 4 p.m.

Tuesday, Oct. 27


NJSIAA playoffs

(All first-round games, 2 p.m., unless noted)

North 1, Group 2

High Point at Jefferson, 4 p.m.
Parsippany Hills at Sparta

North 2, Group 2

Governor Livingston at Delaware Valley, 3 p.m.

Skyland Conference

Watchung Hills at Warren Hills, 4:30 p.m.
Phillipsburg at North Hunterdon, 3:45 p.m.
Hunterdon Central at Ridge, 7 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 28


(Both games 4 p.m.)

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

Vernon at Newton
Kittatinny at West Morris

Thursday, Oct. 29


NJSIAA playoffs

(Both quarterfinals 2 p.m., unless noted)

North 1, Group 4

Millburn at Phillipsburg

North 2, Group 4

Franklin at Hunterdon Central, 3 p.m.

Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference

North Warren at Vernon, 7:15 p.m.

Independent

Warren Hills at West Essex, 4 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 30


NJSIAA playoffs 

(All quarterfinals, 2 p.m.)

North 1, Group 1

Lenape Valley at Newton
Mountain Lakes at Kittatinny
Wallkill Valley at Belvidere

North 2, Group 1

South Hunterdon at Glen Ridge

Saturday, Oct. 31


NJSIAA playoffs 

(Quarterfinals, 10 a.m., unless noted)

North 1, Group 2

Sparta at Hackettstown, 2 p.m.
High Point at West Essex, 11 a.m.

North 2, Group 2

Delaware Valley at Voorhees

Skyland Conference

North Plainfield at Belvidere, 9 a.m.

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Field hockey: Profita-led Streaks earn county 3-peat

HACKETTSTOWN -- Warren Hills' field hockey team is making a habit out of winning county championships and star forward Dani Profita continues to carry on the family tradition as well.

Profita scored a pair of goals, including the decisive blow with 12:37 left in the second half, as the Blue Streaks rallied for a 2-1 win over Hunterdon Central to claim their third straight championship in the seventh annual Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament on Saturday at Morrison Field.

In doing so, Profita claimed her second straight Most Valuable Player Award, while the junior forward became the first player at Warren Hills to score 30 goals in a single season. Sydney Muntone previously held the record with 29 in 2014. Nikki Profita, Dani's sister and current player at Rutgers, was named MVP in 2013 when the Streaks won their third of a record five HWS titles.

"It's pretty cool," said Dani Profita of setting the school's single-season goals record. "I was just trying to help the team win and whatever happens, happens. It's an awesome feeling knowing our hard work is paying off."

Warren Hills (17-1), the No. 3 seed and riding a 15-game win streak, was in control early in the game and much of the first half until Hunterdon Central (14-5), the No. 8 seed, popped in the first goal just 3:19 into the second half. Senior forward Jillian Murray cashed in on the Red Devils' first corner of the half and just the team's third shot-on-goal.

In the rare position of trailing in a game, Profita pulled Warren Hills even when her sweet reverse-stick shot off a feed from senior Rachel Phillips found the back of the cage with 24:13 left in the second half. Profita's second goal -- again off a penalty corner and on a reverse stick into the left corner -- put the Streaks ahead to stay with 12:37 left on the clock.

Central coach Jenn Sponzo called a timeout with 9:35 left and urged her girls to stay on the attack with plenty of time left and down by just one goal. The Red Devils managed to get two corners in the final three minutes but were unable to get off a shot on either. Warren Hills back Brie Schwab made a nice goal line save, while goalie Jackie de Raismes stopped three shots in the game.

After a 7-1 loss to Warren Hills on Oct. 6 and coming off a 3-2 setback to Group 4 power Bridgewater on Thursday, Sponzo was extremely pleased with how her team played in the rematch. Central was making its first appearance in a county final since 2007 (Hunterdon-Warren) and was seeking its first title since '03.

"Just to get here, it's been an amazing ride and journey," said Sponzo, whose team knocked off the Nos. 1 and 4 seeds to reach the program's first HWS title game. "The loss to Bridgewater gave us a lot of confidence. The girls know we can play with the top teams. We had nothing to lose today."

Warren Hills' first-year coach Kate Rothman, clutching the trophy after the game, was equally as proud of her team for rallying back while playing without senior forward Megan Thompson, who suffered a concussion in the thrilling semifinal win (2-1 on strokes) against No. 2 seed Voorhees last weekend. The Streaks are now 23-2 overall in HWS games dating to 2009 and have won 10 in a row against Central since '08.

"Sometimes when you take one of your players out of that cog, it throws things off," Rothman said. "But they stepped up and played hard. Hunterdon Central is much improved since the last time we played them. They gave us a run for our money. We were down, 1-0, to Voorhees, but my team is mentally tough. When things aren't going your way and you're not playing you're best, and you find a way to win, that's the mark of a great team."

"When we were down, 1-0, [to Central] there definitely was a sense of urgency," Profita said. "But we kept our composure. We wanted to get that championship again."

Rothman made a key adjustment at halftime by moving Profita from the center forward spot to left wing and it really opened up things on offense.

"It allowed us to pull the ball away from the center of the field, and we were able to control the ball and get it into the circle," Rothman said.

Profita, who ranks third on the Streaks' all-time goals list with 69, said this victory will give her team a boost heading into the NJSIAA sectional playoffs that begin next week. Warren Hills is the No. 1 seed in North 1, Group 3 and will begin its quest for back-to-back Group 3 titles at home on Nov. 2.

"We still have the same goal as last year," said Profita, who helped the Streaks earn their first state title in nine attempts last season. "It's a new year and we're still focused [on winning the Group 3 title]."

Hunterdon Central is the No. 2 seed in the North 2, Group 4 draw and could meet up with nemesis Bridgewater for a third time this season should both advance to the championship on Nov. 5.

The Panthers have won 10 straight sectional titles and finished as the Group 4 runner-up behind Eastern in all of those seasons. The Red Devils, who have won 13 sectional titles, are 8-22-2 against Bridgewater during Sponzo's 17 seasons and have lost seven straight meetings since a 2-1 win in 2013.

Hunterdon Central (14-5)            0                  1              --    1
Warren Hills (17-1)                      0                  2              --    2

Scoring

Second half -- HC, Jillian Murray, 16th, 26:41; WH, Dani Profita, 29th, (Rachel Phillips), 24:13; WH, Profita, 30th, (Mikayla Dugan), 12:37.

Shots -- Hunterdon Central 5; Warren Hills 6.

Saves -- Molly Lafferty 4 (HC); Jackie de Raismes 3, Brie Schwab 1 (defensive) (WH).

Penalty corners -- Hunterdon Central 5; Warren Hills 14.

Friday, October 23, 2015

Field hockey: HWS starting lineups, facts, prediction

Who: Hunterdon Central Red Devils vs. Warren Hills Blue Streaks.

What: Seventh annual Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament championship.

When: Saturday, 2 p.m.

Where: Morrison Field, Hackettstown High School.

Records: Hunterdon Central 14-4; Warren Hills 16-1.

Coaches: Jenn Sponzo (17th season, 238-119-16); Kate Rothman (1st season, 36-35-3, including a 20-34-3 mark in 3 seasons at Lenape Valley).

Series history: Warren Hills, which owns a 38-28-10 edge dating to 1967, has won nine straight meetings, including a 7-1 win at home on Oct. 6. Central's last victory in the series was 1-0 at home in 2007 and it holds a 5-2 edge in county tournament matchups dating to the former Hunterdon-Warren event. Blue Streaks won the last county clash -- 3-0 at home in 2008. This is the first meeting on a neutral field.

Previous champions: Newton/Warren Hills co-champs in 2009 (final was never played); Voorhees in 2010 and '12; Warren Hills in 2011, '13 and '14.

Note: Here's a closer look at both teams with probable starting lineups:

Hunterdon Central Red Devils

How they got here: Beat North Hunterdon, 6-0, in preliminary round; Wallkill Valley, 3-0 in first round; Newton, 2-0, in quarterfinals; Hackettstown, 1-0, in semifinals.

Previous tournament history: Lost to High Point, 2-1, in 2009 first round; Lost to Newton, 2-1, in 2010 first round; Lost to Wallkill Valley, 5-1 in 2011 first round; Beat Sparta, 4-1, in 2012 first round; Beat Phillipsburg, 2-1, in 2012 quarterfinals; Lost to High Point, 1-0, in 2012 semifinals; Beat Newton, 6-0, in 2013 first round; Beat Sparta, 2-1, in 2013 quarterfinals; Lost to Hackettstown, 4-3 in overtime, in 2013 semifinals; Beat Pope John, 5-1, in 2014 first round; Beat Lenape Valley, 2-1 in overtime, in 2014 quarterfinals; Lost to Voorhees, 1-0, in 2014 semifinals.  Overall HWS record: 10-6.

Probable starting lineup: Sr. F Maddie Freeman (12 goals-6 assists-30 points); Sr. F Jillian Murray (15-4-34); Sr. F Amanda Whitlock (7-4-18); Jr. F Catalina Weber (2-1-5)/Jr. F Elizabeth Webb (3-3-9); Jr. MF Nikki Freeman (6-10-22); So. MF Brittany Bill (5-3-13); Sr. MF Adrianna Ruggieri (0-2-2); Jr. D Dayna DeVincentz (1-4-6); Sr. D Megan Fisher (0-0-0); So. D Lauren Howarth (0-0-0); Sr. GK Molly Lafferty (98 saves, 5 shutouts, .778 save percentage, 1.56 goals against).

Warren Hills Blue Streaks

How they got here: Beat Phillipsburg, 4-0, in quarterfinals; Voorhees, 2-1 on strokes, in semifinals.

Previous tournament history: Beat Delaware Valley, 8-2, in 2009 first round, Beat High Point, 4-0, in 2009 quarterfinals, Beat Pope John, 3-0 in 2009 semifinals; Beat Sparta, 6-0, in 2010 first round, Beat Wallkill Valley, 4-1, in 2010 quarterfinals, Beat Newton, 2-1 in overtime, in 2010 semifinals, Lost to Voorhees, 1-0, in 2010 championship game; Beat North Warren, 9-0, in 2011 first round, Beat Newton, 5-0, in 2011 quarterfinals, Beat Wallkill Valley, 8-1, in 2011 semifinals, Beat High Point, 3-1, in 2011 championship game; Beat Lenape Valley, 5-1, in 2012 first round, Beat Pope John, 8-0, in 2012 quarterfinals, Lost to Voorhees, 2-0, in 2012 semifinals; Beat Kittatinny, 6-0, in 2013 first round, Beat High Point, 3-0, in 2013 quarterfinals, Beat Voorhees, 2-1, in 2013 semifinals, Beat Hackettstown, 1-0, in 2013 final; Beat Wallkill Valley, 6-0, in 2014 first round; Beat Hackettstown, 3-0, in 2014 quarterfinals; Beat High Point, 8-0, in 2014 semifinals; Beat Voorhees, 5-0, in 2014 final. Overall HWS record: 22-2.

Probable starting lineup: Jr. F Dani Profita (28 goals-15 assists-71 points); Sr. F Megan Thompson (15-9-39); So. F Rebecca Sigman (16-4-36)/So. F Alyssa Appleby (1-3-5); Sr. MF Katie Thompson (12-13-37); So. MF Tali Popinko (4-10-18); So. MF Mikayla Dugan (2-4-8); Sr. D Rachel Phillips (7-15-29); Jr. D Brie Schwab (1-0-2); So. D Sydney Moskal (0-0-0); Jr. D Tyler Stoner (0-0-0); Jr. GK Jackie de Raismes (49 saves, 7 shutouts, .766 save percentage, 0.94 goals against).

Analysis: Blue Streaks are riding high after a 2-1 win on penalty strokes against nemesis Voorhees in the semifinals -- a game that many feel should have been the championship game -- that avenged a 2-1 loss to the Vikings on Sept. 15. Warren Hills handed Hunterdon Central a 7-1 loss on Oct. 6. Profita will be the best player on the field on Saturday. With 67 career goals, she recently passed her sister and current Rutgers player Nikki Profita for sole possession of third place on the school's all-time list. Dani also needs two goals to surpass Sydney Muntone (29 in 2014) for the single-season mark. Profita's 41 career assists rank fifth on the school's list, while her 175 points are good for fifth overall. Her 71 points are a career high and the third-highest total in a single season. A powerful offense doesn't revolve around just Profita, as the Streaks have several players who can find the cage. Defensively, Phillips is a rock on the back line in front of goalie de Raismes, who is having another solid season. The Red Devils, who dropped a 3-2 decision to Bridgewater on Thursday to snap a seven-game win streak since the loss to Warren Hills, are playing in their first tri-county final after three straight losses in the semifinals in 2012, '13 and '14. Central has not won a county title since 2003, when MVP Hollee Hooven led the Devils to their fifth Hunterdon-Warren crown. Defensively, this year's group has been solid, allowing a total of 21 goals in its other 17 games minus the seven allowed to the Streaks. But the Red Devils will need to score a bunch to stay in this one, tough to do against the Blue Streaks' D, which has yielded just 15 goals all season.

Pick: Warren Hills, 4-1.

Thursday, October 22, 2015

Field hockey: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex standings

   (Through Wednesday's games)

Skyland Conference
Delaware Division
Overall
Division
Bridgewater-Raritan
(16-2)
(7-0)
Hunterdon Central
(14-3)
(5-1)
Hillsborough
(8-8)
(2-5)
Pingry
(7-10)
(2-6)
Ridge
(3-13)
(1-5)
Raritan Division
Overall
Division
x-Warren Hills
(15-1)
(6-0)
Phillipsburg
(10-6)
(4-3)
Montgomery
(8-7)
(4-3)
North Hunterdon
(1-13-1)
(1-4-1)
Watchung Hills
(1-11-1)
(0-5-1)
Valley Division
Overall
Division
x-Voorhees
(15-4)
(7-0)
Bernards
(11-4-2)
(4-3-1)
Delaware Valley
(7-8-1)
(3-3-1)
Somerville
(7-8)
(2-5)
Franklin
(7-10)
(1-6)
Mountain Division
Overall
Division
South Hunterdon
(8-7)
(4-1)
Belvidere
(8-6-2)
(3-1-1)
Mount St. Mary
(3-9-1)
(2-2-1)
North Plainfield
(1-14)
(0-5)
Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference
Freedom Division
Overall
Division
x-Hackettstown
(12-2-1)
(5-0)
High Point
(6-10)
(3-2)
Lenape Valley
(5-9-2)
(1-4)
Jefferson
(7-9-1)
(1-4)
American Division
Overall
Division
Mount Olive
(11-5)
(6-0)
Sparta
(9-7-1)
(3-1)
Morris Hills
(3-12)
(2-3)
Vernon
(3-9-2)
(2-4)
Pope John
(1-16)
(1-6)
Colonial Division
Overall
Division
x-Newton
(14-1-1)
(5-0)
Wallkill Valley
(8-8-2)
(3-2)
Kittatinny
(6-6-1)
(2-3)
North Warren
(3-11-1)
(0-5)
x-division champion