Field hockey: Streaks, Central look toward 2020

The sting of a fourth consecutive state championship game loss was still fresh, but Warren Hills' field hockey team took solace in the fact that seven starters and a few key reserves will be back to resume the title chase in 2020.

"This year we only had [five seniors] so next year will mean even more [to the returning players]," junior left wing Simryn Desai said following the Blue Streaks' 2-1 loss to Clearview in the Group 3 final on Saturday afternoon at Bordentown Regional High School.

Warren Hills returns 7 starters for the 2020 season.

Warren Hills (23-2), which fell short in its bid for the school's third championship and dropped to 2-12 overall in state title contests, came up a victory shy of matching the 2017 team for the program's single-season mark, as the Streaks won at least 20 games for the eighth time in the last nine seasons.

But it's been a rough go at this stage of the season for the Streaks, who were outscored, 18-1, in their previous three state final losses here. It took nine attempts to get that first title in 2014 and the second came a year later.

These defeats are never easy, and third-year coach Josie Potter, who guided the team to the Skyland Conference Raritan Division and Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament titles, as well as an eighth straight sectional championship, was as disappointed as her players.

"I wouldn't say we came in overconfident, but sometimes when you haven't won ... it takes winning one," Potter, now 66-11-1 overall, said of getting over the hump in the Group 3 finals.

Warren Hills, now 88-44 overall in postseason games, would not have been in this position had it not been for a stifling defense that held tough against Clearview offense that came in averaging just over five goals per game. Senior goalie Julia Webber stood on her head in the cage, and her 328 career saves rank behind only Carolyn Kisling (353 from 2000-03) and Jackie de Raismes (336 from 2014-16) on the program's all-time list. Webber, who also ranks fourth in career shutouts (24), kept the Streaks in the game, while steady backs Liz Schlaffer and Emily Dvorsky, along with sweeper Kylie Compton, held the Pioneers -- who scored both of their goals on penalty corners -- to five shots in the first half.

All three defenders return, while junior back Ashley Moskal, who has missed all but one game the last two seasons with knee issues following a dynamite freshman campaign, should help as well to make a tough unit even better. Junior Emily Schlessinger, a talented goalie who has waited in the wings, will be the starter next season.

The offense will need to pick it up in 2020 if Warren Hills is to make another title run. The Streaks scored just one goal and allowed two in both of their losses -- 2-1 at Ridge on Oct. 15 was their only setback in 15 divisional games during the regular season -- and logged two or fewer goals in eight games overall.

Desai and senior forward Samantha Dugan shared the team lead in goals with 20, while junior inner Jenna Wyckoff, who possesses the talent to be a big-time offensive performer next season, ended the program's scoring drought in Group 3 finals at 174 minutes, 5 seconds, with her beautiful breakaway and crossing shot with just five seconds left in the loss to Clearview.

"Jenna has a lot of firepower," said Desai, who will enter next season 10 points shy of becoming just the 16th player in program history to reach 100 for a career.

"Our defense is very strong and a big part of Warren Hills hockey," said Dugan, a Quinnipiac recruit who ranks seventh on the school's all-time goals (57) and points (141) list. "Sometimes, we rely on them too much."

Joining Desai and Wyckoff on the right side of next year's forward line will be sophomore Maddie Summitt, a starter in 2018, and speedy junior Julianna Valli. Juniors Olivia Chomut and Sarah Korczukowski will be back at the left and right midfield spots, but replacing senior Kate Fenner, who is heading to Fairfield University, at the center midfield position will be the biggest challenge.

With only three seniors on its roster, Clearview, which won in its first state final appearance after claiming the program's second sectional title in three years, the Pioneers don't appear to be going away either any time soon.

'Welcome to Eastern'

It had been 15 years, but veteran Hunterdon Central coach Jenn Sponzo and this group of Red Devils got a quick reminder of just how tough it is to go up against perennial state champion Eastern, which rolled to its 21st consecutive state title in a 9-0 win over Central in the Group 4 final.

Central won its first sectional title in 6 years this season.

"Welcome to Eastern," Sponzo said during the postgame talk to her team shortly after the loss, which was Central's first appearance in a state final since falling to Eastern four straight years from 2001-04.

Central (13-10-2) saw its sensational postseason run end after wins over North Hunterdon (2-1 in the North 2, Group 4 sectional final) and Ridge (1-0 in overtime in the Group 4 semifinals). It was the program's first sectional title since 2013. Competing for state titles was once a given for Central, which won its last Group 4 championship in 1996.

It's been a long road back for Sponzo's teams, which had to deal with Bridgewater-Raritan from 2005 to the present. The Panthers won 14 straight sectional titles, beating the Red Devils in the previous five championship games. The teams were in different sections in 2013, but Central's season ended that year at the hands of Bridgewater-Raritan in the Group 4 semifinals.

"Bridgewater has always stood in our way," said Sponzo, whose team finally broke through against its nemesis by opening the postseason with a 2-1 win in overtime against the Panthers. "I don't think anyone thought we'd get here at the beginning of the season."

Central kept powerful Eastern in check for most of the first half, but when the Vikings eventually break through, they usually pour it on. The Red Devils lose their top player in senior midfielder Sammy Freeman, who is headed to the University of Iowa, and four other starters, but Sponzo said the returning players will benefit from this experience.

"This was a good eye-opener for the younger ones," she said.