Field hockey: Streaks set up for sustained success

As we pull the curtain down on another field hockey season, here are some thoughts following Warren Hills' 6-1 loss to Moorestown in the Group 3 final on Saturday.

1. It took eight attempts before Warren Hills was able to finally break through and win that first state title in 2014. After going back-to-back in '15, it seemed as if the "curse" had been lifted. But the Blue Streaks are finding the road back to the top equally as challenging after being outscored 11-1 in their last two trips to the championship game.

First-year coach Josie Potter bids farewell to a senior class that leaves some big shoes to fill -- going 90-15 (47-5 at home) overall while winning three division and county tournament titles, along with four sectional and two Group 3 championships. Five will play in college -- Tali Popinko (Temple) and Mikayla Dugan (Quinnipiac) on the D1 level, while forwards Rebecca Sigman (Bloomsburg) and Alyssa Appleby (Stevens) and goalie Maggie Titus (Bryn Mawr) will play either D2 or D3.

Warren Hills (24-3) set a school record for wins (posting at least 20 for a seventh straight season) and has won six straight sectional titles while making six straight trips to the state final.

The Streaks still had plenty to smile about after a tough loss. (Courtesy WH)

"It's a great feeling to get down here [to the Group 3 final]," Dugan said. "It's an honor to have gotten here [all four years of high school]."

Popinko is the first Blue Streak to start in four championship games. Quite an honor for sure, but she smiled when asked about not getting one more goal which would have given her bragging rights over sister Toni Popinko, who also logged 39 career goals (2006-09). Toni, considered one of the best to put on a Warren Hills uniform, is now the head coach at Phillipsburg. Tori, the middle sibling, scored 32 from 2007-2010.

"It would have been nice," said Tali Popinko, who scored a career-best 18 goals this season. "I'm honored to have the same stats. [Toni] was such a great player."

2. One thing I believe is hurting Warren Hills is the schedule, as odd as that may sound considering the slate annually features several top opponents. But the Streaks are locked into 15 conference games -- 10 in the Raritan Division and another five in crossovers against the Delaware -- leaving room for just three independent games, which are wisely filled by playing some some of the state's best teams such as Madison and West Essex. But look at Moorestown, which also played West Essex, in addition to three state champions in Eastern (Group 4), Rumson-Fair Haven (Group 2) and Haddonfield (Group 1) this season. In turn, Warren Hills gains little from playing roughly nine division matchups which are essentially mismatches.

"We see some strong teams, but we need to put some in the back half of the schedule," said Potter, whose team reeled off 19 straight wins after a 1-0 loss to Madison on Oct. 20, but was never in a dogfight other than a 2-1 victory over Bridgewater-Raritan back on Oct. 3. The Panthers lost to Eastern for the 13th straight year in the Group 4 final on Saturday.

3. The dreaded streak, that elephant in the room which no one really wanted to talk about while it was in progress. For the fourth time in program history, Warren Hills matched the 2011, '12 and '13 teams by winning 19 in a row before the loss to Moorestown. Did that have an affect on Saturday? It's tough to maintain a stretch like that with the quality schedule the Streaks play, but losses right before the postseason aren't always a bad thing. Was it too much added pressure?

"We really didn't let it get to our heads," Mikayla Dugan said. "I don't think it affected us."

 "We tied the longest streak [in program history]. That's not bad," Potter said.

4. One key for Warren Hills will be getting an early lead should it get back to the Group 3 final next year and beyond. The Streaks had some opportunities in the first few minutes against Moorestown, including a penalty stroke attempt by Dugan that was snuffed out by goalie Lauren Pickul as Dugan tried to go left side of the cage. It was the same designed stroke she successfully converted for the game-winner in the North 1, Group 3 title against West Morris in 2016.

Last year, Warren Hills trailed, 1-0, at the half against Ocean City, which scored four more in the final 30 minutes to ice it as the Streaks just kind of sat back on their heels. Saturday was different in that they battled for most of the second half after being down 4-1 at the break against Moorestown.

"They played hard to the final whistle and that's a credit to their desire and passion for this game," Potter said. "[If we had scored early] it could have been a whole different game."

5. With a total of nine seniors, including seven starters, one would think Warren Hills could take a step back next season. Quite the contrary. There are several impact eighth graders on the way, much like the anticipated arrival of super freshman Ashley Moskal (Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament MVP) this season. Many believe she would have started on last year's team, and after watching her play, there's no doubt. Look at what she did for a defense that was shaky in 2016. She, along with older sister Sydney Moskal, and sophomores Jess DeSanto and Kate Fenner, formed a stingy unit, one that very well may have helped to deliver a title last season. The ironic thing is that all but Ashley Moskal were on last year's roster. Fenner's move from the forward line to sweeper this season and Sydney Moskal switching from sweeper to center back really solidified the defensive "Wall."

With sophomore forward Samantha Dugan (19 goals, 13 assists) back to lead the offense and poised to possibly break some scoring records before she's done, can Ashley match her sister with a few state titles before she's done?

"I hope so," Sydney said. "They have a lot of talent coming up. Besides the seniors, this was a very young team."

"It's a lot of pressure," Potter said. "You come into the season knowing how talented we are. This was such a motivated team and a pleasure to coach. There's always next year."

Field hockey: Streaks' run ends with state final loss

BORDENTOWN -- Warren Hills' field hockey program spent what seemed like an eternity chasing a state championship before winning back-to-back titles in 2014 and '15. The Blue Streaks are finding it equally as difficult to get back on top.

Warren Hills suffered its second straight loss in the Group 3 final -- 6-1 to Moorestown on a frigid Saturday morning at Bordentown Regional High School. The Streaks (24-2), who saw their 19-game winning streak snapped in their sixth straight finals appearance, were looking to atone for a 5-0 loss to nemesis Ocean City in the 2016 title game. The Warren County school went 0-8 in the finals from 1996-2013 before breaking through in '14 and '15.

"I'm so proud of this team," said first-year head coach Josie Potter, who was an assistant coach on the 2014 team that beat Ocean City for the school's first state title in any female sport. "Moorestown is a very good program. They made beautiful passes stick-to-stick. We knew it was going to be a tough game."

Warren Hills was denied its third title in four seasons on Saturday.

Moorestown (17-3) has been tough on Open Mike area teams in the championship round. The Quakers, who captured their 17th title and first since a 1-0 win over Voorhees in the 2006 Group 3 final at Toms River East High School, handed Warren Hills a heartbreaking 2-1 loss in overtime in the '03 title game at The College of New Jersey.

Captains Rebecca Sigman, Tali Popinko, Mikayla Dugan and Sydney Moskal were among seven senior starters to play their final games in a Warren Hills uniform.

Sigman scored the Streaks' lone goal with 1:50 left in the first half, raising her team-leading total to 34. She is just the second player in program history to reach the 30-goal plateau (Dani Profita had 41 in 2015) and Sigman's career total of 72 matches Lindsey Schott for third place on the school's all-time list. Sigman's single-season points total of 83 is second only to Profita (106 in '15), and she ranks sixth on the career list with 174.

"It's amazing to have that kind of success. I'm extremely proud [to be among those names]," said Sigman, a Bloomsburg University recruit.

It was a bit of deja vu for Warren Hills, which found itself down early against Moorestown as it did a year ago vs. Ocean City. The Streaks, who controlled the action for the first five minutes and were awarded two penalty corners, had a golden opportunity to go on top when Dugan settled in to attempt a penalty stroke. Dugan sent it to the left side, but goalie Lauren Pickul batted it down and Moorestown seized immediate control from that point on. Pickul also thwarted early shots off the pads by Dugan and Popinko.

"If we had made that stroke it might have set a different tone for the game," said the Temple-bound Popinko, who is the first Blue Streaks player to start in four state finals. "Our defense was strong still, but we had to make some changes to try to get back in it."

Moorestown, which started 10 juniors, one senior and one freshman, scored four straight goals to take a commanding lead, including two by junior midfielder Delaney Lawler, whose opened the scoring with a rocket into the right corner immediately after the missed penalty stroke. Junior forward Kayla Frank made it 2-0 with a breakaway, as talented Warren Hills freshman Ashley Moskal hustled back to try and disrupt the play to no avail. Junior forward Colleen Craven's goal off a rebound with 15:55 left in the first half put the Streaks in a 3-0 hole before Lawler's second score off a penalty corner pretty much ended any thoughts of a comeback.

"After they scored that first goal, we still had the intensity, but it went down from there," said Dugan, who will continue her academic and athletic careers at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.

Warren Hills, now 2-10 overall in state championship games, also played short-handed for most of the first 30 minutes as the Streaks were hit with a total of four penalty cards on the day -- including a yellow for tripping on sophomore Samantha Dugan, who had to leave the game for 10 minutes and wasn't allowed to return until early in the second half. Potter and her assistant coaches (Sarah Kaufman and Erica Russell) were visibly upset by what they thought were some one-sided calls. Moorestown did receive two green cards overall, including one with 23:02 left in the first half.

"There was a lot of stuff on the field that I felt wasn't going our way," Potter said diplomatically. "At most it would have been a two- or three-goal game. I've never seen a 10-minute card. I'm not knocking Moorestown. They played really well and should have won. But the goal differential should not have been that big."

It was a tough day for a Warren Hills defense that really took shape after allowing this many goals in a 6-1 loss to West Essex earlier this season. In between, the Streaks yielded a total of 10 goals over their next 22 games and only two in their past nine coming into the state final. Sydney Moskal, along with her sister, Ashley, and sophomores Jess DeSanto and Kate Fenner formed what Potter dubbed "The Wall" in front of senior goalie Maggie Titus.

"They're very young and I'm proud of them," said Sydney Moskal, a three-year starter who has decided to end her field hockey career in high school. "I was proud we were able to get that one goal. I loved playing with my sister. We all communicated so well and we have a connection with each other. This was my last game and it's very sad and bittersweet."

The loss shouldn't spoil what was one of the best seasons in program history. Warren Hills set a school record for wins, while matching its longest win streak, joining the 2011, '12 and '13 teams. The Streaks claimed the program's 15th sectional title and sixth in a row, while winning the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament and Skyland Conference Raritan Division championships.

"This team is amazing," Popinko said. "We had high hopes for this game, but we played our hardest. Even though [the final score] looks bad, we didn't give up. We were just a little off today."

Moorestown (17-3)                     4                2          --    6
Warren Hills (24-3)                     1                0          --    1

Scoring

First half -- M, Delaney Lawler, 16th, 25:49; M, Kayla Frank, 17th, 19:09; M, Colleen Craven, 14th, 15:55; M, Lawler, 17th, 9:20; WH, Rebecca Sigman, 34th, (Alyssa Appleby), 1:50.

Second half -- M, Avery Powell, 12th, (penalty stroke), 21:36; M, Madison Sever, 5th, (Powell), 16:50.

Shots -- Moorestown 16; Warren Hills 8.

Saves -- Lauren Pickul 6, Lawler 1 (defensive) (M); Maggie Titus 8, Mikayla Dugan 2 (defensive) (WH).

Penalty corners -- Moorestown 12; Warren Hills 8.

Field hockey: Streaks aiming to reclaim state title

Warren Hills senior midfielder Mikayla Dugan set the tone for this season shortly after one of the program's toughest defeats -- 5-0 to Ocean City in the 2016 Group 3 final.

"We'll be ready for revenge."

That's been the mantra all season for the Blue Streaks, who have waited nearly one year for their shot at redemption. Warren Hills (24-2), which has won 19 in a row, will take on Moorestown at 10 a.m. on Saturday for the state championship at Bordentown Regional High School.

The Streaks, who are seeking their third title in four seasons after knocking off Ocean City in 2014 and '15, will face Moorestown for only the second time ever, dropping a 2-1 decision in overtime in the 2003 Group 3 final at The College of New Jersey. Warren Hills, making its sixth straight finals appearance, had previously faced Ocean City in the past five title games and eight times overall.

Warren Hills, which has won 15 sectional titles, eyes a third state championship.

"We're excited to play them," said first-year head coach Josie Potter, who was a player on the 1996 (Warren Hills' first-ever appearance) and '99 runner-up teams and an assistant coach under Laurie Kerr when the 2009, '12, '13 and '14 teams went to the championship game.

"I'm confident we'll show up ready to play. It's very rare to have that large of a goal differential in a state final. That doesn't normally happen. They are determined to avenge last year."

Moorestown (16-3), making its first finals appearance since 2011, is seeking its 17th title overall and first since a 1-0 victory over Voorhees in the 2006 Group 3 final at Toms River East, the Vikings' last appearance in a state final. Coach Ali Collins' Quakers, who were ousted in the Group 3 semifinals by Ocean City (2012, 2014-16), have been on a major roll, winning eight of their last nine, including a 2-1 victory over West Essex on Oct. 12. By comparison, the Streaks dropped a 6-1 decision to West Essex on Sept. 15.

Moorestown followed that win up with a 3-2 loss to perennial Group 4 champion Eastern just two days later. The Quakers, who have outscored their four postseason opponents, 22-2, also lost 3-0 to Rumson-Fair Haven, which is playing for the Group 2 title on Saturday, and 2-1 to defending Group 1 champion Haddonfield earlier this season.

Juniors Kayla Frank (16 goals), Delaney Lawler (15 goals, 8 assists) and Colleen Craven (13 goals, 5 assists) lead the Moorestown offense, which is averaging 4.2 goals per game.

Warren Hills is battle-tested as well with a 2-1 win over Bridgewater-Raritan, which is making its 13th straight appearance in the Group 4 final vs. Eastern on Saturday, on Oct. 3, as well as a tough 1-0 loss to Madison, which will play for the Group 1 title, on Sept. 20. The Blue Streaks also faced Rumson-Fair Haven in a preseason scrimmage.

Warren Hills, which is 2-9 all-time in state finals, enjoyed a record-setting night on Wednesday in a 10-1 rout of Colts Neck in the Group 3 semifinals. Senior forward Rebecca Sigman established program single-game records with five goals (33 on the season) and 13 points (she also had three assists). Sigman, who ranks fourth on the school's all-time goals list with 71 (one behind Lindsey Schott) and second in points scored in a season (81), joined Dani Profita (41 in 2015) as the only Blue Streaks to hit the 30-goal plateau. Sigman needs eight points to rank in the top four on that career list.

"If you try to shut [Sigman] down, we have other scorers," Potter said.

Senior forward Alyssa Appleby (19 goals), senior midfielder Tali Popinko (18 goals, 14 assists), sophomore forward Samantha Dugan (19 goals, 13 assists) and Mikayla Dugan (13 goals, 10 asssists) are all part of a balanced offensive attack. Senior Rebecca Lezon also is a threat in the midfield for an offense averaging 4.5 goals per game. Popinko needs one goal to surpass her sister Toni, now the head coach at Phillipsburg, who also logged 39 career goals for Warren Hills from 2006-09. They share 12th place on the school's all-time list with Kate Alleger (1993-96).

Defense has been the biggest key for Warren Hills, which has yielded just eight goals during the current win streak. Senior back Sydney Moskal helps anchor a stingy unit, along with talented freshman Ashley Moskal, sophomore Jess DeSanto and sophomore sweeper Kate Fenner. That group helps keep the heat off senior goalie Maggie Titus, who has faced just five shots in four postseason games. Warren Hills hasn't trailed any opponent since the first half of a 2-1 win at Voorhees on Sept. 22.

Warren Hills has the honor of playing in the opening state final and will begin their title journey bright and early on Saturday.

"We'll leave [Washington] around 6:45 a.m., so we'll get down there with plenty of time to spare," Potter said. "This could be an awesome championship game for us."

State finals matchups

(Games to be played Saturday at Bordentown)

Group 3

Warren Hills vs. Moorestown, 10 a.m.

Group 4

Bridgewater-Raritan vs. Eastern, noon

Group 1

Madison vs. Haddonfield, 2 p.m.

Non-Public

Oak Knoll vs. Bishop Eustace, 4 p.m.

Group 2

Rumson-Fair Haven vs. Seneca, 6 p.m.

Field hockey: Streaks roll, Rangers fall in state semis

Warren Hills' field hockey team enjoyed one record-setting night as it took another step toward redemption.

Senior forward Rebecca Sigman scored a program record five goals and senior forward Alyssa Appleby notched three as the Blue Streaks rolled to a 10-1 victory over Colts Neck in the Group 3 semifinals on Wednesday at A.L. Johnson High School.

Warren Hills (24-2), which matched a program record with its 19th consecutive win and set a new mark for single-season victories, will take on Moorestown (16-3) for the Group 3 championship at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Bordentown Regional High School. The Blue Streaks, who won back-to-back titles in 2014 and '15, will be making their 12th appearance in the final and sixth straight since 2012. But last year's 5-0 loss to Ocean City that ended Warren Hills' reign still stings.

Warren Hills seeks its third state title in four seasons on Saturday.

"They're on a mission," said first-year head coach Josie Potter, who was a player on the 1996 (Warren Hills' first-ever appearance) and 1999 runner-up teams and an assistant coach under Laurie Kerr when the 2009, '12, '13 and '14 teams went to the championship game. "They were determined to get back down to Bordentown to avenge last year."

Sigman, now with 33 goals on the season, is just the second Warren Hills player to hit the 30-goal plateau, as Dani Profita (now playing at Fairfield University, which recently won the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title) scored 41 in 2015. Sigman's five goals are the most in a single game as Profita (2014 and '16), Vicki Egerer (2002) and Kelsey Luckey ('02) previously held the mark with four.

"She has a nose for the cage and she motivates our offense," Potter said of Sigman. "She's got a great stick on the [goalie] pads and a deadly spin move to the strong side where she gets a quick hit off."

Just under two minutes in, Sigman gave Warren Hills a 1-0 lead before Colts Neck (17-2-1), which reached the semis by winning the program's first sectional title, evened things midway through the first half. It was the first goal allowed by the Streaks this postseason and just the second in the past nine games.

"We scored so early, they may have been [overconfident]," said Potter, whose team finished with lopsided edges in shots-on-goal (24-2) and penalty corners (14-0). "We were dominating the game and our defense collapsed a little bit. [Senior goalie] Maggie Titus made a great save on the shot before the goal. It wasn't a great shot [on the goal], but the defense didn't recover.

"After they scored, it kind of kicked our butts into gear. We didn't give up a defensive corner."

Sigman connected again about eight minutes later and Warren Hills never looked back. Sophomore Samantha Dugan and senior Katie Mahoney also scored in the win. It was the first career goal for Mahoney, who connected after a rocket shot from senior Tali Popinko right at the post.

Warren Hills, now 12-3 all-time in state semifinals and 80-41 in postseason play, owes Moorestown one as well for a 2-1 loss in overtime in the 2003 Group 3 final at The College of New Jersey. Amy Lewis scored the winning goal, ending the Blue Streaks' season at 17-5-1. It's the only other meeting between the two storied programs. Moorestown captured the last of its 16 titles in 2006 -- a 1-0 win over Voorhees.

Rangers fall in G1 semis

Wallkill Valley's postseason run ended with a 9-0 loss to Madison in the Group 1 semifinals on Wednesday night at Boonton High School.

The Rangers (21-3), whose 10-game win streak was snapped with its first loss since a 5-2 setback against Hunterdon Central in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament quarterfinals on Oct. 7, captured the program's first sectional title since 2006 on Friday with a 3-1 victory over Boonton in the North 1, Group 1 final.

Senior forward Morgan Carr, who scored her team-leading and program record 45th and 46th goals in that one, was kept off the board for just the third time this season. Carr's 96 career goals surpassed Amanda Nann (88) for the school's mark in that category.

Madison (22-2), which won the Group 2 title in 2016, advances to its fourth straight championship game to face defending Group 1 champion Haddonfield (21-3).

State finals matchups

(Games to be played Saturday at Bordentown)

Group 3

Warren Hills vs. Moorestown, 10 a.m.

Group 4

Bridgewater-Raritan vs. Eastern, noon

Group 1

Madison vs. Haddonfield, 2 p.m.

Non-Public

Oak Knoll vs. Bishop Eustace, 4 p.m.

Group 2

Rumson-Fair Haven vs. Seneca, 6 p.m.

Field hockey: Rangers, Streaks continue title chase

Senior forwards Morgan Carr and Tara Brody emphatically said Wallkill Valley's field hockey team was in it to win it following a 2-1 win in overtime against Belvidere in the North 1, Group 1 semifinals on Wednesday.

Mission accomplished.

Carr scored a pair of goals -- her team-leading 45th and 46th of the season -- and had the assist on a goal by senior forward Fiona Blake as second-seeded Wallkill Valley rolled to a 3-1 win over No. 4 Boonton in the sectional final on Friday at Sisco Field in Hardyston Township.

The Rangers (21-2), who captured the program's eighth sectional title and first since 2006, will next face Madison, the North 2 champion, in the Group 1 state semifinals at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at Boonton High School. Haddonfield (20-3), last year's state champion, will meet Schalick (14-6-2) in the other semifinal.

Wallkill celebrates its first sectional title since 2006. (Courtesy WV athletics)

All five state championship games (Groups 1-4 and Non-Public) will be contested on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Bordentown Regional High School.

Wallkill Valley, which has won 10 in a row since a 5-2 loss to Hunterdon Central in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament quarterfinals on Oct. 7, has never won a state title and is looking reach the championship game for just the second time in program history after falling to Moorestown in the 1988 Group 1 final. It won't be an easy task against Madison, one of the state's top teams and last year's Group 1 runner-up. The Dodgers (21-2) knocked off Shore for their 16th sectional title.

"We're taking it one game at a time," Brody said after the win over Belvidere. "We've been working hard all season."

Warren Hills (23-2) is the only other team from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area still playing for a championship as the Blue Streaks, who won their sixth straight sectional title and 15th overall on Thursday with a 1-0 win over West Morris in the North 1, Group 3 final, will take on Colts Neck in the Group 3 semifinals at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday at Johnson High School. Moorestown (15-3) will face Clearview (18-1-1) in the other semifinal.

Coach Josie Potter's Streaks, who have won 18 in a row, are seeking their sixth straight appearance in the Group 3 final -- winning titles in 2014 and '15 before dropping a 5-0 decision to Ocean City in last year's title game. Ocean City won't make a return trip after being ousted by Clearview -- 1-0 in the South Jersey, Group 3 sectional final.

Warren Hills eyes its sixth straight trip to the Group 3 final.

"We've never played Colts Neck, so I'm really excited," Potter said. "When you see the same teams over and over, you know how each other is going to play. We have to bring our A-game."

Warren Hills is 11-3 all-time in state semifinals and has won seven such games in a row since a 1-0 loss to High Point in the 2002 Group 3 semis.

"Last year, we had a pretty tough loss in the state championship," said senior midfielder Tali Popinko. "We're coming for revenge this year."

Hunterdon Central (15-7-1) was eliminated from the postseason chase with a tough 3-2 loss to nemesis Bridgewater-Raritan in the North 2, Group 4 final on Friday. Coach Jenn Sponzo's Red Devils were seeking their 14th sectional title and first since 2011.

Public state semifinal matchups

Group 4

Morristown (19-3) vs. Bridgewater-Raritan (18-5)
Lenape (11-10) vs. Eastern (21-0-1)

Group 3

Warren Hills (23-2) vs. Colts Neck (17-1-1), 5:30 p.m. at Johnson High School
Moorestown (15-3) vs. Clearview (18-1-1)

Group 2

West Essex (20-2) vs. Rumson-Fair Haven (18-2)
Seneca (16-5-2) vs. West Deptford (18-3-1)

Group 1

Wallkill Valley (21-2) vs. Madison (21-2), 6 p.m. at Boonton High School
Haddonfield (20-3) vs. Schalick (14-6-2)

Non-Public sectional final matchups

(Games to be played on Wednesday)

North

3-Kent Place (10-6-1) at 1-Oak Knoll (21-0-1)

South

5-Camden Catholic (16-4-1) at 2-Bishop Eustace (19-2)

Field hockey: Streaks stick to script with sectional title

WASHINGTON TWP. -- It's becoming an annual ritual with Warren Hills' field hockey team hoisting another championship trophy.

Though the score doesn't reflect what was an utterly dominating effort, the Blue Streaks' 1-0 win over West Morris in the North 1, Group 3 sectional final on Thursday -- the program's sixth straight title and its 15th overall -- was more about taking that next step toward the ultimate prize.

"For us, every year is about winning a [Group 3] state championship," said midfielder Tali Popinko, one of nine seniors to play their final home game at Warren Hills School District Stadium. "This gets us one step closer."

Warren Hills celebrates its sixth straight sectional title.

Warren Hills (23-2), which has now won 18 in a row and is one shy of matching the school record for consecutive victories in a season, will next face North 2 champion Colts Neck in Tuesday's Group 3 semifinals at a neutral site. The Blue Streaks, who won their only state titles in 2014 and '15, are looking to make their sixth straight trip to the Group 3 final on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Bordentown Regional High School.

"This is my first [sectional title as a head coach] so I'm super proud," said Josie Potter, who won three titles as a star player for Warren Hills (1996-99) and four as an assistant coach on Laurie Kerr's staff (2004-14). "The girls were excited and super focused. Last year, they were [the No. 2 seed] and had to play on grass at West Morris [a 2-1 win]. They were excited to play this one on our turf field."

Senior midfielder Mikayla Dugan again scored the decisive goal in the championship game. Dugan received the insert pass off a corner from her sister -- sophomore Samantha Dugan -- and punched it in with 26:10 left in the second half. The dead-center shot from the top of the circle rolled under and nicked a West Morris defender's stick on the way into the cage.

"This is a great feeling," said Mikayla Dugan, who converted a penalty stroke for the game-winner with 2:21 left to play in the 2016 final. "We really wanted to get that first goal. I thought we played really well."

West Morris (15-6-1), which started five seniors, one junior, four sophomores and one freshman, opted to pack the circle on defense and senior goalie Abby Chapin (14 saves) helped stonewall the Warren Hills offense, which came into the game averaging 4.4 goals per game. The final stats indicate how one-sided this was one as the Streaks finished with a 16-0 advantage in shots-on-goal and a 23-1 edge on penalty corners.

"It was a little frustrating, some calls weren't going our way," said Mikayla Dugan, who has scored in all three postseason wins with a total of four goals. "We just keep shooting until eventually one goes in. Their defense was pretty good. It was hard to get one in."

It was 0-0 at halftime, despite Warren Hills pounding the cage early and often with several near-misses that sailed wide or off Chapin's pads. Two apparent goals were waived off by the officials for what Potter said were "various reasons."

"Their goalie played really well, take nothing away from her. But in my heart, that was a 3-0 game and reflects more on the game we played," Potter said. "We got some shots off, but they had two people in the cage and everybody inside the 20."

And how about that Warren Hills defense? Backs Sydney Moskal, Ashley Moskal, Jess DeSanto and sweeper Kate Fenner were brilliant again, posting their third shutout of the postseason and 12th overall this season, while keeping West Morris out of the circle until a penalty corner was called with 4:00 left to play. Fenner and Sydney Moskal broke that one up as the unit did not allow a shot on goal.

"We are clicking and the offense always gets back to help," said Fenner, a sophomore and former offensive player who has really solidified the defense after switching from center back to sweeper earlier this season. "It was crazy. I realized in the second half that [West Morris] hadn't even been in our circle. Our defensive corner unit is very strong."

During the 18-game win streak, Warren Hills' defense has yielded just seven goals and none in seven of the past eight contests, while the offense has outscored opponents 37-1 in the past eight games.

Warren Hills' 15th title leads all Skyland Conference teams.

"This is the strongest defense we've had in my career," said Popinko, part of a senior group that went 47-5 on their home field in four years and the fifth class to win four sectional titles in program history.

Warren Hills' 15th sectional title is the most for any Skyland Conference school and leads the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area. Hunterdon Central can match South Hunterdon for second place on both lists by capturing its 14th championship on Friday in the North 2, Group 4 final against Bridgewater-Raritan.

But the Streaks, now 15-4 all-time in sectional finals, are staying focused on the next one.

"We don't really try to think about [the winning streak], we're taking it one game at a time," Popinko said.

West Morris (15-6-1)                  0                0          --    0
Warren Hills (23-2)                     0                1          --    1

Scoring

Second half -- WH, Mikayla Dugan, 14th, (Samantha Dugan), 26:10.

Shots -- West Morris 0; Warren Hills 16.

Saves -- Abby Chapin 14, Allison Egan 1 (defensive) (WM); Maggie Titus 0 (WH).

Penalty corners -- West Morris 1; Warren Hills 23.

Tigers fall in North 2, Group 2 final

Hackettstown came up short in its bid for the program's first sectional title with a 5-0 loss to Rumson-Fair Haven in the North 2, Group 2 sectional title game on Thursday.

The Tigers (15-5), who saw their five-game win streak snapped with the loss, were making back-to-back appearances in the final -- joining only the 2006 and '07 teams to do so in program history -- after dropping a tough 1-0 decision in overtime to Voorhees in the 2016 title game. Rumson-Fair Haven (19-2) handed Hackettstown a 3-0 loss during the regular season on Oct. 3.

Coach Stephen Speirs (95-56-3 in eight seasons) returns plenty of talent on offense next season, including junior forwards Kayla Cichlar (19 goals), Ashley Zellars (13 goals) and Jordan Vandermark (12 goals), along with junior midfielder Madison Hoskins (11 goals, 17 assists) and junior goalie Bridget Kenny (seven shutouts).

Field hockey: NJSIAA sectional finals matchups

Here are the sectional finals matchups in Groups 1-4 and the Non-Public semifinal matchups.

Finals in Groups 2 and 3 will be played today at the higher seed, while the championship games for Groups 1 and 4 are scheduled for Friday. Winners advance to the state semifinals (North 1 vs. North 2 and Central vs. South) on Tuesday at neutral sites.

Non-Public sectional semifinals will be played on Saturday and the finals on Wednesday, Nov. 8. The state championships in Group 4, 3, 2 and 1, along with Non-Public, will be played on Saturday, Nov. 11 at Bordentown Regional High School.

The sectional final round features seven schools from the Northwest Jersey Athletic Conference and three from the Skyland Conference. The four remaining teams from the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area in bold:

North 1

Group 4

2-Randolph (15-3-3) at 1-Morristown (18-3)

Group 3

2-West Morris (15-5-1) at 1-Warren Hills (22-2)

Group 2

2-Lakeland (15-2-2) at 1-West Essex (19-2)

Group 1

4-Boonton (15-5-1) at 2-Wallkill Valley (20-2)

North 2

Group 4

2-Hunterdon Central (15-6-1) at 1-Bridgewater-Raritan (17-5)

Group 3

7-Freehold Borough (8-9-3) at 1-Colts Neck (16-1-1)

Group 2

3-Hackettstown (15-4) at 1-Rumson-Fair Haven (18-2)

Group 1

2-Madison (20-2) at 1-Shore (19-2)

Central

Group 4

4-Lenape (10-10) at 3-Rancocas Valley (11-9-2)

Group 3

3-Burlington Township (14-5-1) at 1-Moorestown (14-3)

Group 2

6-Seneca (15-5-2) at 1-Robbinsville (15-4)

Group 1

4-Haddon Township (18-4) at 2-Haddonfield (19-3)

South

Group 4

2-Shawnee (15-5) at 1-Eastern (20-0-1)

Group 3

2-Ocean City (14-7) at 1-Clearview (17-1-1)

Group 2

2-Delsea (21-0-1) at 1-West Deptford (17-3-1)

Group 1

4-Middle Township (12-9) at 2-Schalick (13-6-2)

Non-Public North

4-Pingry (12-7-1) at 1-Oak Knoll (20-0-1)
3-Kent Place (9-6-1) at 2-Morristown-Beard (13-6)

Non-Public South

5-Camden Catholic (15-4-1) at 1-Red Bank Catholic (16-5)
6-Moorestown Friends (15-1-2) at 2-Bishop Eustace (18-2)