Tuesday, September 28, 2021

Field Hockey: Summitt hits milestone; WH-NH on tap

Warren Hills senior Maddie Summitt is a pure scorer. It's been that way since she first stepped on the varsity field as a freshman (scoring five goals with five assists) and it's continued throughout her four years playing for one of New Jersey's top programs.

Just don't ask her to rattle off the stats. As Summitt approached a career milestone in her team's 5-4 win over Ridge on Saturday, a teammate delivered the news that she went over 100 points to become just the 17th Blue Streak to reach the century mark.

Warren Hills is 63-9-1 (37-4 at home) since 2018.
"Honestly, I knew I was close, but I didn't know until [sophomore forward Sarah Salameh] told me so I was really happy about that," said Summitt, who scored a pair of goals to pass Kate Alleger, Toni Popinko and Tali Popinko (all with 39) and move into a three-way tie for 12th place on the all-time list (Erin Fritts and Gail Petteruti also with 41) while raising her points total to 103. 

Salameh, a rising star who entered this week with six goals and five assists, may very well be the 18th to reach that milestone. The pair combined for 12 goals and six assists in the team's last four games.

As a result, Warren Hills (7-1) appears to be hitting its stride with one of the season's biggest games fast approaching on Thursday, when the Streaks host North Hunterdon in a battle between the top two teams in the Skyland Conference Raritan Division and Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area.

It may very well be the first of four potential meetings this season. The teams will face off at least once more in divisional play and drew the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds for the HWS Tournament. Top-seeded Warren Hills is bidding for its record eighth title -- only Voorhees (2010, '12) has won more than one in the event's 12-year history -- and North Hunterdon (5-0) is seeking its first county title since going back-to-back in the former Hunterdon-Warren event in 1985-86.

Also, Warren Hills and North Hunterdon are now in the same North Group 3 section under the new postseason alignment, which no longer has four sections in each class. The north and south winners automatically advance to the state championship games.

"It's a different game every time," said Summitt, who admitted that playing a team four times can be a challenge. "It's a fresh start every time we play. I think it really helps us a lot that it's a battle every game we play [other teams on the schedule]. It helps us stay consistent."

Summitt, who bounced between the forward line and midfield as a sophomore, saw her offensive stats dip (six goals, three assists) before returning to the forward spot full time as a junior, where she logged career-bests with 18 goals and 11 assists in a pandemic-shortened 14-game season.

"[Summitt] has a hunger that you can't teach and when she gets in the circle, she's taking that shot," coach Josie Potter said after last year's 3-0 win over North.

Summitt, a  Ball State commit, who logged a team-high 12 goals through eight games, said that learning experience in 2019 made her a better player. She also is looking forward to a reunion with former teammate Jenna Wyckoff, a freshman for the Cardinals.

"I was moving around and it helped me out," said Summitt, who entered the week with career totals of 41 goals (only the 14th Streaks player to hit 40) and 21 assists (103 points). "It gave me better vision of the field. I'm super excited to play with Jenna for the next three years. I visited the school in June and fell in love with it. Coach [Stephanie Bernthal] is hungry for that MAC (Mid-American Conference] title."

With senior back Emily Dvorsky as the only other starter back from last year's regional championship team that featured 10 seniors now playing in college, the Streaks were expected to go through some growing pains playing a challenging schedule and shouldering the expectations to win that come with donning a Warren Hills uniform. So far so good for Potter's team, which took its only loss against a very strong Easton (Pa.) team, coached by former alum Casey Fritts-Eck.

"Emily and I are carrying the tradition through to the new class as the only returning varsity starters," Summitt said. "So far the team has really come together and we've bonded, especially off the field."

Dvorsky, who is committed to The College of New Jersey, is considered to be one of the best backs in the state. A four-year starter, she and the rest of the Streaks will have their hands full trying to contain North's potent offense, which goes six-seven players deep. Junior forward Lauren Masters (10 goals) and junior forward Ryan Anderson (10 goals) are a handful alone, but the Lions keep coming at you with relentless speed.

North will be plenty hungry and looking for its first win in the series since 2009. Will we have a new No. 1 next week?

Now, onto this week's rankings:

1. Warren Hills (7-1) -- Blue Streaks entered the week riding a four-game win streak following their only loss -- 5-0 to Easton (Pa.) on Sept. 18. Hills opened last week with an impressive 3-1 victory over Phillipsburg as senior forward Maddie Summitt scored a pair of goals to help extend the program's winning streak over the Stateliners to 27 in a row dating to 2008. Summitt also scored twice in wins over Pingry (4-2 on Friday) and Ridge (5-4 on Saturday) to go over 100 career points. Coach Josie Potter has shuffled the lineup, inserting freshman Shivya Desai, whose sister, Simryn was one of the program's top scorers and is currently playing at Hofstra, at the right midfield spot. 

Up next: Watchung Hills at home today (Senior Day); North Hunterdon at home on Thursday.

2. North Hunterdon (5-0) -- Lions are looking to move up in the rankings with Thursday's big showdown against Warren Hills looming. Senior forward Ryan Anderson is coming off a big week, as she scored two goals in the team's 5-1 win over Montgomery on Tuesday before adding three more in North's 6-1 victory against Phillipsburg on Saturday. Senior Olivia Reeder had a pair of goals and one assist on the week to move into fourth place on the program's all-time points list.

Up next: Bridgewater-Raritan at home on Tuesday; at Warren Hills on Thursday; at Hillsborough on Saturday.

3. Phillipsburg (3-4) -- Stateliners went 0-2 last week with losses to Warren Hills (3-1 on Tuesday) and North Hunterdon (6-1 on Saturday). Coach Toni Popinko's team will be better moving forward for its tough early schedule, which included Skyland Conference Raritan Division losses to Montgomery and Ridge. Sophomore forward Avery Ritt continued her breakout season with a goal, raising her team-high points total to 13 through seven games.

Up next: Hunterdon Central at home on Tuesday; at Parkland (Pa.) on Thursday; at Voorhees in Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament second round on Friday.

4. Belvidere (3-1) -- County Seaters took their first loss -- 3-2 to Mount St. Mary on Sept. 20 -- in a key Skyland Conference Mountain Division clash as junior forward Kayla Connors and senior midfielder Nora Dornich scored goals. It was their only action of last week as coach Beth Franceschino's team drew the No. 6 seed in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament. 

Up next: at Voorhees today; North Plainfield at home on Thursday; Hunterdon Central at home in Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament second round on Saturday.

5. Voorhees (5-2) -- Vikings cruised to pair of wins last week as senior midfielder Sadie Eichlin led the way with two goals in a 4-2 win over Bernards on Tuesday and one in a 4-0 victory over Somerville on Saturday. Eichlin entered this week with a team-best eight goals to go with three assists. Sophomore Kate Cookson is on a scoring tear with four goals in the last three games. Coach Kathryn Roncoroni's team had the opportunity today to avenge a 2-1 road loss to Belvidere on Sept. 15. The turf at Richard Degnan Field may be the equalizer as the first meeting was contested on grass.

Up next: Belvidere at home today; Franklin at home on Thursday (Senior Night); Phillipsburg at home in Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament second round on Friday.

6. South Hunterdon (4-2-1) -- Eagles opened last week with a 3-1 win over Delaware Valley before a 3-0 loss to Mount St. Mary in a key Skyland Conference Mountain Division clash on Saturday. Senior forward and leading scorer Natalia Oprzadek scored a goal in the win over Del Val. South drew the No. 10 seed and will travel to Newton on Saturday for a second-round matchup.

Up next: at Newton in Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament second round on Saturday.

7. Hunterdon Central (2-3) -- Red Devils are coming off a light week and a 10-0 rout of North Warren in a Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament preliminary game. Senior forward Sarah DeStefano led the charge with a career-high three goals and senior forward Jennifer Tokash added a pair of goals with one assist. Coach Jenn Sponzo's team, which had logged a total of three goals in the previous four games, is the No. 11 seed in the tournament.

Up next: at Phillipsburg today; at Pingry on Thursday; at Belvidere in Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament second round on Saturday.

8. Lenape Valley (5-1-1) -- Patriots are coming off a 2-0 week with wins over High Point (2-0 on Tuesday) and Jefferson (5-0 on Friday). Senior forward Angie Falleni and junior forward Katie Giusti scored goals in both games. 

Up next: at North Warren on Thursday; Sparta at home in Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament second round on Friday.

9. Vernon (5-2) -- Vikings went 3-0 last week, capped by a 4-0 win over Delaware Valley in a Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament preliminary round game. Senior forward Julia Gregory, who was heled without a goal in the previous three games, scored twice to give her a team-best six on the season. Sophomore midfielder Sidney Van Tassel had two assists for a team-high six on the year and senior forward Natalie Hasert has scored goals in three straight games.

Up next: at Sparta on Tuesday; at Hackettstown on Thursday; at Hackettstown in Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament second round on Saturday.

10. Hackettstown (3-3) -- Tigers held off Wallkill Valley, 1-0, in their only action on Sept. 20, as senior forward Emma Patton scored the winning goal. Two matchups against Vernon this week, starting with Thursday's NJAC Freedom Division clash at Morrison Field.

Up next: at Morristown-Beard today; Vernon at home on Thursday; Vernon at home in Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament second round on Saturday. 

On the bubble

Newton (5-2) -- Braves extended their win streak to three in a row with a 7-0 victory over North Warren on Friday. Senior forwards Julia Fitt and Julia Decker each scored a pair of goals, while Fitt added two assists.

Wallkill Valley (5-3) -- Rangers fell out of the rankings after a 1-0 loss to Hackettstown on Sept. 20. Senior Natalie Armstrong scored in a 1-0 win over Kittatinny on Wednesday.

High Point (3-5) -- Wildcats snapped a three-game skid (losses to Hackettstown, Lenape Valley and Vernon) with Monday's 9-0 win over Pope John in a Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament prelim. Senior forward Ali Stoner scored a career-high five goals.

Posted by Mike Weilamann at 3:47 PM

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