Field hockey: Voorhees picks Hughes as head coach

Voorhees has a new head coach after a four-month-long search.

Shannon Hughes, a former star player at South Plainfield and Rider University, was approved as the program's eighth head coach during a Board of Education meeting on Tuesday.

Vikings athletic director Brian Baumann confirmed the hiring via text message on Wednesday.

Hughes succeeds Taylor Webb, a star player at Voorhees and the Hunterdon County school's head coach the previous seven seasons. At South Plainfield, Hughes played for her mother, Cheryl, who succeeded longtime coach Fran Flannery. Shannon's sister, Caity, shattered every South Plainfield scoring record before graduating in 2017.

Shannon Hughes enjoyed a stellar playing career -- scoring 28 goals with 23 assists her senior season in leading South Plainfield to a 20-4 record and its second straight appearance in the North 2, Group 2 sectional final. Upon graduation in 2014, Hughes shared the Middlesex County school's all-time point record with Meghan Schweers before Caity Hughes broke it her junior season in '15. Another sister, Meghan, also played for the Tigers.

At Rider, Shannon Hughes, a forward, led the team in assists this past season with seven and finished with career totals of 11 goals and 13 assists in 77 games (36 starts). The Broncs finished 8-11 in 2017 and lost in the opening round of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament.

Webb, 33, a former midfielder and considered one of the school's greatest players, guided her teams to an overall mark of 112-31-4, including a 14-6 campaign in 2017. The Vikes captured four Skyland Conference division titles as well as a Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament title (2012) and a sectional championship (2016).

Baumann, who has been on the job for two years, admitted during a December interview that finding Webb's successor wouldn't be an easy task.

"You're not going to replace her knowledge and love for the game ... it's a huge loss," he said.

Voorhees, which has had just three losing seasons in its 43-year history and none since 2004, has long been one of the state's most successful and storied programs. Webb played under former coach Ann Bonavita, who built the program into a powerhouse during her 11 seasons from 1992-2002.

Bonavita's final season as head coach -- she also served as Webb's assistant for a few seasons -- culminated with a North 2, Group 2 sectional title before dropping a tough 2-1 decision in overtime to eventual Group 2 champion West Essex in the state semifinals. Webb, who still owns the Vikes' all-time assists record (58), went on to play at the University of Iowa before transferring back home to finish her career at Rider.

Webb became Voorhees' seventh head coach in 2011, succeeding Beth Stocker, who continued the program's winning tradition in her eight seasons from 2003-10. Under Stocker, the Vikes went 130-29-9 and captured the North 2, Group 3 title in 2006, falling 1-0 to Moorestown in the Group 3 title game -- the Hunterdon County school's second and last appearance in a state final.

Voorhees went nine seasons after that postseason loss without winning a sectional title until a 1-0 win in overtime against Hackettstown secured the North 2, Group 2 championship in what would be Webb's second-to-last season.