Monday, September 20, 2021

Field hockey: Belvidere, P'burg on rise (HWS ranks)

With pairings and seeds for the 12th Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament set to be released on Tuesday afternoon, here's our weekly team rankings and tidbits coming off Week 2 of the regular season. 

Check back here on Tuesday for the matchups and full schedule. The tournament gets underway on Saturday with preliminary-round games.

1. Warren Hills (4-1) -- Blue Streaks opened last week with a 4-3 win over Montgomery in their home opener behind three goals from senior forward Maddie Summitt, who scored twice in Saturday's win against Bridgewater-Raritan. Sophomore forward Sarah Salameh added a goal and an assist, giving her three goals and three assists in a four-game stretch. In between wins, coach Josie Potter's team saw the program's 29-game home win streak, which began after a 4-2 loss to Voorhees on Oct. 2, 2018, end with a 5-0 loss to Easton (Pa.). The notable stat from that one was former Streaks star Casey Fritts Eck earning her 200th career win with the Red Rovers.

Up next: Phillipsburg at home on Tuesday; at Pingry on Friday; Ridge at home on Saturday.  

2. North Hunterdon (3-0) -- Lions showed no rust after being idle for a week as senior forward Ryan Anderson made program history with two goals and two assists in a 9-0 rout of Hunterdon Central. As a result, Anderson, the program's all-time assists leader who entered this week with 110 career points, surpassed former North great Beth Gromlowicz for second place on the school's all-time list. Junior forward Lauren Masters, the Lions' all-time goals (65) and points (153), scored three goals to go with three assists in handing Central its worst loss since a 9-0 defeat to Eastern in the 2019 Group 4 final.

Up next: at Montgomery on Tuesday; at Hillsborough on Thursday; Phillipsburg at home on Saturday.

3. Phillipsburg (3-2) -- Stateliners bounced back from a 3-1 loss to Ridge on Tuesday with wins over Delaware Valley (4-0 on Thursday) and Pingry (6-2 on Saturday). Sophomore forward Avery Ritt, who logged at least one point in each of the first five games, scored two goals and added an assist in the win over Pingry, while junior forward Gracie Merrick combined for two goals and three assists in the two victories. Junior forward Samantha Helman logged two goals against Delaware Valley. Coach Toni Popinko returns to her alma mater on Tuesday as the 'Liners look to snap the program's 26-game skid dating to 2008 against Warren Hills.

Up next: at Warren Hills on Tuesday; at Watchung Hills on Thursday; at North Hunterdon on Saturday.

4. South Hunterdon (3-1) -- Eagles opened last week with wins over Pennington (3-0 on Monday) and North Plainfield (11-0 on Tuesday) before capping it with a 2-1 loss at Bernards on Saturday. Senior forward Natalia Oprzadek, who led the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area in scoring in Week 1, logged three goals for a team-best six on the season, in the win over North Plainfield, while junior Sarah Faherty and senior back Zoe Horan each added three assists. It was a single-game best for Faherty, who entered this season with one career assist that came in 2019. Oprzadek recorded her seventh goal against Bernards.

Up next: Delaware Valley at home on Tuesday; Mount St. Mary at home on Saturday.

Belvidere reached a regional final in 2020.
5. Belvidere (3-0) -- County Seaters opened their season with a 2-0 victory over Delaware Valley on Tuesday and followed that up with a big 2-1 win against Voorhees at home on Wednesday -- snapping the program's 15-game skid against the Vikes with their first win in that series since 1999 (3-1 on the road on Oct. 26). Seaters also improved to 13-30-5 all-time against the Vikes. Junior midfielder Grace Horvath and sophomore Olivia Franceschino scored the goals against Voorhees, while sophomore forward Emerson LaBar and junior forward Ellie Kardos each scored two goals in the team's 5-0 win over Franklin on Saturday. 

Up next: at Mount St. Mary on Monday; Bernards at home on Tuesday; 

6. Voorhees (3-2) -- Vikes started last week with a 3-1 win over Franklin before suffering their first loss to Belvidere (2-1 on Wednesday) since 1999 -- snapping the program's 15-game winning streak in that series. First-year coach Kat Roncoroni's team rebounded with a 7-1 victory over Delaware Valley on Saturday -- extending the program's winning streak in that series to 47 in a row since a 3-0 loss on Oct. 28, 1985, and giving Voorhees a 52-6-7 edge overall dating to 1975. Senior midfielder Sadie Eichlin is off to great start with five goals and three assists, while sophomore forward Kate Cookson scored her first two goals of the season against Franklin.

Up next: Bernards at home on Tuesday; at North Plainfield on Thursday; Somerville at home on Saturday.

7. Hunterdon Central (1-3) -- Red Devils drop two spots in the rankings coming off tough losses to nemesis Bridgewater-Raritan on Tuesday and North Hunterdon on Saturday, in which they were outscored by a combined 17-0. Coach Jenn Sponzo's team played at less than full strength without starting goalie Kelly Weaver, who made 16 saves across the first two games this season. Senior forward Sarah DeStefano scored two of the team's three goals through four games.

Up next: at Moorestown on Tuesday; Montgomery at home on Thursday; at Hillsborough on Saturday.

8. Wallkill Valley (4-1) -- Rangers enter the rankings for the first time coming off 1-0 wins against High Point on Tuesday and Lenape Valley on Thursday, which gives veteran coach Irene Chernati's team a leg up in the NJAC Colonial Division race. Sophomore forward Sarina Sanders tapped in the decisive goal against High Point and added two more in Saturday's 9-0 win over North Warren. Senior back Natalie Armstrong scored the first of her two goals this season against Lenape Valley.

Up next: at Hackettstown on Monday; at Kittatinny on Thursday.

9. Lenape Valley (3-1-1) -- Patriots also make their debut this week following a 2-0 road win against Hackettstown on Tuesday. Sophomores Ella Gomez and Mia Vergano scored goals, while seniors Angie Falleni and Dara Pellinger logged assists. Second-year coach Isabelle Becker's team closed out the week with 1-0 loss to Wallkill Valley on Thursday and a 2-2 tie against Blair Academy on Saturday.

Up next: at High Point on Tuesday; Jefferson at home on Friday.

10. Hackettstown (3-2) -- Tigers slip a few spots after losses to Lenape Valley (2-0 on Tuesday) and Vernon (2-1 on Thursday) before stopping the skid with a 2-1 win against previously ranked High Point on Saturday behind goals from sophomore forwards Kiara Koeller and Skyler Sciaretta. Sophomore goalie Emily Newton made six saves.

Up next: Wallkill Valley at home on Monday; at West Morris on Thursday; at Kittatinny on Saturday.

On the bubble

Newton (3-2) -- Braves own wins over High Point and Vernon, but lost to Hackettstown, 2-1 on Sept. 11. Senior forward Julia Decker has been on fire (team-high seven goals, three assists).

High Point (2-3) -- Wildcats dropped a 4-2 decision to Newton in the opener and have one-goal losses against Wallkill Valley and Hackettstown, as well as a 3-1 win over Vernon. Seniors Audrey Flannery and Dominique Thiessen lead the team with three goals apiece.

Vernon (2-2) -- Vikings opened last week with a 2-1 win over Hackettstown before falling to Newton, 4-3 in overtime, on Saturday. Senior forward Julia Gregory leads with four goals, while sophomore midfielder Sidney Van Tassel logged four assists through four games.

Posted by Mike Weilamann at 12:21 PM

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