Field hockey: Vikes cruise to final; NH falls in OT

Those tough postseason tune-ups seem to be paying off nicely for Voorhees' field hockey team as it chases that elusive prize.

Following three straight exits in the sectional semifinals, the top-seeded Vikings are again bound for the championship round after rolling to a 4-0 victory over No. 4 South Hunterdon in the Central West Region A semis on Wednesday at Richard Degnan Field in Lebanon Township.

Newton kept its title hopes alive with a 3-2 win in double overtime against Boonton and will next face Belvidere in the Northwest Region A semis on Friday, while North Hunterdon saw its championship run end for the second straight year with a 2-1 loss in double OT to Ridge in the Central West Region B semifinals.

Voorhees is now 64-43 all-time in postseason play.

Voorhees (13-1-1), which earned the program's 21st trip to a sectional title game with win No. 681, is slated to host No. 2 Lawrence, which scored a 5-1 victory over Mount St. Mary in the other semifinal, on Friday at 4 p.m. It will be the first meeting between the schools as the Vikes, now playing in their 46th season, seek their eighth championship overall and first since 2016. Lawrence (11-0) also owns a 7-2 win over Robbinsville, a 6-0 loser to Voorhees on Monday. The Vikes beat Mount St. Mary by the same 5-1 score on Oct. 2.

Senior forward Tess Rodenburger continued her torrid pace on offense with three goals -- giving her six in the team's last three games and 16 on the season to match senior forward Kathrine McLean for the team lead. Rodenburger got Voorhees on the board in the first quarter off a deflection from McLean, who leads the team in assists with 19, including six in the last three contests.

Junior Leigha Schultze made it a 2-0 lead in the first quarter off a feed from talented freshman Kate Cookson and that's how it stood at halftime. Rodenburger added tack-on goals in the third and fourth quarters -- with assists from freshman Alexa Barkman and McLean.

The Voorhees defense, led by senior star Grace Schiavo, was stellar again in keeping South Hunterdon (12-4), which had won five in a row, off the board for the first time in two meetings this season, including a 3-1 win over the Eagles here on Oct. 27. Senior goalie Noelle Gabrish recorded three saves in posting her fourth consecutive shutout and 10th overall.

Third-year coach Shannon Hughes' team, which entered the postseason off a 1-0 win over Randolph, has rebounded from its only loss -- 3-0 to North Hunterdon on Nov. 2, and a subsequent 0-0 tie with Ridge three days later. It was the first time that Voorhees, which has won six straight in the series with South Hunterdon and owns a 31-17-7 edge overall, was shut out in back-to-back games since 2005. Both of those teams squared off in another sectional semifinal on Wednesday.

Lions come up short

North Hunterdon waited over a year for the chance to erase the disappointment of last year's runner-up finish in North 2, Group 4, but the top-seeded Lions will have to wait a bit longer following a 2-1 loss in double overtime against No. 5 Ridge in the Central West Region B semifinals at Singley Field in Clinton Township.

North was looking to end its 27-year title drought.

North (11-3), ranked No. 2 in the Open Mike area, saw its three-game win streak snapped and its bid to capture the program's first sectional title since 1993 end with the loss. 

The Lions trailed, 1-0, heading into the fourth quarter before leading scorer and sophomore Lauren Masters forced overtime with her area-best 27th goal off a feed from junior Ryan Anderson. Both went over the 100-point mark for their careers this season. The pair scored goals in the team's 2-1 victory over Ridge to open the season on Oct. 1, while Anderson logged a goal in a 2-1 loss in the rematch on Oct. 31. Masters logged at least one goal or assist in all but one game this season.

Ridge (10-6-1), which won two of three meetings with the Lions -- all 2-1 scores -- this season, has been tough on Hunterdon County teams of late. The Red Devils eliminated Hunterdon Central, 1-0, in the opening round on Monday at Stewart Field. Central won the North 2, Group 4 title last year with a 2-1 win over North at Singley Field.

Area playoff schedule

Thursday, Nov. 19

(All games 2 p.m., unless noted)

NJSIAA semifinals

Northwest Region B

Hackettstown at Vernon

Northwest Region C

Chatham at Warren Hills, 3:45 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 20

(All games 2 p.m., unless noted)

NJSIAA playoffs

Northwest Region A semifinals

Lenape Valley at Pequannock
Newton at Belvidere

Central West Region A final

Lawrence at Voorhees, 4 p.m.