Field hockey: Can NH repeat? HWS preview for '22

It's not often that we get the chance to celebrate a Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area team winning a field hockey state championship. 

North Hunterdon's historic march to the Group 3 title was the first for Hunterdon County since 1996 and the area's first since Warren Hills went back-to-back in Group 3 in 2014-15. Those are the area's only titles since Hunterdon Central won the last of its three championships in '96. Overall, HWS schools are 3-23 in finals during the 25 years since and 13-38 all-time since South Hunterdon's Group 1 runner-up finish in 1976, the area's first title appearance.

NH won its first sectional title since 1993.

Why is it so tough for teams up our way to capture the coveted prize? 

"We have such great field hockey [in the HWS area] but there's such phenomenal field hockey down [in South Jersey] too," first-year North Hunterdon coach Geoff Chrisman said following his team's 1-0 win against Moorestown in the Group 3 title game at Bordentown Regional High School last weekend. 

"It's tough, you come down south and you see officials you haven't seen. There's much more south fans in the stands. It's a hostile environment. I'm happy we can bring one back up north."

North Hunterdon (21-2) saw its 13-game winning streak and the program's greatest season end with a 6-2 loss to Oak Knoll in the Tournament of Champions semifinals -- making the area 0-3 (Warren Hills lost in its two semis appearances in 2014 and '15) all-time in that event, which is likely to end after its inception in 2006.

North's G3 title is the HWS area's first since 2015.

The Lions fell one win shy of matching the 1986 team's single-season record of 22, but they made their own mark by capturing the Skyland Conference Raritan Division title (first since 1991) and the school's first HWS Tournament championship, as well as the program's first sectional title since 1993. 

With 12 seniors on the 2021 roster, including all-time assists leader Ryan Anderson and outstanding Kent State-bound midfielder Olivia Reeder, can North sustain this level of success?

Anderson, who is looking to attend college somewhere in Arizona but has decided not to play field hockey at the next level, believes North is on the right track.

"[Assistant coach Amy] Masters does do a [offseason] program so hopefully she builds something like she built with us," said Anderson, who logged a career-high 33 goals to go with 22 assists this season and owns program marks for single-season (26 in 2019) and career (72) assists while ranking second in career points (194). "This is all starting from when we were young so hopefully that happens again."

Junior scoring machine Lauren Masters, a Louisville commit and the daughter of the assistant coach, will enter her senior season already in possession of the school's career marks for goals (102) and points (243). She also holds the single-season records for both (46 and 108 set this season), while her 16 assists this year matched a career high (also 16 in 2019). 

Junior Sara Roberts (15 goals, 12 assists) also emerged as one of the area's top offensive players, while junior defender Sarah Bisson and sophomores Molly Claus and Kendall Varty will all be key players in 2022. 

"I think they sort of realized what they have built and they're excited for what's coming next year and the year after," Chrisman said of the current team. "They get the big picture, which not all high school kids get. It's nice for them to know they accomplished something special. In two, three years, they're going to come back and see a program and not just a team. That's our goal now."

'Liners 'finally closed the gap'

Phillipsburg, which hasn't been a perennial postseason contender in nearly two decades, returned to the big stage and fifth-year coach Toni Popinko believes her Stateliners are here to stay after the program's most notable season in 22 years. 

P'burg has won six sectional titles in its history.

P'burg (13-10) captured the program's first sectional title and earned its first trip to the Group 4 state final since 1999, with a 2-0 win over Middletown South in the North Group 4 sectional title clash. The 'Liners avenged early-season losses to Montgomery, Ridge and Warren Hills (the latter snapped a 28-game skid in the series dating to 2008) to finish 3-5 against Skyland Conference Raritan Division opponents -- arguably the toughest division (which includes North Hunterdon) in the state. 

"I think we finally closed the gap and we're going to continue to compete," said Popinko, whose team also pushed the program's all-time wins total over 600 this year.

The Stateliners lose senior Madison Darmstadt, who was a big reason for Phillipsburg's success and second-half turnaround. The Stonehill College recruit made a seamless transition from the backfield to the center-midfield spot. 

But the offense should be in tremendous shape with juniors Samantha Helman and Gracie Merrick (the team's leading scorer) and sophomore Avery Ritt (the trio combined for 36 of the team's 60 goals) back in the fold. Junior goalie Beth Kelly (eight shutouts), who made several impressive saves in the 8-0 Group 4 final loss to top-ranked Eastern, will help anchor a defense that will miss senior Emilia Lopes, who was outstanding in the Group 4 final.

Streaks: 'We will be in it to win it'

Warren Hills' season didn't end in typical championship fashion, but the Blue Streaks certainly logged a successful campaign by most standards. However there was some disappointment after the program's run of 10 straight sectional/regional titles ended with a 4-1 loss to Randolph in the North Group 3 final -- the Streaks' first sectional loss since 2010.

"They took it hard," fifth-year coach Josie Potter said of her team's reaction to the program's first postseason defeat at home since 2007.

WH is 18-4 all-time in sectional/region finals.

Warren Hills (15-6-1), which hasn't won fewer than 15 games (minus the 14 in last year's pandemic-shortened campaign) since 2005, plays under immense pressure to uphold the program's lofty status among New Jersey's elite. But heavy graduation losses after the 2020 season, including several of the best players ever to don a Blue Streaks uniform, contributed to some inconsistency this season. 

"I think our lack of varsity experience caused us to struggle a little bit," said Potter, whose teams are 95-17-2 overall. "There were games where we played phenomenally and games where we struggled to put it together. 

"We had five seniors and two were first-year letter winners. Of our 13 letter winners, eight were first-year varsity players."

The loss of outstanding senior back Emily Dvorsky, a four-year starter and College of New Jersey recruit, due to a left knee injury was also significant. The last game of her fine career was a 2-1 win over Phillipsburg in the HWS Tournament quarterfinals. From that point on, Warren Hills went 6-4-1, but yielded three or more goals in five of those contests and nine times on the year.

"Losing Em hurt," Potter said. "But the defense really stepped up."

Senior sweeper Holly Ort, who has "great vision" on the field according to Potter, emerged this season as one of the Streaks' star players. Senior forward Maddie Summitt, one of the program's top offensive players who is headed to Ball State, will also be missed next season. 

Sophomore Sarah Salameh, who had a breakout campaign with 17 goals, will look to fill Summitt's shoes (they shared the team scoring lead with 17 goals and seven assists), while sophomores Jess Pawloski and Gianna Cioni (eight goals) "who has a nose for the goal," will be counted on to lead the offense next season. And keep an eye on sophomore Hailey Hoffman, junior Maddie Moreno and talented freshman Shivya Desai. 

"Looking back at the season, I'm incredibly proud of them," Potter said. "We wound up with 15 wins against the quality competition we play in the Skyland Conference. The future is looking very bright.

"This was a year of lumps and bumps. Next year, we will be in it to win it."

Flick-ins

How tough is Warren Hills on its home field? The Streaks have gone 137-14-1 since 2010, when the school's turf field opened for business that fall. This year's seniors went 42-6 at home from 2018-21. Potter pointed out a weird quirk in this year's schedule where her team played seven of its 10 October games on the road, including two HWS Tournament games at neutral sites.

Speaking of turf, Delaware Valley, which won six of its final seven games and finished 7-8-1 after an 0-7 start, is set to play on the school's new multi-purpose field, which is slated for completion next fall. That leaves Belvidere, High Point, Kittatinny, North Warren, South Hunterdon and Wallkill Valley as the only area schools to play home games on grass fields, which puts them at a huge disadvantage. Field hockey, unlike any other sport, is meant for turf.

Lenape Valley ruled Sussex County this season as second-year coach Isabelle Becker's team made the program's first sectional final appearance since the 1990 team captured the school's second and last championship. The Patriots (17-4-1), who featured 10 seniors on their roster, won six in a row before a season-ending 3-0 loss to Shore Regional, the eventual Group 1 state champion, in the sectional final. Sophomore Ella Gomez came up big with two postseason goals, including the overtime winner in a 3-2 sectional semifinal victory over Pompton Lakes.

Hackettstown (11-7) will look to sophomore Kiara Koeller (team-leading 15 goals) and freshman Brynn Otto (eight goals) to lead the forward line in 2022. 

Voorhees and Hunterdon Central, longtime state and Hunterdon County powers, will look to bounce back next fall. 

The Vikings (8-12), sitting on 690 wins, endured the program's fourth losing campaign in its 47-year history and first since 2004. They also suffered their earliest postseason exit since 1995 with a 2-0 loss to Madison in a North Group 2 first-round sectional clash. Senior midfielder Sadie Eichlin (team-high 13 goals) will be a tremendous loss, but junior Kate Matyas (seven goals) and sophomore Kate Cookson (six goals) are going to be key returnees, along with sophomore Noel Jeskulski (six goals).

"Noel learned a lot [this season]. Kate Matyas and Kate Cookson battled injuries and we didn't have them a lot. They will make big impacts on the field next year," said rookie coach Kathryn Roncoroni, the program's all-time leading scorer. "This year was a learning experience for me as a new coach and for the girls with a new coach coming in. I learned a lot of ways the girls learn better and how they play." 

Central (7-11) endured the program's first losing season since 2010 and just the fourth during veteran coach Jenn Sponzo's 23 seasons in charge. The Red Devils also suffered a first-round loss in the North Group 4 sectional playoffs -- 2-0 to Hillsborough. Senior forwards Sarah DeStefano (team-high 13 goals) and Jennifer Tokash (six goals) will be tough to replace, but junior Laurel Hanrahan and sophomore Amanda Walker emerged as top players this season.

Field hockey: Final HWS scoring leaders

Minimum 12 points

Player	School	Goals	Assists	Points
Lauren Masters	North Hunterdon	46	16	108
Ryan Anderson	North Hunterdon	33	22	88
Julia Gregory	Vernon	24	3	51
Ali Stoner	High Point	18	9	45
Julia Decker	Newton	18	8	44
Sara Roberts	North Hunterdon	15	12	42
Maddie Summitt	Warren Hills	17	7	41
Sarah Salameh	Warren Hills	17	7	41
Gracie Merrick	Phillipsburg	15	6	36
Ava Laible	North Hunterdon	13	9	35
Sidney Van Tassel	Vernon	11	12	34
Angie Falleni	Lenape Valley	13	8	34
Kiara Koeller	Hackettstown	15	4	34
Olivia Reeder	North Hunterdon	10	13	33
Julia Fitt	Newton	8	15	31
Katie Roberts	North Hunterdon	11	9	31
Avery Ritt	Phillipsburg	12	7	31
Sadie Eichlin	Voorhees	13	4	30
Sophia Candelorio	Sparta	10	9	29
Natalie Hasert	Vernon	10	8	28
Kayla Connors	Belvidere	12	4	28
Audrey Flannery	High Point	9	9	27
Casey Coleman	Sparta	12	3	27
Sarah DeStefano	Hunterdon Central	13	1	27
Samantha Helman	Phillipsburg	9	9	27
Natalia Oprzadek	South Hunterdon	10	3	23
Sydney Pavlishin	Newton	6	11	23
Zoe Horan	South Hunterdon	8	6	22
Brynn Otto	Hackettstown	8	6	22
Mia Vergano	Lenape Valley	9	4	22
Katie Giusti	Lenape Valley	10	2	22
Olivia Franceschino	Belvidere	10	1	21
Madison Darmstadt	Phillipsburg	9	3	21
Emerson LaBar	Belvidere	5	10	20
Ellie Kardos	Belvidere	7	6	20
Natalie Heiser	Delaware Valley	8	3	19
Annabelle Niebuhr	Delaware Valley	6	6	18
Sarina Sanders	Wallkill Valley	7	4	18
Dominique Thiessen	High Point	6	5	17
Julia Meyko	Delaware Valley	8	1	17
Gianna Cioni	Warren Hills	8	1	17
Kate Matyas	Voorhees	7	2	16
Jenna Brinck	High Point	8	0	16
Aaisha Taha	Hackettstown	5	6	16
Molly Claus	North Hunterdon	5	6	16
Kellie Roth	Wallkill Valley	5	5	15
Bridget Kerrick	Newton	5	4	14
Sarah Faherty	South Hunterdon	5	4	14
Jennifer Tokash	Hunterdon Central	6	2	14
Dara Pellinger	Lenape Valley	4	6	14
Ella Gomez	Lenape Valley	6	2	14
Kate Cookson	Voorhees	6	1	13
Natalie Armstrong	Wallkill Valley	5	3	13
Skyler Sciaretta	Hackettstown	5	3	13
Noel Jeskulski	Voorhees	6	1	13
Nora Dornich	Belvidere	5	2	12
Rachel McIntyre	Delaware Valley	3	6	12
Kenna Boutillette	High Point	6	0	12
Eva Whang	Vernon	6	0	12
Quinn Dachisen	Lenape Valley	4	4	12
Lena Lopes	Phillipsburg	4	4	12

Field hockey: 'We did all we could do'; NH's run ends

CLINTON TWP. -- North Hunterdon's field hockey team may be sad that it's over, but the program's first state championship season brought a new level of joy for all of the players and coaches.

The Lions' 6-2 loss to Oak Knoll in the Tournament of Champions semifinals on Wednesday afternoon at Singley Field was a tough way to go out, but North (21-2), which saw its 13-game win streak also come to an end, was still riding high just four days after a 1-0 victory over Moorestown in the Group 3 state title game -- the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area's first championship since Warren Hills went back-to-back in Group 3 in 2014-15.

NH was one shy of the school record for wins (22 in 1986)

"This is the best year yet and I couldn't ask for a better team and better teammates on and off the field," said senior midfielder and Kent State recruit Olivia Reeder, who put Oak Knoll on its heels early with a first-quarter goal. "They're there for me and it's a very special team.

"As a freshman, I never thought we would ever get this far. It was kind of a dream. This still doesn't even feel real. Just getting this far was amazing."

North Hunterdon, which was seeking the area's first TOC win (the event began in 2006) after Warren Hills lost consecutive semifinal appearances in its title years, took a 1-0 lead on Reeder's goal off the Lions' third penalty corner of the opening quarter. But Oak Knoll (22-3), which won two of the three previous TOCs and will next face eight-time champion Eastern -- a 4-3 winner over West Essex -- in Friday's title game, connected for the first of its five goals off corners in the game with 6:49 left on the clock and never looked back.

"It definitely was [tough to play after Saturday's win], especially because we're some of the last [fall] sports still playing," said senior assist machine Ryan Anderson, who has opted not to play field hockey in college. "Even to get up some intensity at practice was kind of hard, but it is what is. We did our best."

North had several chances to perhaps take an early two-goal lead, including a give-and-go in the circle from Anderson to senior left wing Ava Laible, who was unable to get off a shot at a wide-open cage as the ball sailed by her stick the left post. 

"There's a lot of things we could have done differently that could have affected the outcome, but we just try to win every three minutes," said Reeder, who logged another solid performance in the midfield. "It just happened that they got a couple of goals and we weren't able to make a comeback. I think we held them a lot of the game."

Oak Knoll, as most of the elite teams do, capitalized on 23 penalty corners, including 16 in the first half. Junior Julia Ramsey scored four goals overall, including what proved to be the decisive tally with 2:23 left in the first quarter. The corners and goals allowed were season highs for North.

"You can not give an exceptional team chances. And that's what we did today," said first-year North coach Geoff Chrisman, whose team went 11-1 at home this season. "We gave an exceptional team chances on the [numerous] corners that we gave them today. They made us pay for it.

North's state title is the county's first since 1996.

"In big games you have to make the big plays. We had some chances in the first quarter and we didn't take advantage of it. And then I think when [Oak Knoll] came back and scored that quick goal right after us, we tensed up a little bit, we got nervous. And by the time we recovered it was 4-1. When there's four teams left [playing] in the state everybody's really good. We can't give a team like that opportunities."

With the game seemingly out of reach after Ramsey tucked in Oak Knoll's sixth goal and her team-leading 26th of the season with 9:57 left in the third quarter, North regained its footing and applied pressure until the final whistle. Junior center forward Lauren Masters, the Lions' all-time leading scorer and Louisville commit, capped the scoring with her team-record 44th goal of the year and No. 102 for her outstanding career.

"We took as we're playing another really tough team and we were just going to play our game," said Reeder, when asked of how tough it was to play coming off the biggest game in North field hockey history on Saturday. "We knew [Oak Knoll was] a really good team. We were just focused on us. We wanted to play how we play and not let them get in our heads, and I don't think we did."

Oak Knoll, which has won seven in a row since a 5-1 loss to Eastern on Oct. 20, just never gave North any breathing room after that early surge. Ramsey's first goal put North in a 2-1 hole, the first time the Lions had trailed in a game since a 4-3 loss in overtime to Pingry on Oct. 5 -- a span of 52 quarters as they outscored their last 14 opponents, 90-13.

"They're phenomenal," Chrisman said of the Non-Public powerhouse. "It's hard because you want to take it seriously, you know it's a big deal, but all of our goals were accomplished. We just tried to take it as we're going to come out here and have fun, play hard and try to play our game. 

"We gave them a lot of opportunities and we waited a little bit at times," Chrisman said. "We would make the first stop and then sort of look for the ball as opposed to attacking it. We were nervous, we were tense, didn't really know how to treat the game. We got on our heels and it took us a little while to get off our heels. I think we recovered and the girls showed their character and they fought back."

North's historic and run may be over, but the Lions have left a winning legacy for future teams to chase. For 12 seniors, including Anderson, winning Skyland Conference Raritan Division, HWS Tournament (first in program history) and sectional titles (North's first since 1993), along with a state championship was pretty unthinkable as freshmen back in 2018, considering the program had gone 18-126-6 in the eight previous years before a 4-14 campaign in '18. The 2019 season was a game-changer as North went 15-8 and reached its first sectional final since '93.

"I want to say we built something our sophomore year and built a family," Anderson said. "And then our junior year [11-3 in a pandemic-shortened campaign] was when we kicked it off a little bit more. We kind of upped our game. We knew coming into senior year we had something special.

"I don't think we thought we'd get this far. I think we thought we'd have a good season, but I don't think we ever thought we could accomplish even getting here. Even if it didn't work out in our favor, the fact that we made it here is a big win for us. It's a long season and you give what you have left. We did all we could do."

Oak Knoll (22-3)                            3           2          1         0           --    6
North Hunterdon (21-2)                1           0          0         1           --    2

Scoring

First quarter -- NH, Olivia Reeder, 10th, 9:09; OK, Laila Pasic, 11th, (Lea Good), 6:49; OK, Julia Ramsey, 23rd, 4:35; OK, Ramsey, 24th, (Darby Campbell), 2:23.

Second quarter -- OK, Ramsey, 25th, 13:03; OK, Good, 19th, (Emma Ramsey), 7:21.

Third quarter -- OK, J. Ramsey, 26th, 9:57.

Fourth quarter -- NH, Lauren Masters, 44th, (Sara Roberts), 11:43.

Shots -- Oak Knoll 14; North Hunterdon 6.

Saves -- Madeline Sepe 4 (OK); McKenna Laman 5, Katherine Hall 3 (NH).

Penalty corners -- Oak Knoll 23; North Hunterdon 6.

Field hockey: North 'ready to fly' in 1st trip to TOC

It's been a memorable and history-making season for North Hunterdon's field hockey team. But it's not over yet.

The Lions, as a result of capturing the school's first field hockey state championship with their 1-0 win over Moorestown in the Group 3 final on Saturday at Bordentown Regional High School, will next test their mettle in the prestigious Tournament of Champions. 

NH claimed the HWS area's first state title since 2015.

North (21-1), which has won 13 straight and is one victory shy of matching the 1986 team for most in a season, drew the No. 2 seed and will host Oak Knoll (21-3), the Non-Public champion, at 2 p.m. on Wednesday in one semifinal matchup at Singley Field.

In the other semifinal, No. 1 Eastern (23-2), which has won eight TOCs and handed Phillipsburg an 8-0 loss in the Group 4 title game, is slated to host Group 2 champion West Essex (23-2), a 7-0 winner over Group 1 power Shore Regional (25-2) in Monday's preliminary game. The semifinal winners meet in the championship tilt at 7 p.m. on Friday at Kean University. 

"We're going to prepare like we normally do and just play our game," said North senior Katie Roberts, who scored the winning goal off a first-quarter penalty corner against Moorestown. "And hope for the best."

North Hunterdon's first appearance (joining Warren Hills which won Group 3 titles in 2014-15 as the only HWS area teams to qualify) in the 14th TOC will likely be the last. That's because the event, which began in 2006 and was not contested in 2012 (Hurricane Sandy) and '20 (COVID-19), is seemingly set to be eliminated after this season. A movement to do so passed an initial reading during a recent NJSIAA committee meeting.

First-year coach Geoff Chrisman's team, particularly the seniors, began laying the groundwork for one of the most remarkable turnarounds in Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area history three years ago. North, which went 22-140-6 in the nine years leading up to a 15-8 season in 2019, its first winning season since 2009, finished 4-14 in '18.

After an 11-3 finish and a loss in the Central West B regional semis during a pandemic-shortened  2020, North won the Skyland Conference Raritan Division (the program's first conference title since 1991) and its first HWS Tournament championship this year leading up to winning the school's third sectional title and first in 28 years. The state title is Hunterdon County's seventh overall and first since 1996, when Hunterdon Central, which lost 9-0 to Eastern in the 2019 Group 4 final, won the last of its three championships (1992, 93, '96). South Hunterdon (1976, '84 and '88) is the only other county school to win a state title, while Voorhees is the only other to reach a final, going 0-2 in Group 2 (2000 and 2006).

NH celebrates Hunterdon County's first title since 1996.

"They are a true team and their culture is what got us here," Chrisman said following his team's win against Moorestown.

Led by the 1-2 punch of junior forward Lauren Masters and senior forward Ryan Anderson, North, which has scored an impressive 146 goals this season and had not logged fewer than three in another contest this season before Saturday, features a potent and balanced offensive attack. Seniors Ava Laible (13 goals, nine assists), the HWS Tournament MVP, Olivia Reeder (nine goals, 13 assists), Katie Roberts (11 goals, nine assists) and junior Sara Roberts (15 goals, 11 assists), are all capable scorers.

Masters, a Louisville commit and North's all-time leading scorer, has a team-best 43 goals this season and logged her 100th and 101st career goals in the North Group 3 sectional final win against Randolph, while Anderson leads the team with 22 assists this season and owns the Lions' career mark with 72.

Both players, who had combined for 18 goals and six assists in the four previous postseason contests, were held without a goal or an assist in the same game for just the second time this season against defensive-juggernaut Moorestown. 

It was North's unheralded defense that cemented the state championship, including the steady goalie tandem of seniors Katherine Hall and McKenna Laman, who have split halves all season and combined for the team's fourth shutout in five postseason games, and its 10th overall.

"I think it's how we practiced and played all year long that [the defense is] just ready to go," Chrisman said. "They never seem distracted no matter which goalie is in there. They're ready to fly.

"Those two goalies, they bonded so well. They're so connected and they support each other so much."

Oak Knoll, which owns a 2-1 win over West Essex and has won six straight since a 5-1 loss to Eastern on Oct. 20, captured two of the previous three TOC titles and obviously presents a huge challenge for North. The Summit-based school features two 20-goal scorers in juniors Julia and Emma Ramsey, who have combined for 45 of the team's 111 goals and 31 assists. Junior Lea Good leads the team with 21 assists.

No matter what the rest of this week holds, North has undoubtedly left its mark and a winning legacy for future Lions to follow.

"They bought into just getting field hockey to be a better program here, but that goes back to our youth [program] being rebuilt," Chrisman said of his current club. 

"This is a culture change at North Hunterdon. This is a community change. Hopefully it's here to stay. I'm really proud of these seniors leading the way of what's to come."

Field hockey: 'Proud' P'burg hangs tough in G4 loss

BORDENTOWN -- Even after a disappointing loss in the biggest game of the season, Phillipsburg was able to take solace in the fact that this year's team put the field hockey program back on the map.

The Stateliners' memorable postseason run came to an abrupt end against New Jersey powerhouse Eastern, which won its 22nd consecutive state championship with an impressive 8-0 win in the Group 4 final on a frigid Saturday afternoon at Bordentown Regional High School.

P'burg also reached the Group 4 final in 1998 and '99.

P'burg (13-10) saw its four-game win streak snapped with the loss in the program's first Group 4 final appearance since 1999, which coincidentally started Eastern's remarkable and record-setting championship run, but still has plenty to cheer about. The 'Liners posted back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2004-06 and captured their first sectional title since '99 after going 4-15-2 only two years ago.

"I knew that every year, we got better and better," said talented midfielder Madison Darmstadt, one of just six seniors on the roster and who helped P'burg reach the state title game with a goal in the 2-0 win against Middletown South in the North Group 4 sectional final. "We had a group of girls that wanted it more and more. 

"We worked our butts off every chance we got and I had so much faith in this team. It's a great group of girls and I knew we'd get here, even if it took two years. We're here and we deserved it."

Eastern (23-2), certainly the biggest favorite in the five title games on Saturday, had its hands full in this one until breaking it open with five goals over a nine-minute span on the only shots of the third quarter. The Vikings, who have won 29 sectional titles will surely be the top seed for next week's Tournament of Champions, got three goals on the day  from senior superstar Ryleigh Heck, a North Carolina recruit who raised her state-leading and single-season record total to 118 with two in that third quarter.

Phillipsburg's defense, led by senior Emilia Lopes and junior Alexandra Baker, was not intimidated, holding Eastern to a pair of goals and seven shots-on-goal in the first two quarters. Junior goalie Beth Kelly also made several outstanding saves, but the Vikings, who have won eight of the previous 13 TOCs, are relentless on offense and it seemed only a matter of time before the floodgates would open.

"One of the things about our team this year is that they're completely fearless," said fifth-year coach Toni Popinko, who as a star midfielder helped lead Warren Hills to the 2009 Group 3 final against South Jersey power Ocean City (a 2-1 loss in overtime). 

"It doesn't matter if I told them every little detail about [Eastern] or not. It doesn't change anything. I thought we played a great first half and then our third quarter, we came out a little flat and they capitalized on it. It happens.

"Our defense was phenomenal the first half. In the second half, our defense fell apart in a sense for about 10 minutes and [Eastern] capitalized on it. Once they realized it, we fixed it, but with a team like Eastern, you give them a 10-minute break it's going to hurt you."

Phillipsburg, which was seeking Warren County's first state title since Warren Hills went back-to-back in 2014 and '15 in Group 3, won eight of its final 11 games, including a 3-0 win over Warren Hills that snapped a 28-game losing skid in the series and a 4-3 victory over postseason nemesis Montclair in the sectional semifinals, didn't manage a shot-on-goal or a penalty corner, but the 'Liners fought to the final whistle, something that wasn't lost on Popinko or an NJSIAA executive who commended them on a hard-fought loss.

"We hit our goals this year. We're happy to be here," Popinko said. "I couldn't be prouder. What more can you ask for?

"It shows the direction our program is going. It's tough. I know they're upset. It's hard to get beat, 8-0. It's not fun. But at the same time, what an accomplishment."

P'burg celebrates the school's fifth sectional title.

Darmstadt, who will continue her playing career at Stonehill College, was a major reason why P'burg got this far. The 'Liners sat at 4-5 following their 1-0 loss to Parkland (Pa.) on Sept. 30, the only other time they were shut out this season, before Darmstadt, a stout defensive player for most of her career, shifted to the center midfield spot. P'burg went 9-5 the rest of the way and the offense scored three or more goals seven times.

"We knew we were [playing] against an amazing team that works just as hard as we do," Darmstadt said. "We came in and we had nothing to lose, so why not win. That was the mentality we came into the game with. It didn't go our way today, but I'm really proud. We played our butts off and I think it's just an honor to play against a team like [Eastern], girls with that much skill. I'm really happy how the season went and how this game went, even if we lost.

"The bus ride here, the wait in the locker room [there was a severe weather delay earlier in the Group 2 final and before North Hunterdon won the Group 3 title in the previous game], our intensity was up. Our hearts were in the game at the very beginning of the game. It's hard. As soon as the gates opened, they got another and another. It's hard to keep momentum up, but I think the team chemistry and the intensity we had coming into the game really helped us in the first half."

As a freshman in 2018, Darmstadt and her fellow seniors were determined to leave their mark a winning legacy for future 'Liners to follow. Mission accomplished.

"We worked hard for four years. We went from a program with no travel players to a program with I think close to 10," Darmstadt said. "As a freshman, I came in and just wanted to play. That was the only thing I wanted to do. I fell in love with the game at a young age. Did I expect [to play for a state title] as a freshman? No. I didn't even know what a championship game looked like. 

"As a senior, I'm just really proud that we made our way here. I'm really happy that we got to win the sectional title for our team, for our school and for our town."

Phillipsburg (13-10)               0           0          0         0           --    0
Eastern (23-2)                         1           1          5         1           --    8

Scoring

First quarter -- E, Ryleigh Heck, 116th, 6:31.

Second quarter -- E, Olivia White, 17th, (Brooke Ruiz), 11:06.

Third quarter -- E, Ruiz, 12th, (Heck), 9:51; E, Heck, 117th, (Hudson), 8:37; E, Ruiz, 13th, (Heck), 7:00; E, Riley Hudson, 13th, (Heck), 2:16; E, Heck, 118th, :13.

Fourth quarter -- E, White, 18th, (Ruiz), 5:00.

Shots -- Phillipsburg 0; Eastern 14.

Saves -- Beth Kelly 6 (P); Susie Miller 0 (E).

Penalty corners -- Phillipsburg 0; Eastern 11.

Field hockey: NH takes its best shot, wins G3 title

BORDENTOWN -- Talk about making the most of your opportunities.

North Hunterdon's field hockey team came up with a plan and executed it to perfection, scoring the game's lone goal off a first-quarter penalty corner and relying on rock-solid defense to secure the program's first state title with a 1-0 win over Moorestown in the Group 3 final on a rainy and cold Saturday afternoon at Bordentown Regional High School.

North celebrates Hunterdon County's first title since 1996.

"It's such an honor. It's awesome," said senior Katie Roberts, whose 11th goal of the season with 3:09 left on the clock in the first quarter was the game-winner. "The team is so connected and we all love each other so much. It's so amazing. I'm glad to be a part of this team and have this connection with these girls."

The Lions (21-1), who have won 13 straight and were coming off the school's first sectional title since 1993, kept a season filled with milestones marching on. First-year coach Geoff Chrisman's team drew the No. 2 seed and will host Oak Knoll in the Tournament of Champions semifinals on Wednesday. Eastern (Group 4 champion) is the top seed and will host the winner of Monday's play-in game between West Essex (Group 2) and Shore Regional (Group 1) in the other semifinal. The title game is set for 7 p.m. on Friday at Kean University.

"We're going to prepare like we normally do and just play our game," Roberts said of playing in the TOC. "And hope for the best."

North, which earned the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area's 13th state title and Hunterdon County's first since Hunterdon Central won the last of its three championships in 1996, got all the offense it needed when Roberts received the insertion pass from her sister, Sara Roberts, at the top of the circle and drilled it toward the left post. The ball deflected off Mooretown goalie Catherine Parker's pads and into the netting in the upper corner of the cage.   

"I thought Katie did a really good job. She had a really good shot," said senior Olivia Reeder, who spearheaded a strong effort in the midfield. "It was just a really good goal."

Turns out, that first corner play was by design -- and a new addition to the playbook.

"We changed some things up corner-wise coming into today," Chrisman said. "We knew that Moorestown was going to [see on film] that a million of our inserts went to Olivia so we made a specific plan that Katie was going to get the first insert on the first corner. I basically told her, 'Go have fun, take that first shot and do whatever you want to do, and she scored. Great planning on that one."

Moorestown (13-7-1), which has won 29 sectional and 18 state titles in its illustrious history, stayed on the attack late in the contest and drew four penalty corners in the final quarter of play. But North's defense, which was spectacular all day, held tough down the stretch, including a goal-saving stop by senior transfer Lily Kumar (a UPenn recruit) in the final minutes to give Hunterdon County its seventh championship (South Hunterdon won Group 1 titles in 1976, '84 and '88) and first in Group 3.

"Our defense is so good. They're always prepared. They always have their sticks down," Katie Roberts said. "They're just a great unit and they always show up when we need it."

"Massive. A million people stepping up and doing things, but that right at the end was huge," Chrisman said. "We made quite a few big plays in tight moments today, but that was probably the biggest."

Senior goalies Katherine Hall and McKenna Laman weren't very busy as a result of the wall in front of them, but they combined for three saves to secure the team's 10th shutout overall and its fourth in five games.

North is the first HWS area team to win a title since 2015.

"Our defense goes against our offense in practice every single day, so they know how to go against high-level attacks," Chrisman said. "Moorestown is a phenomenal program and we knew they were going to come at us hard. They kept the ball at our end of the field and our defense just did what they do every day at practice and played well."

North Hunterdon figured to have the edge on offense, having scored a total of 145 goals coming into the game compared to Moorestown's 74. This one turned out to be an epic defensive battle.

"We kind of expected it. We watched film and we knew they were a really good team," Reeder said. "We knew it was going to be one of our more defensive games this season. I thought it was a lot of fun playing someone as [tough] as a competitor as [Moorestown]."

"We all told each other to stay calm and play our game like we know how," Katie Roberts said. "Use our transfers and passes to get [the ball] outside enough to our forwards. I think we did a really good job of working as a team."

Chrisman wasn't surprised that it was such a low-scoring affair. The teams combined for just six shots-on-goal and Moorestown finished with a 9-1 edge in corners.

"I think I watched seven or eight games for Moorestown [on film] the last week. They have been playing so well defensively," Chrisman said. "[Senior Asha Madison] does such a phenomenal job of picking off anything that is not on someone's stick in the back that we knew they were going to be a really, really tough team defensively to deal with. Our offense got the one they needed to get and then we played team field hockey the whole time."

North Hunterdon (21-1)                 1           0          0         0           --    1
Moorestown (13-7-1)                      0           0          0         0           --    0

Scoring

First quarter -- NH, Katie Roberts, 11th, (Sara Roberts), 3:09.

Shots -- North Hunterdon 3; Moorestown 3.

Saves -- Katherine Hall 1, McKenna Laman 2 (NH); Catherine Parker 2 (M).

Penalty corners -- North Hunterdon 1; Moorestown 9.