Field hockey: Streaks perfect together in title victory

There really was no place like home for Warren Hills' field hockey team. And what better way for 10 seniors to close out their careers then with another victory and a championship.

Senior forward Juliana Valli helped set the tone with a first-quarter goal and junior left wing Maddie Summitt matched a career high with three goals as the top-seeded Blue Streaks cruised to a 6-0 win against No. 10 West Morris in the Northwest Region C title game on Saturday afternoon.

Warren Hills celebrates its 18th section/region title.

Warren Hills (14-0) capped the program's first unbeaten campaign in 56 seasons with a ninth straight sectional/regional championship and its 18th overall. Only six other New Jersey schools have won more titles. In doing so, the Streaks, now with 724 victories, extended their home winning streak to 28 (22-0 the last two seasons) while going 45-5 overall at the stadium since 2017.

"We just really wanted to end our careers on a high note," said Valli, one of nine starting seniors and key member of a potent forward line that combined for 52 goals this season, including her career-best 14. "We've been playing together since rec. As a team, we just really wanted to get it done."

Belvidere and Vernon saw their title hopes dashed with losses in the finals. The County Seaters dropped a 2-0 decision to 2019 sectional champion Pequannock in Northwest A, while the Vikings fell, 3-1, to Morristown-Beard in the Northwest B championship contest.

West Morris (9-5-1), which knocked off the Nos. 2 and 3 seeds to reach the final, has certainly had its fill of Warren Hills, which is 6-0 all-time against the Wolfpack in postseason meetings. The Streaks handed the Morris County school losses in the last five title games, including four straight North 1, Group 3 finals from 2016-19.

"This is definitely a very special day for myself and the seniors, and the Warren Hills community," said midfielder and Rutgers University recruit Sarah Korczukowski, who capped the scoring with 9:08 left in the fourth quarter by converting the sixth penalty stroke of her career after executing one in Thursday's 2-1 win in overtime against Chatham in the region semifinals.

"It's really a great feeling to carry on the streak and Blue Streak pride."

This one was no contest from the onset as Warren Hills, which finished with a 23-4 edge in shots-on-goal, took control from the opening whistle and never looked back. Valli opened the scoring 2:29 into the first quarter when she received a pass from senior right inner Jenna Wyckoff and converted on the game's first penalty corner -- one of seven in the game for the Streaks.

"[West Morris goalie Maddy Cline] was right in front of me and she was a very physical player," Valli said. "I lifted a shot through her legs. That [goal] set a really good pace and our intensity was really up today."

Summitt, who led Warren Hills in scoring this season, tucked in the first of her three goals with 4:02 left on the clock. Senior right wing Simryn Desai recorded one of her two assists on the day on that goal and added another on Korczukowski's goal that made it 3-0 with 10:16 left in the second quarter. Summitt, who also scored three goals in an 8-1 win over Montgomery in the second game of the season, capped the first-half scoring as sophomore Maddie Moreno logged her first career assist.

The four-goal cushion at halftime enabled fourth-year coach Josie Potter, who picked up her 80th win, to breathe a bit easier after her team's sluggish start in the semifinals. West Morris had only scored 25 goals in its previous 14 games and managed just four shots-on-goal in this one against Warren Hills' vaunted defense, which recorded its eighth shutout.

"When we got to four, I started to feel pretty confident," said Potter, whose teams are 15-3 overall in the postseason. "That's a hard deficit to come back from at this level. Our defense was phenomenal. My [pregame] comment was, 'Put it away early and play 60 full [minutes].' We did come out a little flat against Chatham, which was a better team than West Morris."

After Summitt scored her team-best 18th goal in the third quarter, Korczukowski stepped to the line and sent a shot into the left corner of the cage -- the same location where she converted the stroke against Chatham.

"I've been doing the same shot the past three years," said Korczukowski, who converted one as a junior while earning the MVP Award in the 2019 Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament championship game. "It's really hard to defend against and hopefully it [gets past] the goalie."

With no state championships being contested this year due to COVID-19, these Warren Hills seniors -- including forward Angela Pawloski, midfielders Ashley Moskal and Olivia Chomut, super backs Liz Schlaffer and Kylie Compton and goalie Emily Schlessinger -- get the rare chance to savor a win in their final high school game.

"It's a bit bittersweet and it's sad to go," Korczukowski said. "We're all going on to bigger and better things but this is a really great end to the season."

Field hockey: McLean helps Vikes end title drought

It certainly helps to have that go-to player on offense during crunch time. For Voorhees' field hockey team, that difference-maker was senior forward Kathrine McLean.

McLean sparked a regional championship run with two goals, including the decisive score in a wild third quarter, as the top-seeded Vikings posted a 4-2 win over previously-unbeaten Lawrence in the Central West A final on Friday afternoon at Richard Degnan Field.

Voorhees celebrates the title and win No. 682.

Voorhees (14-1-1) ended three years of playoff frustration -- all sectional semifinal exits -- in securing the program's eighth postseason title and first since 2016. This year's format was regional (involving teams from Hunterdon, Mercer and Somerset counties) instead of the traditional sectional format that adheres to school size.

Third-year coach Shannon Hughes, whose teams are now 5-2 overall in postseason games, earned her first postseason championship with the Vikes, who cruised to the Skyland Conference Valley Division title this season. McLean, who will play lacrosse at the University of Colorado next fall, was a big reason for the success as she led the team in scoring with 18 goals and 21 assists.

"I feel like as a coach this is 10 times more rewarding than winning as a player," said Hughes, who led South Plainfield to a sectional runner-up finish in 2013 as a player with 28 goals and 23 assists in her senior season with her mother, Cheryl, as the head coach. "You see all the hard work and the team camaraderie. It's a great feeling."

McLean, who logged at least one goal or an assist in all but three games this season, came into the final having recorded six assists in the previous three contests, including three in a 6-0 first-round victory over Robbinsville on Monday. She added two more in this victory.

"I think she played her best game tonight," Hughes said. "She was on fire. She's really fast and it's hard to keep up with her."

Senior back Grace Schiavo, one of the top defensive players in the state, was her usual dominating force in the middle of the field, while senior forward Tess Rodenburger and sophomore forward Kate Matyas also scored goals in the title win. Junior midfielder Sadie Eichlin and super freshmen Kate Cookson and Alexa Barkman will carry the torch next season.

"Gracie Schiavo hustled her butt off and Sadie is so sound defensively," Hughes said.

Voorhees jumped out to a 1-0 lead when McLean connected off a penalty corner with 10:18 left on the clock in the first quarter. That's how it stood at halftime before the teams combined for five third-quarter goals -- starting with Matyas' fourth of the season off a corner.

Lawrence star forward Talia Schenck, a junior who is Mercer County's leading scorer and is heading to Cornell, put the Cardinals (11-1) on the board with 10:30 to go in the third. But McLean answered to give the Vikes a two-goal cushion before Schenck tipped in her 47th goal of the season to make it 3-2. Rodenburger capped the scoring at the 1:24 mark with her 17th goal.

Schenck, a speedy and highly-skilled player, was a concern for Voorhees coming into the contest and Hughes knew her offense, which racked up 14 goals in three playoff victories, had to be up to the challenge. With Cookson unable to play, junior Leigha Schultze moved to center forward and Ava Smadi played at the post.

"Talia is a great player and the best offensive player I've seen in years," said Hughes, who played Division I field hockey at Rider University. "She's the real deal. She's as strong as I've seen in college. That's why it was so important that we stayed ahead. I knew she would score at least one or two goals. and they were a second half team. She knew time was running out. We went to a box-and-one [defense to slow her down late in the game]."

Now, Voorhees must find a way to replace three key seniors, including goalie Noelle Gabrish, for 2021.

Field hockey: Seaters pay back Newton in semifinals

Belvidere's field hockey team gets to continue its revenge-game tour this postseason.

Freshman Emerson LaBar scored both goals and sophomore Kaitlin Williams was outstanding in the cage as the second-seeded County Seaters rolled to a 2-0 win over No. 3 Newton in the Northwest Region A semifinals on Friday afternoon at Belvidere High School.

Belvidere seeks its first postseason title since 1996.

LaBar, with five goals and an assist in her last seven games, has emerged as an offensive force down the stretch for Belvidere, which advances to face defending sectional champion Pequannock in the regional title game at 2 p.m. on Saturday in Pompton Plains. LaBar's first goal against Newton came with 14:41 left in the second quarter and she later converted a penalty stroke near the four-minute mark as she lifted the ball high into the left corner of the cage.

"Midway through [the season] we lost a couple of players who had to quarantine after being exposed in a classroom and [LaBar] started playing extremely well and has stayed in the lineup ever since," coach Beth Franceschino said of her niece, whose parents, Abby and Tadgh LaBar, were standout athletes at the Warren County school.

Belvidere (8-3-1), which started this postseason run with a 3-0 victory over Whippany Park on Tuesday, returns to a postseason final for just the second time since winning its last sectional title in 1996. The Seaters had lost four straight to Newton dating to 2017 -- including overtime playoff losses in the North 1, Group 1 quarterfinals (2-1 in '17) and final (1-0 in '18). The other two setbacks came in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament (4-0 in '17 and 1-0 in '19).

Now, the Seaters set their sights on a potential rematch with Pequannock, which knocked off Belvidere (1-0 in the quarterfinals) and Newton (1-0 in the semifinals) en route to the North 1, Group 1 title in 2019.

"Two years ago [in the sectional final] I thought we really outplayed [Newton] and that was heartbreaking," said Franceschino, a star back at Belvidere (then Beth Pursell) and a key member of the Group 1 championship teams in 1989 and '90 as well as the only county title-winning team in '92 under legendary coach Sally Ueberroth.

"The seniors [who were sophomores then] on the field remembered that feeling and I think that helped fuel their fire. They're hungry for it and I think it will be a really good [final against Pequannock]."

Newton (7-4), which was seeking its fifth title in seven seasons and a Sussex County-best 13th overall, never quite got going against Belvidere, which dominated most of the first half and fourth quarter. The Braves were coming off a thrilling 3-2 win in overtime against Boonton on Wednesday, the team's first action in 13 days after being shut down due to coronavirus exposure, as Elissar Abou-Jaoude scored the winning goal when the ball bounced off the top of the cage and in her direction at the right post.

Williams made several critical saves (seven total) for Belvidere, which had to defend three consecutive penalty corners starting at the six-minute mark of the fourth quarter. 

"She's good and has played for a few years," Franceschino said of her keeper, who has seven shutouts this season. "It was a little nerve wracking [in the final minutes], especially after seeing the goal [Newton] scored the other day [against Boonton]."

Seaters senior forward and Pace University commit Olivia Zmyewski, who scored her team-leading ninth goal against Whippany Park, was held without a goal or an assist for just the fifth time this season, while Ellie Kardos, Marianna Crisafulli, Emma Dalrymple and left midfielder Jordan Yeisley did a fine job defending on Newton drives and corners, and distributing the ball.

Franceschino also credited backs Kinsey Lockard, Autumn Banghart and Nora Dornich for their play this season.

"The girls are in really good shape and came in in shape, and they're hungry to play," Franceschino said. "They play both sides of the field."

Field hockey: Streaks look to hit 'home' run in final

Athletes and coaches can be a superstitious bunch by nature. Warren Hills' field hockey team certainly falls into that category, though you roll with whatever works.

The Blue Streaks (13-0), in the midst of the program's second-best run to open a season since going 17-0 in 2019, look to secure another postseason title when they host West Morris at 1 p.m. on Saturday in the Northwest Region C title game. Watch the live action at Warren Hills School District Stadium.

Warren Hills' 10 seniors (9 starters) on the roster.

Getting to a 10th straight sectional/regional final wasn't easy. Top-seeded Warren Hills needed an overtime goal by junior Emily Dvorsky to eliminate No. 4 Chatham, 2-1, in Thursday's semifinals. It was the first overtime contest of the season for the Streaks, who had gone 37 straight games dating to the end of 2018 without needing OT to determine a winner.

'We did seven-on-seven in [Wednesday's] practice on half of the field," Potter said, "and wouldn't you know it, [Thursday's] game goes into overtime. Against Montgomery [during the regular season], we had practiced strokes the day before and we had one called against us. We won't be practicing strokes again."

Warren Hills, which entered this season having won eight consecutive sectional championships, was able to avoid its earliest postseason exit since falling to Hopewell Valley on penalty strokes in the North 2, Group 3 semifinals in 2010 (Potter was an assistant on Laurie Kerr's staff). The Streaks dropped a 3-2 decision at Freehold Boro in the title game a year later before starting their sectional title run.

West Morris (9-4-1), which graduated nine starting seniors from last year's team, is no postseason stranger having faced and lost to Warren Hills in the previous four sectional title games. The Wolfpack, a No. 10 seed who advanced with a 1-0 win over No. 3 Randolph on Thursday, is 0-5 all-time in playoff games against the Streaks, including a 6-4 defeat in the Group 3 semifinals in 2012. 

Senior Sophia Prata (6 goals, 7 assists) and junior Julia Carbon (3 goals, 3 assists) are the two returning starters from 2019 and lead an offense that has produced just 25 goals in 14 games.

"We know West Morris will give us a run for our money. They always do," said Potter whose 2019 team posted a 3-1 win in last year's North 1, Group 3 final en route to a state runner-up finish. "They have a strong program and I don't think the record reflects it."

Outstanding midfielder and Rutgers University recruit Sarah Korczukowski, who gave Warren Hills a 1-0 lead against Chatham by converting a penalty stroke in the second quarter, is among nine starting seniors who are looking to end their careers on a high note. The group has gone 79-11-1 (44-5 at home) over the last four seasons and is riding a 27-game home win streak (21-0 the last two seasons) since a 4-2 loss to Voorhees on Oct. 2, 2018.

"Every game we play, the mentality this season is that it could be our last," said Korczukowski, who has 77 career points (27 goals, 23 assists). "We're not underestimating any team. This group of seniors is very special and we're looking to end with a win. We take pride [in the home record] but stats don't matter when you take the field. West Morris is an extremely tough and strong-willed team."

Offensively, Warren Hills likes to share the wealth as junior left wing and leading scorer Maddie Summitt (15 goals, 11 assists), senior left inner Juliana Valli (13 goals, Ithaca College), senior right inner Jenna Wyckoff (11 goals, Ball State University) and senior right wing Simryn Desai (Hoftsra University), who ranks ninth on the school's career goals (48) and points (121) lists, are all capable of disrupting opposing defenses. Senior Angela Pawloski (Susquehanna University) is one of the top subs, while seniors Ashley Moskal (East Stroudsburg University) and Olivia Chomut round out a solid midfield.

Dvorsky, a three-year starter at left back, helps anchor a superb defense that includes right back Liz Schlaffer (Widener University) and center back Kylie Compton (Montclair State) in front of senior Emily Schlessinger (Fairleigh Dickinson), who has done a stellar job in her first season as a starting goalie. The group has produced eight shutouts.

Warren Hills is coming off its first real test of the season -- having won all of its regular-season games by at least three goals (including two wins over Ridge and North Hunterdon) and by average margin of 5.6. The Streaks, who won their second straight Skyland Conference Raritan Division title, should be plenty ready for the final task as these seniors look to finish unbeaten on their home turf with no state championship games this season due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"It's been a super weird season," Potter said. "Hopefully we'll play our best and it goes in our favor. I just want them to play like they have been playing."

Field hockey: WH wins OT thriller; Vernon advances

Warren Hills junior Emily Dvorsky is better known as one of the best defensive players in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area. But the shutdown left back is usually good for one goal per season and she picked a fine time to deliver again in a huge spot.

Dvorsky collected her own rebound and sent the ball into the left corner of the cage to give the top-seeded Blue Streaks a thrilling 2-1 win in overtime against No. 4 Chatham in a Northwest Region C semifinal clash on Thursday afternoon at Warren Hills School District Stadium.

"It's very exciting," said Dvorsky, whose third career goal came with 4:21 left on the clock in the 10-minute extra session. "I had to really put my mind to it [after missing on the first shot]."

Warren Hills is 90-44 all-time in postseason play.

Warren Hills (13-0), which has won eight consecutive sectional titles and 17 overall, will next host No. 10 seed West Morris (9-4-1) -- a 1-0 winner against No. 3 Randolph in the other semifinal -- in the regional title game on Saturday at 1 p.m. This will be the fifth straight postseason meeting as the Streaks beat the Wolfpack in the previous four North 1, Group 3 sectional finals.

Credit fourth-year coach Josie Potter for inserting Dvorsky as the left forward into the seven-on-seven lineup. Warren Hills had gone 37 straight games without needing overtime to determine a winner since a 3-2 triumph against Millburn in the second OT period of their Group 3 semifinal matchup on Nov. 7, 2018. It was the eighth overtime contest of that season for the Streaks.

"[Dvorsky] has unbelievable drive. When it comes down to the wire she puts the ball into the [cage]," said Potter, whose teams are now 14-3 overall in postseason games.

Junior forward Maddie Summitt started the winning drive by bringing the ball up the right side and crossing it over to Dvorsky, whose initial shot was stopped by Chatham goalie Connie Conlan. It was shades of two years ago when the then-freshmen teamed up for the winning goal in overtime to beat Phillipsburg, 3-2, in the second game of the 2018 campaign.

"It was the same goal but in reverse," said Dvorsky, who passed to Summitt on that winner and whose only other goals came against Voorhees on Oct. 2, 2018 and Wayne Hills on Oct. 26, 2019. "I thought my first shot was a good hard shot, but [Conlan] stopped it. I pulled around her [off the rebound] and [the second shot] went in." 

Chatham (11-1), which came in as a decided underdog against a Warren Hills team that many projected to get back to a ninth straight Group 3 final, gave a great account in suffering its first loss, especially in the first two quarters. The Streaks won the statistical battle with big advantages in shots-on goal (10-2) and penalty corners (13-3).

Potter admitted she was a little concerned having not played a game in nine days -- a 5-2 win over Ridge on Oct. 10 -- after receiving a forfeit win over Wayne Hills in Tuesday's opening round. 

"When you go over a week without playing it's real easy not to be ready," Potter said. "Chatham impressed me. They were fast and physical, and had good stick skills. They definitely lived up to their record. I'm so proud of my girls to come out on top the way they did."

The Streaks seemed a little flat early and really didn't get things going until the third quarter, though the offense missed several attempts in the circle either off the pads or wide and were unable to cash in on any of their corners as the Chatham defense packed in near the goal line.

"We felt confident [in overtime] but we were a little nervous since we hadn't played [in an overtime game] in awhile," Dvorsky said. "We expected this to be a really hard-fought game."

Warren Hills senior and Rutgers University commit Sarah Korczukowski put her team on the board first by beating Conlan to the left post on a penalty stroke in the second quarter. Korczukowski, who has six goals this season and 27 for her fine career, also converted on a stroke against Pingry earlier this season -- a 9-0 victory on Oct. 13.

"She's been our most consistent stroker the last two seasons," Potter said of her center midfielder.

Chatham, which scored a pair of one-goal wins over West Morris this season, answered on Alexa Lee's ninth goal of the season with 2:08 left on the clock before halftime. The Cougars hung tough in the third and fourth quarters despite consistent pressure from the Warren Hills offense. Korczukowski scored what appeared to be the go-ahead goal off the Streaks' 13th corner with 7:33 to go in the final quarter, but it was waved off after officials determined that the shot failed to hit the backboard.

Vikings stay in title hunt

Vernon remained as the HWS area's only other unbeaten team with a 3-1 victory over Hackettstown in the Northwest B Region semifinals on Thursday afternoon at Macerino Stadium.

The top-seeded Vikings (13-0), who allowed a goal for the first time this month, will take on Morristown-Beard in the regional hampionship game at 11 a.m. on Saturday. Coach Kieran Killeen's Vernon club is seeking the program's ninth postseason title and first since 1996.

Junior forward and leading scorer Alyssa Van Dalinda scored her 17th goal of the season and has now logged at least one goal in seven straight games, while Julia Gregory and Alicia Mihalko scored their seventh and fifth goals, respectively for the Vikings.

Another great win for @VTHS_FH! Congratulations! Here’s the game winning goal scored by Alicia, assisted by Madi! What a goal! What a game! What a season! pic.twitter.com/JoApOLoVux

— VTHS Girls Lacrosse (@VTHSGLax) November 19, 2020

 

Hackettstown (5-4-1), which has never won a sectional title, had to be happy for the opportunity to resume its season after all fall sports programs were initially shut down for good in October due to coronavirus outbreak at the Warren County school. The Tigers dropped a 1-0 decision to Lenape Valley in their first game back in 18 days last weekend before scoring a 3-1 win over Sparta in the opening round of the regional tournament on Tuesday.

Senior forward Megan Doyle closed out her career with a team-best eighth goal (42nd career) in the loss to Vernon, which had previously beaten Hackettstown, 2-1, on Oct. 17.

Area playoff schedule

Friday, Nov. 20

(All games 2 p.m., unless noted)

NJSIAA playoffs

Northwest Region A semifinals

Lenape Valley at Pequannock
Newton at Belvidere

Central West Region A final

Lawrence at Voorhees, 4 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 21

(All games 11 a.m., unless noted)

NJSIAA playoffs

Northwest A Region final 

Belvidere at Pequannock, 2 p.m.

Northwest B Region final

Morristown-Beard at Vernon

Northwest C Region final

West Morris at Warren Hills, 1 p.m.

Field hockey: Vikes cruise to final; NH falls in OT

Those tough postseason tune-ups seem to be paying off nicely for Voorhees' field hockey team as it chases that elusive prize.

Following three straight exits in the sectional semifinals, the top-seeded Vikings are again bound for the championship round after rolling to a 4-0 victory over No. 4 South Hunterdon in the Central West Region A semis on Wednesday at Richard Degnan Field in Lebanon Township.

Newton kept its title hopes alive with a 3-2 win in double overtime against Boonton and will next face Belvidere in the Northwest Region A semis on Friday, while North Hunterdon saw its championship run end for the second straight year with a 2-1 loss in double OT to Ridge in the Central West Region B semifinals.

Voorhees is now 64-43 all-time in postseason play.

Voorhees (13-1-1), which earned the program's 21st trip to a sectional title game with win No. 681, is slated to host No. 2 Lawrence, which scored a 5-1 victory over Mount St. Mary in the other semifinal, on Friday at 4 p.m. It will be the first meeting between the schools as the Vikes, now playing in their 46th season, seek their eighth championship overall and first since 2016. Lawrence (11-0) also owns a 7-2 win over Robbinsville, a 6-0 loser to Voorhees on Monday. The Vikes beat Mount St. Mary by the same 5-1 score on Oct. 2.

Senior forward Tess Rodenburger continued her torrid pace on offense with three goals -- giving her six in the team's last three games and 16 on the season to match senior forward Kathrine McLean for the team lead. Rodenburger got Voorhees on the board in the first quarter off a deflection from McLean, who leads the team in assists with 19, including six in the last three contests.

Junior Leigha Schultze made it a 2-0 lead in the first quarter off a feed from talented freshman Kate Cookson and that's how it stood at halftime. Rodenburger added tack-on goals in the third and fourth quarters -- with assists from freshman Alexa Barkman and McLean.

The Voorhees defense, led by senior star Grace Schiavo, was stellar again in keeping South Hunterdon (12-4), which had won five in a row, off the board for the first time in two meetings this season, including a 3-1 win over the Eagles here on Oct. 27. Senior goalie Noelle Gabrish recorded three saves in posting her fourth consecutive shutout and 10th overall.

Third-year coach Shannon Hughes' team, which entered the postseason off a 1-0 win over Randolph, has rebounded from its only loss -- 3-0 to North Hunterdon on Nov. 2, and a subsequent 0-0 tie with Ridge three days later. It was the first time that Voorhees, which has won six straight in the series with South Hunterdon and owns a 31-17-7 edge overall, was shut out in back-to-back games since 2005. Both of those teams squared off in another sectional semifinal on Wednesday.

Lions come up short

North Hunterdon waited over a year for the chance to erase the disappointment of last year's runner-up finish in North 2, Group 4, but the top-seeded Lions will have to wait a bit longer following a 2-1 loss in double overtime against No. 5 Ridge in the Central West Region B semifinals at Singley Field in Clinton Township.

North was looking to end its 27-year title drought.

North (11-3), ranked No. 2 in the Open Mike area, saw its three-game win streak snapped and its bid to capture the program's first sectional title since 1993 end with the loss. 

The Lions trailed, 1-0, heading into the fourth quarter before leading scorer and sophomore Lauren Masters forced overtime with her area-best 27th goal off a feed from junior Ryan Anderson. Both went over the 100-point mark for their careers this season. The pair scored goals in the team's 2-1 victory over Ridge to open the season on Oct. 1, while Anderson logged a goal in a 2-1 loss in the rematch on Oct. 31. Masters logged at least one goal or assist in all but one game this season.

Ridge (10-6-1), which won two of three meetings with the Lions -- all 2-1 scores -- this season, has been tough on Hunterdon County teams of late. The Red Devils eliminated Hunterdon Central, 1-0, in the opening round on Monday at Stewart Field. Central won the North 2, Group 4 title last year with a 2-1 win over North at Singley Field.

Area playoff schedule

Thursday, Nov. 19

(All games 2 p.m., unless noted)

NJSIAA semifinals

Northwest Region B

Hackettstown at Vernon

Northwest Region C

Chatham at Warren Hills, 3:45 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 20

(All games 2 p.m., unless noted)

NJSIAA playoffs

Northwest Region A semifinals

Lenape Valley at Pequannock
Newton at Belvidere

Central West Region A final

Lawrence at Voorhees, 4 p.m.

Field hockey: HWS schedule for Nov. 16-22

Monday, Nov. 16

(All games 2 p.m., unless noted)

NJSIAA playoffs

Northwest Region A

Kittatinny at Whippany Park

Central West Region A

Robbinsville at Voorhees, 3 p.m.
Delaware Valley at South Hunterdon

Central West Region B

Hightstown at North Hunterdon, 3:45 p.m.
Ridge at Hunterdon Central, 3:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Nov. 17

(All games 2 p.m., unless noted)

NJSIAA playoffs

Northwest Region A

Wallkill Valley at Lenape Valley, 3 p.m.
Whippany Park at Belvidere 

Northwest Region B

Jefferson at Vernon, 5 p.m.
Sparta at Hackettstown

Wednesday, Nov. 18

(All games 4 p.m., unless noted)

NJSIAA playoffs

Northwest Region A quarterfinals

Boonton at Newton, 5 p.m.

Central West Region A semifinals

South Hunterdon at Voorhees

Central West Region B semifinals

Ridge at North Hunterdon, 4:30 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 19

(All games 2 p.m., unless noted)

NJSIAA semifinals

Northwest Region A

Newton at Belvidere, TBA

Northwest Region B

Hackettstown at Vernon

Northwest Region C

Chatham at Warren Hills, 3:45 p.m.

Friday, Nov. 20

(All games 2 p.m., unless noted)

NJSIAA playoffs

Northwest Region A semifinals

Lenape Valley at Pequannock

Central West Region A final

Lawrence at Voorhees, 4 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 21

NJSIAA playoffs

Sectional finals, TBD

Sunday, Nov. 22

NJSIAA playoffs

Sectional finals, TBD