Throw out the records and just play. It's not a mantra that many field hockey teams in the Open Mike area have adopted over the years.
But Warren Hills' field hockey team is doing just that in preparation for another march to the Group 3 final. At 3-3-1 entering the week, coach Laurie Kerr's Blue Streaks are already battle tested with games against Shore Regional (Group 1 power), Bishop Eustace (Group 2 champion in 2012) and Bridgewater-Raritan (eight-time Group 4 runner-up).
"Coach Kerr made these hard games happen, because we want to get better," said Warren Hills junior forward Sydney Muntone, who leads the team with seven goals. "The only way we're going to get better is to play tough teams. It gets you focused on winning."
Warren Hills dropped 2-1 decisions to Bishop Eustace and Bridgewater and also to Skyland Conference Raritan Division rival Voorhees in this early-season gauntlet on the schedule. Saturday's loss to Bridgewater was a hard-fought contest packed with action.
Panthers coach Kathie DeBonis does a great job with the Somerset County program and has beaten Warren Hills in seven of the last eight meetings dating to 2006. A stark contrast from when the Streaks went 17-0-1 against Bridgewater in DeBonis' first nine seasons.
"We set high expectations for our girls," DeBonis said, when asked how the program transformed into one of New Jersey's best year in and year out. "The girls bought into the vision of the program and they're sold on it. They want to be a part of it and we're all on the same page."
Programs in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area should take note. With the impending realignment of the Skyland Conference for 2014-15, in which Voorhees and Warren Hills will no longer be in the same division for some stupid reason as its the best rivalry in three counties, the top teams will struggle to get quality competition in their divisions. Same holds true for the NJAC, where High Point is riding a 43-game win streak in the American Division.
If you want to be the best, schedule the best.
Note: The Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament seeds and pairings will be released some time around mid-week. Check back here for those matchups and a sneak preview. Play-in games are scheduled for this Saturday. Power points will be used for the first time to seed the teams and the cutoff includes Wednesday's games.
Now onto this week's rankings. As promised, there's a whole lotta shakin' going on from six through 10.
1. Hunterdon Central (5-1 ) -- Red Devils are the new No. 1 following their 3-0 week with wins over Pingry (3-2 on Tuesday), Lawrenceville (2-1 on Thursday) and Phillipsburg (1-0 on Saturday). Coach Jenn Sponzo's team has played five one-goal games to start the season and has won four. Junior forward Taylor Barrett had a big week with two goals and three assists, while junior forward Kendall Nickel leads the team in scoring with four goals overall.
Up next: at Watchung Hills on Tuesday; Hillsborough at home on Thursday.
2. South Hunterdon (7-0) -- Eagles move up a spot following their 3-0 week and are off to one of the best starts in program history, one rich with success in Group 1. Wins over North Plainfield (9-0 on Tuesday), Mount St. Mary (3-0 on Thursday) and Stuart Day (7-0 on Friday) followed that big overtime victory against No. 3 Voorhees. Forward Kaycee Zelkovsky is scoring at a record pace with an Open Mike-area best 16 through seven games, including five against North Plainfield and four against Stuart Day. It will be interesting to see where this team falls in the HWS seedings since it plays in the Skyland's lower division.
Up next: Bernards at home on Tuesday; at Franklin on Thursday.
3. Voorhees (5-2) -- Vikings shook up the rankings by beating former No. 1 Warren Hills, 2-1 in overtime last Tuesday at home. Third-year coach Taylor Webb evened her record against the Streaks at 3-3 after the program's second straight win in the series dating to last year. The Hunterdon County school is 30-17-6 vs. Warren Hills since 1975, when the Voorhees opened its doors. Sensational sophomore forward Kathryn Roncoroni scored both of the goals in that one and leads the Vikes with 13 through seven games. She also scored twice in Thursday's 3-0 win over Delaware Valley.
Up next: Phillipsburg at home on Tuesday; at Montgomery on Thursday.
4. Warren Hills (3-3-1) -- Blue Streaks fall three spots following the loss to No. 3 Voorhees last Tuesday in another classic battle in that epic series. Junior midfielder Nikki Profita set up the Streaks' lone goal in the 2-1 loss in overtime, with her assist on the game-tying goal by forward Jessica Nissen in the second half. Freshman forward Dani Profita scored the only goal in the 2-1 loss to Bridgewater. In their only other game last week, Muntone and Nikki Profita connected for a pair of goals in an 8-0 rout of Somerville on Thursday.
Up next: Montgomery at home on Tuesday; at Delaware Valley on Thursday; at Peddie on Saturday.
5. High Point (4-0-1) -- As expected, the Wildcats have clearly established themselves as the top program in Sussex County once again this season. Coach Bev Keur's team rolled to NJAC American Division wins over Mount Olive (3-0 on Tuesday) and Morris Hills (5-0 on Thursday) before playing to a 3-3 tie with Skyland Conference Delaware Division member Pingry on Saturday. Senior forward Brittany DeLima, junior forward Alexis Ambrosino and sophomore forward Maddie Smith scored goals in the draw. 'Cats will almost certainly draw the top seed in the Sussex bracket for the upcoming HWS tourney.
Up next: at Pope John on Monday; Sparta at home on Wednesday; at Montville on Friday.
6. Belvidere (3-2-1) -- County Seaters moving on up after their 2-0-1 week, with wins over North Plainfield (3-1 on Thursday) and Notre Dame-East Stroudsburg (Pa.), 8-0 on Saturday. Coach Kristin Gaitan's team also played Franklin to a 1-1 tie last Tuesday in a Skyland Conference Valley Division clash. Forwards Hannah Koch (five goals) and Erin Sassaman (seven assists) are powering the offense. Koch had two goals and three assists against NDES.
Up next: at Mount St. Mary on Tuesday; Bernards at home on Thursday; Lenape Valley at home on Saturday.
7. Lenape Valley (3-1-1) -- Patriots enter the rankings for the first time since the blog was created in 2009. Coach Kate Rothman's program seems to have turned a corner after several tough campaigns, including a 2-15-1 season a year ago. Lenape had five wins total in Rothman's first two seasons, so needless to say this is a major turnaround. A major step was last Monday's 4-0 win over Newton, which the Pats followed up with a 1-0 win over Hackettstown in another NJAC Freedom Division clash before ending the week with a 0-0 tie against Kittatinny in what is shaping up to be a very close division race this year. Junior forward Sally Olson, a captain, scored two goals against Newton, including a penalty stroke.
Up next: Jefferson at home on Tuesday; at North Warren on Thursday; at Belvidere on Saturday.
8. Hackettstown (4-1) -- Tigers also enter the rankings for the first time this season after a 2-1 week, including wins over Jefferson (6-0 last Monday) and North Warren (7-2 on Friday). In between, coach Stephen Speirs' team dropped a 1-0 decision to No. 7 Lenape Valley in an NJAC Freedom Division tilt. Senior forward Kalie Thies scored three goals against North Warren, while totaling three assists in the two victories. Big game on tap with 2012 division champion Parsippany.
Up next: Parsippany at home on Tuesday; Wallkill Valley at home on Thursday.
9. Newton (3-2) -- Braves rebounded from back-to-back losses to Hackettstown and Lenape Valley (4-0 last Monday) with wins over North Warren (4-1 on Wednesday) and Wallkill Valley (2-1 in overtime on Friday). Senior forward Katherine Kellenberger played a big role in both victories -- with a goal and an assist against the Patriots and the game-winner in OT against the Rangers. Goalie Jenna Zawislak has been solid early on with a combined 17 saves in last week's wins.
Up next: at Kittatinny on Tuesday; at Parsippany on Thursday.
10. Sparta (3-1) -- Spartans are the second team to enter the rankings for the first time ever as coach Kristin Savasta's program has taken a major step forward after an 0-16 campaign in 2011. After five wins in her first season a year ago, the Sussex County school is on pace to shatter that mark. Sparta has reeled off three straight wins following a 4-0 loss to No. 9 Newton in the opener -- beating Vernon (2-0 last Tuesday) and Pope John (5-0 last Thursday). Sophomore forward Rhett Curran is powering the offense with two goals and three assists in four games, while sophomore forward Gretchen Bowie leads with three goals.
On the bubble -- Vernon (3-2); Wallkill Valley (3-4).
Monday, September 23, 2013
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Field hockey: Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex leaders
(Through Sept. 22)
|
Player
|
School
|
Goals
|
Assists
|
Points
|
|
Kaycee Zelkovsky
|
South Hunterdon
|
16
|
3
|
35
|
|
Kathryn Roncoroni
|
Voorhees
|
13
|
2
|
28
|
|
Amber Dey
|
South Hunterdon
|
7
|
8
|
22
|
|
Brittany DeLima
|
High Point
|
8
|
0
|
16
|
|
Kalie Thies
|
Hackettstown
|
6
|
4
|
16
|
|
Sydney Muntone
|
Warren Hills
|
7
|
1
|
15
|
|
Nikki Profita
|
Warren Hills
|
4
|
5
|
13
|
|
Ashley Eick
|
South Hunterdon
|
6
|
1
|
13
|
|
Erin Sassaman
|
Belvidere
|
3
|
7
|
13
|
|
Hannah Koch
|
Belvidere
|
5
|
3
|
13
|
|
Ashley Kerekgyarto
|
Voorhees
|
5
|
2
|
12
|
|
Casey Pustelniak
|
Wallkill Valley
|
5
|
2
|
12
|
|
Alexis Ambrosino
|
High Point
|
5
|
2
|
12
|
|
Dani Profita
|
Warren Hills
|
5
|
2
|
12
|
|
Sierramarie Fitzgerald
|
Hackettstown
|
4
|
2
|
10
|
|
Taylor Barrett
|
Hunterdon Central
|
3
|
4
|
10
|
|
Kendall Nickel
|
Hunterdon Central
|
4
|
1
|
9
|
|
Maddie Smith
|
High Point
|
3
|
3
|
9
|
|
Carly Satter
|
High Point
|
2
|
5
|
9
|
|
Sally Olson
|
Lenape Valley
|
3
|
2
|
8
|
|
Barbara Hannan
|
Wallkill Valley
|
2
|
4
|
8
|
|
Katherine Kellenberger
|
Newton
|
3
|
2
|
8
|
|
Jessica Towey
|
North Warren
|
4
|
0
|
8
|
|
Megan Laubach
|
Belvidere
|
4
|
0
|
8
|
|
Abby Flagler
|
Voorhees
|
2
|
3
|
7
|
|
Emma Garcia
|
Voorhees
|
2
|
3
|
7
|
|
Kelly Healy
|
Hackettstown
|
3
|
1
|
7
|
|
Rhett Curran
|
Sparta
|
2
|
3
|
7
|
Saturday, September 21, 2013
Field hockey: Streaks can't cash in vs. Bridgewater
WASHINGTON TWP. -- The numbers didn't quite add up for Warren Hills' field hockey team -- at least in the all-important win column.
Despite finishing with the statistical edge in shots and penalty corners, the Blue Streaks dropped a 2-1 decision to state power Bridgewater-Raritan on Saturday on the turf at Warren Hills School District Stadium.
Warren Hills (3-3-1) is now even after its early season gauntlet of powerhouse opponents. The Streaks, who fell 2-1 in overtime to rival Voorhees on Tuesday, also lost 2-1 to 2012 champion Bishop Eustace on Sept. 14.
"This was a tough game. We played well," said veteran Streaks coach Laurie Kerr, now 9-7 all-time against Bridgewater dating to her first season in 2000. "But we have to get the ball in the cage. We were on the attack the whole second half. We just didn't finish."
Bridgewater (5-1), which has lost eight straight Group 4 finals to Eastern, finished off two of its few opportunities to erase an early 1-0 deficit. Despite being held without a shot on goal in the second half and having zero penalty corners in 60 minutes, coach Kathie DeBonis' Panthers held on for their eight victory in the last nine meetings with the Streaks, including last year's 3-1 win at home.
"Warren Hills is one of the toughest teams we've played this season," said DeBonis, now 270-104-8 overall and 7-18-1 vs. Warren Hills in 19 seasons. "I thought our passing game in the first half was tremendous. We played a man down for pretty much the first 10 minutes and still dominated. I'm proud of my kids."
DeBonis was less than thrilled with some of the officiating in this one. The veteran coach couldn't recall a game in which her team was held without a penalty corner. Nearly four minutes into the game, forward Leah Watson was given a yellow card for a high stick infraction and was sent to the sideline for 10 minutes, leaving Bridgewater a player short.
Warren Hills capitalized just minutes after the teams were at full strength, when super freshman forward Dani Profita connected off a feed from senior forward Shannon Zignoli at the 15:52 mark.
The lead didn't last long, as Bridgewater answered with two goals in the span of nearly two minutes to take a 2-1 lead. Midfielder Lauren Cleary tied the game after a rocket shot and save set up her score with 14:38 left. Sarah Dimock connected for the go-ahead goal with 12:45 left in the first half. Dimock also sat for five minutes earlier in the half after being hit with a green card for not being five yards back on defense with Warren Hills in possession of the ball.
From that point on, Warren Hills seized control of the game. The Streaks erased a 10-6 first-half deficit in shots with an 8-0 run in the second half, while also gaining seven penalty corners. But the offense couldn't turn any of those chances into goals.
"We've had problems finishing," said junior forward Sydney Muntone, who leads the Streaks with seven goals and was kept off the board for just the second time this season. "Warren Hills field hockey is always passing and not dribbling. Today, we were just a little off. For some reason, they wouldn't go in today. I felt we dominated and had a lot of opportunities. Everyone has bad days."
Both defenses were stout. Junior goalie Kylie Guidi got her first start for Warren Hills, stopping eight of the 10 shots she faced. Sophomore Taylor Austin, who started the first six games, replaced Guidi with 10 minutes left in the second half.
"I wanted to mix it up," Kerr said. "Taylor had been starting. I wanted to give both a chance in games to see what they can do. Kylie has been working hard."
Warren Hills also gained momentum with the return of senior midfielder Nikki Schott, who arrived late in the opening half after taking her ACT exam. Schott, a four-year starter and an excellent distributor of the ball, helped get things moving to a talented forward line.
"[Schott coming into the game] gave us a lot of confidence," Kerr said. "We hung with [Bridgewater] in the first half without Nikki in there. We played really hard today."
Warren Hills, which now leads 24-8-1 in the all-time series with Bridgewater-Raritan dating to 1991 when the district's East and West schools merged, next hosts Montgomery on Tuesday in a Raritan Division matchup before hitting the road against Delaware Valley (Thursday) and Peddie (next Saturday).
Bridgewater (5-1) 2 0 -- 2
Warren Hills (3-3-1) 1 0 -- 1
Scoring
First half -- WH, Dani Profita, 4th, (Shannon Zignoli), 15:52; B, Lauren Cleary, 3rd, (Emily Miller), 14:38; B, Sarah Dimock, 1st, 12:45.
Shots -- Bridgewater 10; Warren Hills 14.
Saves -- Elyse Pyle 13 (B); Kylie Guidi 8, Taylor Austin 0 (WH).
Penalty corners -- Bridgewater 0; Warren Hills 12.
Despite finishing with the statistical edge in shots and penalty corners, the Blue Streaks dropped a 2-1 decision to state power Bridgewater-Raritan on Saturday on the turf at Warren Hills School District Stadium.
Warren Hills (3-3-1) is now even after its early season gauntlet of powerhouse opponents. The Streaks, who fell 2-1 in overtime to rival Voorhees on Tuesday, also lost 2-1 to 2012 champion Bishop Eustace on Sept. 14.
"This was a tough game. We played well," said veteran Streaks coach Laurie Kerr, now 9-7 all-time against Bridgewater dating to her first season in 2000. "But we have to get the ball in the cage. We were on the attack the whole second half. We just didn't finish."
Bridgewater (5-1), which has lost eight straight Group 4 finals to Eastern, finished off two of its few opportunities to erase an early 1-0 deficit. Despite being held without a shot on goal in the second half and having zero penalty corners in 60 minutes, coach Kathie DeBonis' Panthers held on for their eight victory in the last nine meetings with the Streaks, including last year's 3-1 win at home.
"Warren Hills is one of the toughest teams we've played this season," said DeBonis, now 270-104-8 overall and 7-18-1 vs. Warren Hills in 19 seasons. "I thought our passing game in the first half was tremendous. We played a man down for pretty much the first 10 minutes and still dominated. I'm proud of my kids."
DeBonis was less than thrilled with some of the officiating in this one. The veteran coach couldn't recall a game in which her team was held without a penalty corner. Nearly four minutes into the game, forward Leah Watson was given a yellow card for a high stick infraction and was sent to the sideline for 10 minutes, leaving Bridgewater a player short.
Warren Hills capitalized just minutes after the teams were at full strength, when super freshman forward Dani Profita connected off a feed from senior forward Shannon Zignoli at the 15:52 mark.
The lead didn't last long, as Bridgewater answered with two goals in the span of nearly two minutes to take a 2-1 lead. Midfielder Lauren Cleary tied the game after a rocket shot and save set up her score with 14:38 left. Sarah Dimock connected for the go-ahead goal with 12:45 left in the first half. Dimock also sat for five minutes earlier in the half after being hit with a green card for not being five yards back on defense with Warren Hills in possession of the ball.
From that point on, Warren Hills seized control of the game. The Streaks erased a 10-6 first-half deficit in shots with an 8-0 run in the second half, while also gaining seven penalty corners. But the offense couldn't turn any of those chances into goals.
"We've had problems finishing," said junior forward Sydney Muntone, who leads the Streaks with seven goals and was kept off the board for just the second time this season. "Warren Hills field hockey is always passing and not dribbling. Today, we were just a little off. For some reason, they wouldn't go in today. I felt we dominated and had a lot of opportunities. Everyone has bad days."
Both defenses were stout. Junior goalie Kylie Guidi got her first start for Warren Hills, stopping eight of the 10 shots she faced. Sophomore Taylor Austin, who started the first six games, replaced Guidi with 10 minutes left in the second half.
"I wanted to mix it up," Kerr said. "Taylor had been starting. I wanted to give both a chance in games to see what they can do. Kylie has been working hard."
Warren Hills also gained momentum with the return of senior midfielder Nikki Schott, who arrived late in the opening half after taking her ACT exam. Schott, a four-year starter and an excellent distributor of the ball, helped get things moving to a talented forward line.
"[Schott coming into the game] gave us a lot of confidence," Kerr said. "We hung with [Bridgewater] in the first half without Nikki in there. We played really hard today."
Warren Hills, which now leads 24-8-1 in the all-time series with Bridgewater-Raritan dating to 1991 when the district's East and West schools merged, next hosts Montgomery on Tuesday in a Raritan Division matchup before hitting the road against Delaware Valley (Thursday) and Peddie (next Saturday).
Bridgewater (5-1) 2 0 -- 2
Warren Hills (3-3-1) 1 0 -- 1
Scoring
First half -- WH, Dani Profita, 4th, (Shannon Zignoli), 15:52; B, Lauren Cleary, 3rd, (Emily Miller), 14:38; B, Sarah Dimock, 1st, 12:45.
Shots -- Bridgewater 10; Warren Hills 14.
Saves -- Elyse Pyle 13 (B); Kylie Guidi 8, Taylor Austin 0 (WH).
Penalty corners -- Bridgewater 0; Warren Hills 12.
Thursday, September 19, 2013
Field hockey: Hunterdon-Warren Sussex standings
(Through Wednesday's games)
|
Skyland Conference
|
|||
|
Delaware Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
Ridge
|
(3-2)
|
(3-1)
|
|
|
Hunterdon Central
|
(3-1)
|
(2-1)
|
|
|
Bridgewater-Raritan
|
(3-1)
|
(2-1)
|
|
|
Pingry
|
(2-2)
|
(2-1)
|
|
|
North Hunterdon
|
(1-2)
|
(1-1)
|
|
|
Hillsborough
|
(1-3)
|
(1-3)
|
|
|
Watchung Hills
|
(0-4)
|
(0-3)
|
|
|
Raritan Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
Voorhees
|
(4-2)
|
(4-0)
|
|
|
Warren Hills
|
(2-2-1)
|
(2-1)
|
|
|
Montgomery
|
(2-2)
|
(2-1)
|
|
|
Delaware Valley
|
(1-3-1)
|
(1-2-1)
|
|
|
Phillipsburg
|
(1-2-2)
|
(0-2-2)
|
|
|
Somerville
|
(0-4-1)
|
(0-3-1)
|
|
|
Valley Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
South Hunterdon
|
(5-0)
|
(4-0)
|
|
|
Bernards
|
(3-2)
|
(3-1)
|
|
|
Franklin
|
(2-3-2)
|
(1-2-1)
|
|
|
Belvidere
|
(1-2-1)
|
(1-2-1)
|
|
|
Mount Saint Mary
|
(3-3)
|
(2-2)
|
|
|
North Plainfield
|
(0-4)
|
(0-4)
|
|
|
Northwest Jersey
Athletic Conference
|
|||
|
Freedom Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
Parsippany
|
(3-0)
|
(3-0)
|
|
|
Lenape Valley
|
(3-1)
|
(2-1)
|
|
|
Hackettstown
|
(3-1)
|
(2-1)
|
|
|
Wallkill Valley
|
(3-3)
|
(2-1)
|
|
|
Newton
|
(2-2)
|
(1-2)
|
|
|
Kittatinny
|
(1-3)
|
(1-2)
|
|
|
North Warren
|
(1-2-1)
|
(0-2-1)
|
|
|
Jefferson
|
(0-2-1)
|
(0-2-1)
|
|
|
American Division
|
|||
|
Overall
|
Division
|
||
|
High Point
|
(3-0)
|
(2-0)
|
|
|
Montville
|
(3-1)
|
(2-0)
|
|
|
Morris Knolls
|
(2-1)
|
(2-0)
|
|
|
Sparta
|
(2-1)
|
(2-0)
|
|
|
Vernon
|
(2-2)
|
(0-2)
|
|
|
Morris Hills
|
(1-3)
|
(0-2)
|
|
|
Mount Olive
|
(0-3)
|
(0-2)
|
|
|
Pope John
|
(0-4)
|
(0-2)
|
|
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
Field hockey: Vikings stun Blue Streaks in OT thriller
LEBANON TWP. -- The look that Kathryn Roncoroni had was so good that it admittedly made her nervous.
Staring down at a wide open cage, the sophomore forward composed herself and fired a laser shot that lifted Voorhees to a thrilling 2-1 win in overtime against Warren Hills on Tuesday in the 53rd meeting between the Skyland Conference Raritan Division field hockey rivals.
Roncoroni, who scored the game's opening goal, broke loose on the left side in the seven-aside overtime and dribbled into the circle. Warren Hills goalie Taylor Austin came up a little too far and Roncoroni rifled the ball into a wide open left corner of the cage.
"The girls got the ball down to the right spot and I pulled it over to an open area," said Roncoroni, who leads the Vikings with 11 goals this season. "Once I got into space, I started shaking. I was every excited."
Voorhees (4-2, 4-0 Raritan Division), which was coming off a tough 2-1 loss in overtime against South Hunterdon on Saturday, rebounded nicely to take control of the division, won by Warren Hills in 2011 and '12.
The Vikes, who hold a 30-17-6 edge in the all-time series dating to 1975, have won the last two meetings and five of the last eight dating to 2010. The greatest rivalry in all of Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex has been decided in overtime seven times since 2004 and the teams have played OT at least once in five of the last eight seasons.
"Just your typical Voorhees-Warren Hills matchup. That was exciting," said third-year Voorhees coach Taylor Webb, now 3-3 against Warren Hills as coach after going 3-0 against the Streaks as a star midfielder for the Vikes in the early 2000s.
Warren Hills (2-2-1, 2-1), which was coming off a 2-1 loss to 2012 Group 2 champion Bishop Eustace on Saturday, seemingly had everything going its way late in regulation and early in the sudden-victory OT.
Junior forward Jessica Nissen tied the game at 1 with 7:50 left in the second half off a nice stick-to-stick feed from junior midfielder Nikki Profita that Nissen deposited into the left corner for her second goal of the season.
In OT, Voorhees was forced to play with only six players when sophomore Emma Garcia received a yellow card for a high stick. Warren Hills was unable to take advantage and didn't even manage a shot or serious threat on goal.
Instead, Roncoroni and her teammates went on the attack and scored just minutes after the yellow card. Ironically it was the Blue Streaks who rallied a player down in the second half to score their game-tying goal, when midfielder Rachel Phillips was hit with a yellow card near the 10-minute mark.
"I think what happened to us is, we felt the need to play outside of ourselves and pick up the slack," Webb said. "[Warren Hills] did and they scored a man down. I think when you're a man down your team gets more aggressive because you feel threatened. You play better and we did."
Roncoroni and the Vikings responded best with their backs against the wall. Playing a tough early-season schedule, with games against state power West Essex and conference foe Montgomery, have kept this team sharp for key games. It also was a big boost for an offense that has produced 19 goals in six games after scoring that many in the final 13 games combined last season.
"This was a very big win for us," Roncoroni said. "Since we're rivals, we were all very excited to play Warren Hills. They are a very good team. "We stepped up to the ball, because we knew we had to get to the ball before [Warren Hills] did."
Blue Streaks coach Laurie Kerr was disappointed that her talented team, which went to the Group 3 final a year ago and is picked by most to return to the title game, didn't do what it does best as a strong offensive unit.
"I've been disappointed with the passing all season. Our passing is off," said Kerr, now 7-18-3 against Voorhees in 14 seasons at the helm of her alma mater. "I've never coached a team coming off a 22-win season that doesn't have confidence. When we start playing as a team things will click. We haven't done that yet."
Roncoroni gave Voorhees an early 1-0 lead when she popped one in with 20:57 left in the first half. First-half goalie Lauren Pianucci was virtually untested as Warren Hills managed just two shots on goal in the first 30 minutes. Sweeper Emily Scheier had a strong game on defense, including a nice goal-line save in the opening half.
The Streaks did a better job of moving the ball in the second half, but once again the Vikes thwarted a golden opportunity for the visitors when second-half goalie Kathryn Boyce made a diving stop on what looked to be a certain game-tying goal early in the final 30 minutes.
But as the game wound down, it seemed like only a matter of time before a potent Warren Hills offense would cash in, as it did on its sixth shot of the second half.
"It's hard to keep a team of [Warren Hills'] caliber down 1-0," Webb said. "It's very hard to do. I wasn't surprised it went to overtime. Keeping them scoreless is very hard."
Scheier, who was shifted to the sweeper spot that has long been a coveted position for Voorhees teams, helped anchor a very tough defense. The Vikes have lost one starting back for the season, so they're still mixing and matching in the backfield. In addition, midfielder Tori Crans moved to center forward and helped spark the offense.
"[Scheier] was super. She made some big stops for us," Webb said. [Abby] Flagler and [Isabelle] Houser played fearless defense. Tori distributes well and Kathryn [Roncoroni] finishes. They're a nice 1-2 punch."
Voorhees will next travel to Delaware Valley on Thursday for a divisional game, while Warren Hills travels to Somerville the same day before hosting Bridgewater-Raritan in a big cross-divisional showdown on Saturday.
Warren Hills (2-2-1, 2-1) 0 1 0 -- 1
Voorhees (4-2, 4-0) 1 0 1 -- 2
Scoring
First half -- V, Kathryn Roncoroni, 10th, 20:57.
Second half -- WH, Jessica Nissen, 2nd, (Nikki Profita), 7:50.
Overtime -- V, Roncoroni, 11th, 5:29.
Shots -- Warren Hills 8; Voorhees 5.
Saves -- Taylor Austin 3 (WH); Lauren Pianucci 1, Kathryn Boyce 5, Emily Scheier 1 (goal line) (V).
Penalty corners -- Warren Hills 10; Voorhees 6.
Staring down at a wide open cage, the sophomore forward composed herself and fired a laser shot that lifted Voorhees to a thrilling 2-1 win in overtime against Warren Hills on Tuesday in the 53rd meeting between the Skyland Conference Raritan Division field hockey rivals.
Roncoroni, who scored the game's opening goal, broke loose on the left side in the seven-aside overtime and dribbled into the circle. Warren Hills goalie Taylor Austin came up a little too far and Roncoroni rifled the ball into a wide open left corner of the cage.
"The girls got the ball down to the right spot and I pulled it over to an open area," said Roncoroni, who leads the Vikings with 11 goals this season. "Once I got into space, I started shaking. I was every excited."
Voorhees (4-2, 4-0 Raritan Division), which was coming off a tough 2-1 loss in overtime against South Hunterdon on Saturday, rebounded nicely to take control of the division, won by Warren Hills in 2011 and '12.
The Vikes, who hold a 30-17-6 edge in the all-time series dating to 1975, have won the last two meetings and five of the last eight dating to 2010. The greatest rivalry in all of Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex has been decided in overtime seven times since 2004 and the teams have played OT at least once in five of the last eight seasons.
"Just your typical Voorhees-Warren Hills matchup. That was exciting," said third-year Voorhees coach Taylor Webb, now 3-3 against Warren Hills as coach after going 3-0 against the Streaks as a star midfielder for the Vikes in the early 2000s.
Warren Hills (2-2-1, 2-1), which was coming off a 2-1 loss to 2012 Group 2 champion Bishop Eustace on Saturday, seemingly had everything going its way late in regulation and early in the sudden-victory OT.
Junior forward Jessica Nissen tied the game at 1 with 7:50 left in the second half off a nice stick-to-stick feed from junior midfielder Nikki Profita that Nissen deposited into the left corner for her second goal of the season.
In OT, Voorhees was forced to play with only six players when sophomore Emma Garcia received a yellow card for a high stick. Warren Hills was unable to take advantage and didn't even manage a shot or serious threat on goal.
Instead, Roncoroni and her teammates went on the attack and scored just minutes after the yellow card. Ironically it was the Blue Streaks who rallied a player down in the second half to score their game-tying goal, when midfielder Rachel Phillips was hit with a yellow card near the 10-minute mark.
"I think what happened to us is, we felt the need to play outside of ourselves and pick up the slack," Webb said. "[Warren Hills] did and they scored a man down. I think when you're a man down your team gets more aggressive because you feel threatened. You play better and we did."
Roncoroni and the Vikings responded best with their backs against the wall. Playing a tough early-season schedule, with games against state power West Essex and conference foe Montgomery, have kept this team sharp for key games. It also was a big boost for an offense that has produced 19 goals in six games after scoring that many in the final 13 games combined last season.
"This was a very big win for us," Roncoroni said. "Since we're rivals, we were all very excited to play Warren Hills. They are a very good team. "We stepped up to the ball, because we knew we had to get to the ball before [Warren Hills] did."
Blue Streaks coach Laurie Kerr was disappointed that her talented team, which went to the Group 3 final a year ago and is picked by most to return to the title game, didn't do what it does best as a strong offensive unit.
"I've been disappointed with the passing all season. Our passing is off," said Kerr, now 7-18-3 against Voorhees in 14 seasons at the helm of her alma mater. "I've never coached a team coming off a 22-win season that doesn't have confidence. When we start playing as a team things will click. We haven't done that yet."
Roncoroni gave Voorhees an early 1-0 lead when she popped one in with 20:57 left in the first half. First-half goalie Lauren Pianucci was virtually untested as Warren Hills managed just two shots on goal in the first 30 minutes. Sweeper Emily Scheier had a strong game on defense, including a nice goal-line save in the opening half.
The Streaks did a better job of moving the ball in the second half, but once again the Vikes thwarted a golden opportunity for the visitors when second-half goalie Kathryn Boyce made a diving stop on what looked to be a certain game-tying goal early in the final 30 minutes.
But as the game wound down, it seemed like only a matter of time before a potent Warren Hills offense would cash in, as it did on its sixth shot of the second half.
"It's hard to keep a team of [Warren Hills'] caliber down 1-0," Webb said. "It's very hard to do. I wasn't surprised it went to overtime. Keeping them scoreless is very hard."
Scheier, who was shifted to the sweeper spot that has long been a coveted position for Voorhees teams, helped anchor a very tough defense. The Vikes have lost one starting back for the season, so they're still mixing and matching in the backfield. In addition, midfielder Tori Crans moved to center forward and helped spark the offense.
"[Scheier] was super. She made some big stops for us," Webb said. [Abby] Flagler and [Isabelle] Houser played fearless defense. Tori distributes well and Kathryn [Roncoroni] finishes. They're a nice 1-2 punch."
Voorhees will next travel to Delaware Valley on Thursday for a divisional game, while Warren Hills travels to Somerville the same day before hosting Bridgewater-Raritan in a big cross-divisional showdown on Saturday.
Warren Hills (2-2-1, 2-1) 0 1 0 -- 1
Voorhees (4-2, 4-0) 1 0 1 -- 2
Scoring
First half -- V, Kathryn Roncoroni, 10th, 20:57.
Second half -- WH, Jessica Nissen, 2nd, (Nikki Profita), 7:50.
Overtime -- V, Roncoroni, 11th, 5:29.
Shots -- Warren Hills 8; Voorhees 5.
Saves -- Taylor Austin 3 (WH); Lauren Pianucci 1, Kathryn Boyce 5, Emily Scheier 1 (goal line) (V).
Penalty corners -- Warren Hills 10; Voorhees 6.
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