Field hockey: P'burg 'in a good spot'; playoffs roll on

It's safe to say that Phillipsburg's field hockey team has been prepping for this moment all season.

Playing in arguably the toughest and deepest conference in the state, the Stateliners face some of New Jersey's top teams in the Skyland Conference on a weekly basis -- and have enjoyed a fair amount of success as part of the building process.

P'burg seeks its first sectional title since 1999.

P'burg (10-9) continues its quest for that elusive sectional title at 2 p.m. on Tuesday against familiar foe Montgomery in a North Group 4 quarterfinal at the Phillipsburg Athletic Complex. Despite being a No. 9 seed, the 'Liners, who ousted No. 8 Morristown, 5-0, in the opening round on Thursday, get a home game because Montgomery, the only No. 16 seed to advance in the eight public sections, knocked off No. 1 and previously-unbeaten East Brunswick. 

"We play in one of the toughest conferences in the state," said fifth-year coach Toni Popinko, whose team is seeking Phillipsburg's first championship since 1999 after a COVID-19 shutdown ended the program's season on the brink of the 2020 playoffs. "I thought we got a great [draw] as the nine seed. We're in a good spot."

In North Group 3, North Hunterdon and Warren Hills also continue their title bids on Tuesday. No. 1 seed North (17-1), which is bidding for the program's first title since 1993, hosts No. 8 Summit, while No. 2 seed Warren Hills (14-5-1), which eyes its 10th straight championship, takes on No. 7 Chatham. Four other local teams, Hackettstown and Vernon (North Group 2) and Lenape Valley and Newton (North Group 1) played in quarterfinals on Monday.

Montgomery (6-11), which has dual losses to Skyland Conference Delaware Division and Somerset County Tournament champion Hillsborough, Raritan champ North Hunterdon, and Warren Hills, has also been battle tested this season. The Cougars and 'Liners split a pair of Raritan Division meetings during the regular season -- with P'burg scoring a 5-1 win on the road on Oct. 7 to avenge a 4-2 loss at home in the season opener for both on Sept. 9.

Popinko admits that her team did not produce one of its better efforts in that opener, but after a 3-4 start, P'burg has won seven of 12 and five of its last seven games -- the only losses during that stretch coming to state power North Hunterdon (5-1 on Oct. 19) and a very strong Easton (Pa.) team (4-1 on Oct. 23). The 'Liners also own wins over perennial Group 4 state finalist Bridgewater-Raritan (2-0 on Sept. 11), the No. 2 seed in the draw, and No. 3 Ridge (2-1 on Oct. 12).

"We know Montgomery is a good team," Popinko said. "We came out a little flat in that first game. For the most part, we've beat the teams we're supposed to beat." 

One key to Phillipsburg's mid-season turnaround has been the play of senior Madison Darmstadt, a staunch defensive player, in a more offensive role. Darmstadt, who has logged seven goals since the position change on Sept. 28, originally worked as the center forward before settling in as the center midfielder. 

The forward line of juniors Samantha Helman and Gracie Merrick, along with sophomore Avery Ritt, has also benefitted from Darmstadt's presence in the midfield. Merrick, who is having a breakout season, is the team's leading scorer with 14 goals and five assists. Ritt, who has also impressed Popinko this season, is next on the list with nine goals and six assists, while Helman has seven goals and a team-best eight assists. 

"For about three games, we couldn't put the ball in the net," said Popinko, whose team opened the season 1-2 and scored a total of five goals. "[Darmstadt] and senior back Emilia Lopes are very versatile, key players. Helman, Ritt and Merrick have been pretty consistent.

"Last year, we had a really good group of freshmen come in," added Popinko, whose teams went 21-40-3 her first three seasons before a 6-4 finish in 2020. "It's a good group. They have good chemistry and a connection. We're still a young team."

Junior Beth Kelly, along with senior Amanda Parr, have done a solid job in the cage and anchor a defense that's produced seven shutouts this season, including a 3-0 win over Warren Hills on Oct. 14. That victory was the program's first since 2007 and snapped a 28-game skid against the Blue Streaks, who had won two previous meetings this season (3-1 on Sept. 21 and 2-1 in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament quarterfinals on Oct. 4).

That win was particularly satisfying for Popinko, a former standout midfielder for Warren Hills, whose sisters, Tori and Tali, also starred for the Blue Streaks. Their father, Jim, was a state champion wrestler for Hills in 1976.

"That was so cool," said Toni, who ranks 11th in career points (117) and is tied for 15th in career goals (39, a mark also held by Tali) on the Streaks' all-time list. "It's hard to beat a team three times. When we first started, we got blown out by teams like that. You get better by playing good teams. To finally beat [Warren Hills], and to be an alumni, is awesome."

Should P'burg advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2017 with a win over Montgomery, it would likely set up a semifinal showdown against Montclair, which has ended Phillipsburg's playoff runs a number of times over the years, including a 3-1 win in the 2019 North 1, Group 4 quarterfinals.

Quarterfinal matchups

North Group 4

16-Montgomery (6-11) at 9-Phillipsburg (10-9)

5-Princeton (15-1) at 4-Montclair (15-4)

6-Hillsborough (14-5) at 3-Ridge (15-4-1)

7-Bridgewater-Raritan (12-7) at 2-Middletown South (15-4)

North Group 3

8-Summit (11-8-1) at 1-North Hunterdon (17-1)

5-Lawrence (18-3) at 4-Northern Highlands (18-1-1)

11-Wayne Valley (10-9) at 3-Randolph (16-3-1)

7-Chatham (12-5-1) at 2-Warren Hills (14-5-1)