Field hockey: NH, P'burg reach finals; WH run ends

And then there were three.

North seeks its first sectional title since 1993.

North Hunterdon is among the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area teams set to play for sectional titles next week, as the top-seeded Lions cruised to a 12-3 win over No. 5 Lawrence in a North Group 3 semifinal on Friday. Junior forward Lauren Masters logged five goals to raise her area- and program-best total to 43, while senior forward Ryan Anderson added three goals -- giving her 33 -- and three assists to help North reach its second final in three years and third since winning it all in 1993.

"We're playing pretty well. It's nice to see," said first-year North coach Geoff Chrisman, who was an assistant last year, when the Lions' season ended with a 2-1 loss in double overtime to Ridge in the Central West B regional semifinals after reaching the North 2, Group 4 final in 2019.

North (19-1), which extended its win streak to 11 since a 4-3 loss in overtime to Pingry on Oct. 5, will host No. 3 seed Randolph on Tuesday at Singley Field. The Rams (18-3-1) advanced with a stunning 4-1 win over No. 2 Warren Hills in the other semifinal, spoiling an anticipated fourth meeting between North and the Blue Streaks this season. The Lions won three meetings in the series for the first time -- 3-2 in overtime and 3-1 in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament final before a 5-0 victory to secure the Skyland Conference Raritan Division championship on Oct. 21.

The area went 3-for-4 as Phillipsburg, a No. 9 seed, kept its championship hopes alive with a 4-3 win at Montclair in the North Group 4 semifinals, while Lenape Valley (North Group 1), a No. 6 seed making its first sectional semifinal appearance since 2013-14 -- second-year coach Isabelle Becker was on those teams -- with a 3-2 win in overtime against No. 2 Pompton Lakes on Thursday. The Patriots (17-3-1), who won sectional championships in 1978 and '90, will face 27-time champion Shore Regional (23-1) for the title.

Tuesday's North and South sectional winners advance to the Group state championships scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 13 at Bordentown Regional High School.

"It shows how strong our division is that we almost had three teams playing for sectional titles," said Chrisman, whose team also beat Phillipsburg, 6-1 and 5-1, en route to the Raritan championship. "Top-to-bottom, our division has got to be the best, if not one of the best, in the state." 

'Liners keep rolling

P'burg's last sectional title came in 1999.

Phillipsburg (12-9), which is seeking the program's fifth sectional title and its first since 1999, has won three in a row and seven of its last nine, and will take on No. 2 seed Middletown South (17-4), a 2-1 winner over Ridge, in the title game. The 'Liners split with Ridge this season -- a 3-1 loss at home on Sept. 14 and a 2-1 road win on Oct. 12. 

Fifth-year coach Toni Popinko, who won two championships as a player with Warren Hills, has the Stateliners in a title game for the first time since 2010 (P'burg had to forfeit due to having played too many regular-season games).

The 'Liners, led by three goals from super sophomore forward Avery Ritt, also beat Montclair for the first time since a 1-0 win in the 2009 North 1, Group 4 quarterfinals. The Mounties have been a major postseason pain for P'burg over the years, including sectional wins in 2011, '16 and '19.

That 3-0 state playoff feeling🐾>>> pic.twitter.com/SqqJLwaZZU

— PHS fieldhockey (@fieldhockey_phs) November 5, 2021

 

Streaks run ends at 9

Warren Hills saw one of the area's most incredible sectional playoff runs end with a rare home loss, its first defeat in seven career meetings against Randolph dating to 1983. The Blue Streaks (15-6-1) were denied a chance to play for a 10th straight championship as the result of the program's first sectional setback (snapping a 29-game win streak dating to 2012) since 2011 (3-2 to Freehold Boro in the North 2, group 3 final) and first at home since 2007 (2-0 to Freehold Boro in the North 2, Group 3 final).

Coach Josie Potter's young team featured only two returning senior starters from last year's regional title squad, including talented forward Madison Summitt and back Emily Dvorsky. Senior sweeper Holly Ort helped anchor a defense that sorely missed Dvorsky, as the four-year starter sustained what proved to be a season-ending knee injury in early October. That senior group collectively went 43-6 at home overall since 2018.

Summitt, a Ball State commit who was held without a goal or an assist in the team's three postseason games, finishes her career ranked 10th in points (118), 12th in goals (46), and tied for 15th in assists (26) on the program's all-time lists. Summitt and sophomore midfielder Sarah Salameh shared the team lead for goals this season with 17.

Sectional and state schedule

Tuesday, Nov. 9

(Times to be announced)

NJSIAA Public sectional finals 

Group 4

Phillipsburg (12-9) at Middletown South (17-4)

Eastern (21-2) at Kingsway (19-2)

Group 3

Randolph (18-3-1) at North Hunterdon (19-1)

Moorestown (12-6-1) at Ocean City (20-2)

Group 2

West Morris (13-7-1) at West Essex (20-2)

Seneca (15-6-1) at Haddon Heights (22-0)

Group 1

Lenape Valley (17-3-1) at Shore Regional (23-1)

Collingswood (13-6-2) at Woodstown (18-3)

Saturday, Nov. 13

NJSIAA state finals at Bordentown 

Non-Public, 10 a.m.

Group 2, noon

Group 3, 2 p.m.

Group 4, 4 p.m.

Group 1, 6 p.m.