Sunday, October 20, 2019

Field hockey: It's playoff party time (HWS rankings)

Now the fun really begins. It's playoff time, and the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area sets up to do very well this postseason.

North Hunterdon (North 2, Group 4), Voorhees (North 2, Group 2) and Warren Hills (North 1, Group 3) are the No. 1 seeds from our area.

Warren Hills celebrates its 7th HWS title.
Warren Hills (19-1) will get some well deserved rest this week before opening the playoffs in search of the program's eighth straight sectional title and 17th overall -- only six schools have won more in state history. The Blue Streaks, who scored a 2-0 victory over Voorhees -- their third win against the Vikes this season -- to claim their seventh HWS championship on Saturday, are taking to time to heal a bit, as several players are banged up with the usual bumps and bruises from a grinding season.

"This was our 20th game of the season, and we've played a lot of great competition," third-year coach Josie Potter said on Saturday. "We do have space [on the schedule] for one game, but last year at this point in the season, they were tired and were getting outran."

Senior midfielder Kate Fenner, who was sporting an ice pack after taking a ball off her left ankle in the win over Voorhees, has dealt with several injuries this season. But she's ready to go as the Streaks ultimately seek the program's third Group 3 state title and first since going back-to-back in 2014-15.

"We needed something to light a fire under us and get us going," said Fenner, when asked if the 2-1 loss to Ridge last Tuesday was a good thing for the team.

The nice thing for Fenner and three other starting seniors -- forward Samantha Dugan, midfielder Paulina Georgoutsos and goalie Julia Webber -- is that they'll get three more games at home -- where they've gone 33-5 over the last three seasons -- should the Streaks advance to the sectional final as expected. Last year, Warren Hills had to play at Northern Highlands and West Morris in the semifinals and final.

Keep an eye on Streaks junior midfielder Sarah Korczukowski, who had an excellent all-around performance against Voorhees on Saturday, and really looked like she had the game's Most Valuable Player Award locked up even before converting that critical penalty stroke in the second half to snap a scoreless tie.

"The last handful of games, she's really stepped up her play," Potter said. "She's a vocal leader and distributes the ball well. She's a wall on defense. We have a lot of talented players, and she's starting to stand out."

Voorhees (16-4) will have plenty of motivation as the Vikes seek their eighth sectional title and first since 2016. The North 2, Group 2 bracket is loaded, but second-year coach Shannon Hughes likes how things set up as the top seed. That puts No. 2 and favorite Rumson-Fair Haven, which has won three straight titles in this section, and No. 3 Bernards in the bottom bracket.

"I think we have a good chance to play in the sectional final," Hughes said after Saturday's setback. "Despite losing [in the HWS final], we're going to keep moving forward."

North Hunterdon (13-7) has enjoyed an amazing turnaround this season with the program's first winning campaign since going 12-9 in 2009. The Lions reached the sectional semis that year -- falling 2-1 at Randolph. North hasn't won a postseason game since a 2-1 first-round victory over Columbia in 2013.

But coach Maria Bachert's team is playing well at the right time, taking Voorhees to overtime in a 3-2 loss on Thursday, after giving Warren Hills all it could handle in a 1-0 setback on Oct. 10. The Lions have beaten No. 3 seed Hunterdon Central, No. 4 seed Montgomery and No. 6 Bridgewater-Raritan this season.

Here is the final regular-season set of area rankings:

1. Warren Hills (19-1) -- Blue Streaks rebounded from their first loss of the season with a 5-1 win over Montgomery on Senior Night on Thursday to secure the Skyland Conference Raritan Division title -- the program's seventh in the last nine seasons and 12th overall since 1996. Dugan enters the postseason one goal shy of matching former great Megan Springmeyer (54 from 2004-07) for sixth place on the school's all-time list.

Up next: Morris Knolls or Wayne Hills at home on Saturday in North 1, Group 3 quarterfinals.

2. Voorhees (16-4) -- Vikes came up short for the third time this season against Warren Hills with a tough 2-0 loss in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament final on Saturday. It was the second time this season that the offense was kept off the board after posting three-goal games in wins over Phillipsburg (Tuesday) and North Hunterdon (Thursday). Senior midfielder Lauren Kokoskie had a pair of goals to help Voorhees extend its winning streak against North to 41 straight.

Up next: at Sparta on Wednesday; Hopewell Valley or Holmdel at home on Friday in North 2, Group 2 quarterfinals.

3. North Hunterdon (13-7) -- Lions wrapped up their Skyland Conference Raritan Division slate with a tough 3-2 loss in overtime to Voorhees on Thursday -- the first OT game played between the rival schools since a 1-1 tie in 1991. North, which hasn't won in this series since back-to-back 2-1 victories in 1990, closed the gap in three losses to Voorhees this season, which bodes well for the postseason and the future.

Up next: Old Bridge or Sayreville at home on Wednesday in North 2, Group 4 playoffs.

4. Hunterdon Central (9-9-2) -- Red Devils, who drew the No. 3 seed in North 2, Group 4, bounced back from a 3-0 loss to Warren Hills in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex semifinals with wins over Hillsborough (3-2 on Tuesday) and Pingry (2-0 on Thursday). Senior midfielder Sammy Freeman has logged five goals in the team's last five games.

Up next: Franklin or Bridgewater-Raritan at home in North 2, Group 4 quarterfinals.

5. Delaware Valley (14-4) -- Terriers have won six of their last seven heading into the postseason, including a 1-0 victory over Somerville on Tuesday that secured the Skyland Conference Valley Division title. Coach Stephanie Rifflard's team is the No. 4 seed in North 2, Group 1 and could be heading for a quarterfinal matchup with No. 5 South Hunterdon.

Up next: Burlington City at home on Monday in North 2, Group 1 playoffs.

6. South Hunterdon (15-2) -- Eagles, who earned the Skyland Conference Mountain Division title, have won a Hunterdon County-best 14 sectional titles, but none since 2002 as coach Stephanie Davis-Hart's team drew the No. 5 seed in North 2, Group 1. South has won 10 of 11 since a 5-2 loss to Delaware Valley on Sept. 17, and could get a rematch with the Terriers in the sectional quarters.

Up next: Bordentown at home on Monday in North 2, Group 1 playoffs.

7. Belvidere (9-8-1) -- County Seaters capped the regular season with wins over North Warren (3-0 on Monday) and Mount St. Mary (2-1 on Tuesday) and a 1-0 loss to Delaware Valley on Thursday. Coach Beth Franceschino's team, which owns a 1-0 win over No. 3 seed and defending champion Newton, is the No. 7 seed in North 1, Group 1 and is seeking the program's eighth sectional title overall and first since 1996.

Up next: Butler at home on Monday in North 1, Group 1 playoffs.

8. Newton (14-3) -- Braves enter the postseason riding a five-game winning streak and earned a share of the NJAC Freedom Division title with a 3-0 victory over High Point on Thursday. Junior forward Sidney Pavlishin scored a goal and added an assist in that win, while scoring two goals in the team's 5-0 win over Sparta on Saturday.

Up next: Wallkill Valley or Mountain Lakes at home on Thursday in North 1, Group 1 quarterfinals.

9. Vernon (14-2) -- Vikings closed out the regular season on Saturday with a 4-3 win in overtime against Hackettstown to gain a share of the NJAC Freedom Division title -- the program's first conference championship since winning the old Sussex County Interscholastic League title in 1996 -- the same season in which Vernon won its eighth and last sectional title. Sophomore forward Julia Gregory scored three goals -- giving her 15 on the season.

Up next: High Point or Jefferson at home on Friday in North 1, Group 2 quarterfinals.

10. Hackettstown (7-8-1) -- Tigers rolled to a 6-0 win over Lenape Valley on Monday before closing the regular season with a 4-3 loss in overtime to Vernon, almost spoiling the Vikings' bid to share the NJAC Freedom Division title. Junior forward Megan Doyle has scored nine goals (14 overall this season) to go with two assists in the team's last four games.

Up next: Parsippany at home on Tuesday in North 1, Group 2 playoffs.
Posted by Mike Weilamann at 7:28 PM

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