Field hockey: NH maintains 'focus' on title business

North Hunterdon's field hockey team has added numerous chapters to program history for the past three seasons.

But according to first-year coach Geoff Chrisman, the Lions haven't dwelled on the fact that North has not won a sectional title since 1993, even now as they're one win away from ending that 27-year postseason drought.

NH's championship banner.

"We went into the gym once to show them the banner [listing the school's sectional title years in 1986 and '93]," said Chrisman, whose team will host Randolph in the North Group 3 championship game at 2 p.m. on Tuesday at Singley Field. "They were like, 'OK, we have a game tomorrow.'"

North Hunterdon (19-1), which captured the Skyland Conference Raritan Division championship and its first Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament title, has been all business during one of the program's best seasons. Two years ago, the Lions came up short in a 2-1 loss to Hunterdon Central at home in the North 2, Group 4 sectional final -- the program's first title game appearance since '93.

"We've just been focused on one game a time and not looking two, three games ahead," said senior forward Ryan Anderson, who has logged a career-best 33 goals this season. "It helps us focus on the game we're going into."

Moorestown and Ocean City, which have combined to win 45 sectional championships, will battle in the other final on Tuesday. The North and South winners meet in the Group 3 state title game at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13 at Bordentown Regional High School. 

Randolph, which won sectional titles in 1994 and 2009, spoiled a much-anticipated fourth meeting between North and Warren Hills, which saw its run of nine straight sectional/regional titles end with a 4-1 loss at home to the Rams in the semifinals. The Lions went 3-0 against the Blue Streaks this season for the first time in series history, including a 5-0 victory in the last matchup on Oct. 21.

"It would have been fun," Chrisman said. "Playing anyone four times would have made me really nervous. We don't have any common opponents [other than Warren Hills] with Randolph. We won't know what to expect fully until about three minutes on the field."

NH celebrates its first HWS Tournament title.

After a slow start against Summit (a 4-0 win in the quarterfinals) during this postseason run, No. 1 seed North, which has won 11 straight since a 4-3 loss in overtime to Pingry on Oct. 5, cruised to a 12-3 win over No. 5 Lawrence in Friday's semifinals. Leading the way, as was the case in 2019, to another finals appearance is the Lions' speedy 1-2 punch of junior Lauren Masters and Anderson, who have combined for 76 of the team's 143 goals.

Masters, a Louisville commit, owns program records for career goals (99) and points (236), and her 43 goals this season surpassed the previous mark held by Beth Gromlowicz (35 in 1986). Masters scored a career-best six goals in a 16-0 win over West Windsor North in a first-round game and she has logged 11 goals in the team's three sectional wins.

Anderson, whose father, Tim, won two sectional titles as a star wrestler at North and placed fourth in the state at 158 pounds in 1984, is perhaps the Lions' best all-around player. An assists machine, Ryan has logged a team-high 21 and holds the program's career mark with 71, including a single-season record of 26 in 2019. She enters the sectional final with 193 career points.

"I'm looking forward to it," said Anderson, who has decided to end her playing career after high school but is planning to attend college at a to-be-determined school in Arizona. "We said freshman year that our senior season would be the year. Now it's finally come and it's mind-blowing that it's actually happening for us. It's surreal."

Ava Laible

But the offense doesn't stop with those two outstanding players. Seniors Olivia Reeder (nine goals, 13 assists), Ava Laible (13 goals, nine assists) and Katie Roberts (10 goals, nine assists), along with junior Sara Roberts (14 goals, 10 assists) all present problems for opposing defenses. Laible was the MVP in North's HWS Tournament title game win over Warren Hills, and sophomore Molly Claus, who figures to be a big part of the offense in 2022, has chipped in with five goals, including one in the postseason against Summit, and six assists.

"Everyone can score this season, not just one person," said Anderson, who needs three goals to own second place on the school's all-time list. "It makes us more competitive as a team."

"I'm very lucky as a coach to have so many girls who can put the ball in the cage," said Chrisman, whose team has outscored its three previous sectional opponents, 32-3. "Sometimes, they're a little too unselfish and we have to tell them to take shots. Everyone is happy when the other girls do well."

North is expecting a big crowd for Tuesday's contest as it continues the ultimate mission of winning a state championship. The 1986 and '93 teams did not get that opportunity after losses in the state semifinals.

"The students have really embraced it," Chrisman said. "We've had a few hundred people every game, which is nice." 

Sectional and state schedule

Tuesday, Nov. 9

Public sectional finals 

Group 4

Phillipsburg (12-9) at Middletown South (17-4), 2 p.m.

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

Group 3

Randolph (18-3-1) at North Hunterdon (19-1), 2 p.m.

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

Group 2

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

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

Group 1

Lenape Valley (17-3-1) at Shore Regional (23-1), 3 p.m.

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

Wednesday, Nov. 10

Non-Public sectional finals

North

Kent Place (18-3) vs. Oak Knoll (19-3)

South

Bishop Eustace (16-6) at Camden Catholic (20-2)

Saturday, Nov. 13

State finals at Bordentown 

Non-Public, 10 a.m.

Group 2, noon

Group 3, 2 p.m.

Group 4, 4 p.m.

Group 1, 6 p.m.

Field hockey: Lenape Valley continues 'exciting' run

If you're looking for a common denominator when it comes to field hockey success at Lenape Valley, it just may rest with second-year head coach Isabelle Becker.

As a former standout player, Becker was a starting midfielder for the Patriots when they made back-to-back North 1, Group 1 sectional semifinals appearances in 2013-14. Upon her return last year, Lenape finished 9-2-2 in the pandemic-shortened season and reached the Northwest A regional semis -- falling 2-0 to eventual champion Pequannock.

Lenape Valley won its only titles in 1978 and '90.

Now, the Patriots (17-3-1) sit one win away from securing the program's first sectional title since 1990, as they prepare to take on state powerhouse Shore Regional at 3 p.m. on Tuesday in the North 1 championship game in West Long Branch.

"It's a great accomplishment as a team," said Becker, who inherited a program that produced only one winning season (12-5-1 in 2018) since her senior year in 2014 and just three overall (15-6-1 in 2013 and 14-6 in '14) since 2009. "It's very exciting. We're thankful to still be playing games."

Collingswood faces Woodstown in the other Group 1 sectional final. The North and South winners meet for the state championship on Saturday, Nov. 13 at Bordentown Regional High School. No Lenape Valley team has played for a state championship, falling to Butler and Madison in the 1978 and '90 Group 2 semifinals.

Lenape Valley is among three Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area schools seeking sectional titles as North Hunterdon (North Group 3) and Phillipsburg (North Group 4) will also look to make program history.

North Hunterdon (19-1) hasn't won a sectional championship since 1993, while P'burg (12-9) eyes its first since 1999. Lenape's title task is a bit more daunting as Becker's team, a No. 6 seed that advanced with a 3-2 win in overtime against No. 2 Pompton Lakes, rates a decided underdog against one of the top programs in New Jersey history. 

Shore (23-1) has won 27 sectional/regional titles, including three in a row. Only West Essex (38), Eastern and Moorestown (28) have won more.

"They have an incredible record," Becker said of Shore, which has won a staggering 16 state titles in Group 1, going back-to-back in 2018 and '19. "They've scored almost 100 more goals [147-53] than we have, but on any given day, any team is beatable. We've experienced it."

Becker's ties at Lenape Valley run deep, even among her current players. The second-leading scorer on the 2013 team was forward Alyssa Falleni, whose sister, Angie, is a senior forward and one of the leading scorers on this year's squad with 13 goals and eight assists. Their father, Dave Falleni, is a former wrestler for the Patriots and he has served as the head wrestling coach at Jefferson and the athletic director at Mount Olive.

"Their mindsets are very similar. They're both positive and upbeat," Becker said of the Falleni sisters.

In addition to Angie Falleni (35 goals, 19 assists, 89 points in her career), one of 10 seniors on the Pats' roster, junior Katie Giusti (11 goals), sophomore Mia Vergano (nine goals, four assists) and senior Olivia Fehir (three goals) round out the forward line, while seniors Dara Pellinger (four goals, six assists) and Quinn Dachisen (four goals, four assists) anchor the midfield. 

Sophomore midfielder/back Ella Gomez logged two goals, including the game-winner in overtime against Pompton Lakes in the sectional semifinals.

Leading a staunch defense is sophomore goalie Abby Coppolella, who is among the area leaders with 12 shutouts and has yielded just five goals (17 total in 21 games) during the Patriots' seven-game win streak following a tough 1-0 loss to Newton on Oct. 15. Lenape has won 14 of its last 16, with the only other loss coming against North Hunterdon, 7-0, in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament semifinals on Oct. 9.

"Abby is very coachable and very determined to get better," said Becker, whose assistant coach is former High Point standout Rachel Orr, who helped the Wildcats win 54 straight division games and three NJAC American Division titles from 2011-13.

After stepping into a very tough situation a year ago in the midst of a pandemic and not knowing much about her team, Becker, who is just a few years older than most of her players, has Lenape Valley on the doorstep to history.

"I really didn't know what to expect," said Becker, who said her intensity on the sidelines is something she took from former Patriots coach Kate Rothman, who left after the 2014 season and guided Warren Hills to a Group 3 state title the following season. "The girls didn't have a lot of faith in themselves. I saw a lot of potential. 

"We had goals to see where we could improve from the defense all the way up to the forwards. Last season, we kind of soared as a team and asked how can we go further? We're all trying to learn and grow together. It sparks us to do better."

Sectional and state schedule

Tuesday, Nov. 9

(Times to be announced)

NJSIAA Public sectional finals 

Group 4

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

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

Group 3

Randolph (18-3-1) at North Hunterdon (19-1), 2 p.m.

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

Group 2

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

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

Group 1

Lenape Valley (17-3-1) at Shore Regional (23-1), 3 p.m.

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

Saturday, Nov. 13

NJSIAA state finals at Bordentown 

Non-Public, 10 a.m.

Group 2, noon

Group 3, 2 p.m.

Group 4, 4 p.m.

Group 1, 6 p.m.

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

And then there were three.

North seeks its first sectional title since 1993.

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

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

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

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

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

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

'Liners keep rolling

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

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

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

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

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

— PHS fieldhockey (@fieldhockey_phs) November 5, 2021

 

Streaks run ends at 9

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

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

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

Sectional and state schedule

Tuesday, Nov. 9

(Times to be announced)

NJSIAA Public sectional finals 

Group 4

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

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

Group 3

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

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

Group 2

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

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

Group 1

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

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

Saturday, Nov. 13

NJSIAA state finals at Bordentown 

Non-Public, 10 a.m.

Group 2, noon

Group 3, 2 p.m.

Group 4, 4 p.m.

Group 1, 6 p.m.

Wrestling: P'burg shifts to G5; North stays in G4

The sectional classifications for the 2021-22 scholastic wrestling season were released on Wednesday. In 2020-21, sectional team tournaments were not held for the first time since being introduced in 1980 due to the pandemic. 

A few notable changes moving forward involved Phillipsburg bumping up from Group 4 to Group 5 in North 2, while Delaware Valley, which won North 2, Group 1 titles in 2019 and '20, shifts to Central Jersey, Group 1. That leaves Belvidere, which won the last of its five titles in 2002, as the only local team in North 2, Group 1.

P'burg, winner of a Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area-best 38 sectional titles, seeks its 39th after falling to North Hunterdon in the 2020 North 2, Group 4 final. The Stateliners, now guided by first-year coach Brad Gentzle, are expected to have one of their best teams (10 returning starters) and will face stiff competition in the quest for a 23rd state championship. Watchung Hills also is in North 2, Group 5, while Hunterdon Central and Howell (Central Jersey), and Kingsway and Southern (South Jersey), are also housed in a deep Group 5 field.

North celebrates winning a sectional title in 2020.

Kingsway stunned Phillipsburg, 26-20, to snap the Stateliners' run of five straight Group 4 titles in 2019, before falling to North Hunterdon, 34-22, in the 2020 title match at Toms River North.

North Hunterdon, which knocked off P'burg, 37-12, in the 2020 North 2, Group 4 sectional final en route to winning its first state championship since 2002, should be a heavy favorite to capture the program's 16th sectional title with the 'Liners out of the way. 

Coach Chris Hrunka's team returns seven starters, including junior Logan Wadle (12-2), a state runner-up at 106 pounds last season, junior Alex Uryniak (11-3 at 189) and 2020 state placewinner Liam Akers (10-2 at 285).

Warren Hills, which hasn't won a sectional title since 2007 and a state championship since 1997, figures to be among the contenders in Group 3, along with South Plainfield (Central Jersey) and Delsea (South Jersey). The Blue Streaks, who return most of last season's team, including seven juniors, should be a big favorite in North 2, Group 3, behind state placewinners Jarett Pantuso (11-4 at 220), a junior, and senior Tyler McCatharn (14-4 at 285).

High Point and Newton are together again in North 1, Group 2, as coach John Gardner's Wildcats, who have won a Sussex County-best 28 sectional titles, go for five in a row. High Point, which features two-time state champion Brian Soldano (89-5 career) claimed its 28th championship in 2020 en route to winning the Group 2 state title -- the program's sixth overall and second in three years.

Kittatinny, which has won 22 sectional titles under legendary coach John Gill, should be the team to beat in North 1, Group 1. Hopatcong, Lenape Valley and North Warren are also housed in that section.

Some key dates

Jan. 4 -- Hunterdon Central at Phillipsburg

Jan. 7 -- North Hunterdon at Warren Hills

Jan. 8 -- Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex Tournament at Phillipsburg

Jan. 10 -- Phillipsburg at High Point

Jan. 12 -- Southern at High Point

Jan. 14 -- Kittatinny at High Point; Phillipsburg at Warren Hills

Jan. 15 -- 16th Henry Boresch Duals at Newton (Caldwell, Hanover Park, Howell, Lacey, North Hunterdon, South Plainfield, Toms River North)

Jan. 19 -- North Hunterdon at Phillipsburg

Jan. 22 -- Patriot Duals at North Warren (High Point, North Hunterdon, Kingsway, Roxbury, St. John Vianney, Watchung Hills, West Essex)

Jan. 29 -- Phillipsburg at Southern

Feb. 4 -- Delsea at North Hunterdon

Feb. 7 -- Sectionals first round
Feb. 9 -- Sectionals semifinals
Feb. 11 -- Sectional championships
Feb. 13 -- Group championships at TBD
Feb. 21 -- Districts
Feb. 23, 25-26 -- Regions
March 3-5 -- 89th State Wrestling Championships in Atlantic City

Here are the complete Public and Non-Public sections (Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area teams in bold). 

North 1, Group 5

Bloomfield

Clifton

Columbia

East Orange

Eastside

Kennedy

Livingston

Montclair

Morristown

North Bergen

Passaic Tech

Union City

West Orange

North 2, Group 5

Phillipsburg
Bayonne

Bridgewater-Raritan

East Side

Elizabeth

Franklin

JP Stevens
Perth Amboy

Piscataway

Plainfield

Summit-Chatham

Union

Watchung Hills

Westfield

Central Jersey, Group 5

Hunterdon Central
East Brunswick

Edison

Freehold Township

Hillsborough

Howell

Marlboro

Monroe

New Brunswick

North Brunswick

Old Bridge

Rancocas Valley

South Brunswick

Trenton Central

South Jersey, Group 5

Atlantic City

Cherokee

Cherry Hill East

Eastern

Egg Harbor Township

Highland-Triton

Kingsway

Lenape

Southern

Toms River North

Vineland

Washington Township

Williamstown

North 1, Group 4

Vernon-Wallkill Valley
Belleville

Bogota-Ridgefield Park

Cliffside Park-Ridgefield Memorial

Fair Lawn

Hackensack

Leonia-Palisades Park

Lyndhurst-North Arlington

Morris Knolls

Mount Olive

Northern Highlands

Ramapo

Randolph

Ridgewood

North 2, Group 4

North Hunterdon
Barringer

Colonia

Irvington

JFK-Iselin

Kearny

Linden

Middletown North

Millburn

Montgomery

Ridge

Sayreville

Scotch Plains-Fanwood

Woodbridge

Central Jersey, Group 4

Bordentown-Florence

Brick Memorial

Colts Neck

Freehold Boro

Hightstown

Jackson Memorial

Long Branch

Manalapan

Middletown South

Princeton

Red Bank Regional

Steinert

West Windsor North

West Windsor South

South Jersey, Group 4

Schalick-Cumberland

Central Regional

Cherry Hill West

Clearview

Hammonton

Lakewood

Millville

Moorestown

Northern Burlington

Pennsauken

Shawnee

Toms River East

Toms River South

North 1, Group 3

Sparta
Bergenfield

Dover

Dwight Morrow

Garfield

Montville

Morris Hills

Old Tappan

Paramus

Pascack Valley

Teaneck

Tenafly

Wayne Hills

Wayne Valley

North 2, Group 3

Warren Hills
Cranford

Brearley-Dayton

Fort Lee

Mendham

Newark Collegiate Academy

North Plainfield

Nutley

Orange

Parsippany Hills

Rahway

Roxbury

West Essex

West Morris

Central Jersey, Group 3

Allentown

Brick Township

Ewing

Hamilton West

Hopewell Valley

Jackson Liberty

Lawrence

Matawan

Neptune

Ocean Township

Robbinsville

Somerville

South Plainfield

Wall Township

South Jersey, Group 3

Absegami

Burlington Township

Delsea

Gateway-Woodbury

Lacey

Mainland

Ocean City

Pemberton

Pinelands

Seneca

Timber Creek

Westhampton Tech

Winslow Township

North 1, Group 2

High Point

Newton

Demarest

Dumont

Indian Hills

Jefferson

Lakeland

Mahwah

Manchester Regional

Pascack Hills

Ramsey

River Dell

West Milford

Westwood

North 2, Group 2

Hackettstown
Voorhees

Bernards
Becton-Wood Ridge

Caldwell

Elmwood Park

Governor Livingston

Hanover Park

Hillside

Lodi

Madison

Parsippany

Passaic Valley

Rutherford

Central Jersey, Group 2

Carteret

Cinnaminson

Delran

Holmdel

Manasquan

Manchester Township

Metuchen

Middlesex-Dunellen

Monmouth

Nottingham

Point Pleasant Boro

Raritan

Rumson-Fair Haven

South River

South Jersey, Group 2

Barnegat

Camden

Cedar Creek

Clayton-Glassboro

Collingswood

Deptford

Haddon Heights

Haddonfield

Lower Cape May

Middle Township

Oakcrest

Sterling

West Deptford

North 1, Group 1

Hopatcong

Kittatinny

Lenape Valley

North Warren

Butler

Cresskill

Emerson-Park Ridge

Glen Rock

Hawthorne

Kinnelon

New Milford

Pequannock

Pompton Lakes

Saddle Brook

Waldwick-Midland Park

North 2, Group 1

Belvidere
Boonton

Cedar Grove

Glen Ridge

Hasbrouck Heights

Hoboken

Johnson

Mountain Lakes

New Providence

Roselle Park

Secaucus

Verona

Weehawken

Weequahic

Whippany Park

Central Jersey, Group 1

Delaware Valley

Asbury Park

Bound Brook

Burlington City

Highland Park

Keansburg

Keyport-Hudson

Manville

New Egypt

Point Pleasant Beach

Riverside

Shore

Spotswood

Willingboro

South Jersey, Group 1

Audubon

Buena

Gloucester City

Haddon Township

Lindenwold

Maple Shade

Overbrook

Palmyra

Paulsboro

Penns Grove

Pennsville

Pitman

Salem

Woodstown

Non-Public North A

Bergen Catholic

Delbarton

Don Bosco

Paramus Catholic

St. Joseph-Montvale

St. Peter's Prep

Seton Hall Prep

Non-Public North B

Pope John

DePaul

Newark Academy

Pingry

St. Mary's

St. Thomas Aquinas

Non-Public South A

Camden Catholic

Christian Brothers Academy

Notre Dame

Paul VI

St. Augustine

St. John Vianney

St. Joseph-Metuchen

Non-Public South B

Donovan Catholic

Holy Cross

Holy Spirit

Red Bank Catholic

Rutgers Prep

St. Joseph-Hammonton

St. Rose

Field hockey: NH, Hills, P'burg roll on to semifinals

We're down to the Final Four in the Hunterdon-Warren-Sussex area field hockey ranks.

As expected, North Hunterdon and Warren Hills, the 1 and 2 seeds, advanced to the North 3 sectional semifinals with quarterfinal wins on Tuesday. The Lions extended their win streak to 10 straight with a 4-0 victory over Summit, while the Blue Streaks scored a 3-1 win at home against No. 7 seed Chatham under the lights at Warren Hills School District Stadium.

Phillipsburg, a No. 9 seed, moved to the North Group 4 semifinals with an impressive 5-1 victory over Montgomery in the rubber match between the Skyland Conference schools. The Cougars opened the year with a 4-2 win over the Stateliners, who avenged that loss with a 5-1 win on the road on Oct. 7.

Lenape Valley (16-3-1), which played on Monday, reached the North 1 semifinals with a 2-0 win over Whippany Park. The sixth-seeded Patriots, seeking their program's third sectional title and first since 1990, will travel to No. 2 Pompton Lakes, which ousted Newton, 4-1, in the quarterfinals, on Thursday. Second-year coach Isabelle Becker was a member of the last Lenape Valley team to reach the sectional semis in 2014. 

Streaks seek the program's 19th section/region title.

Warren Hills (15-5-1), which is looking to extend its title streak to 10 in a row and has won 29 straight sectional/regional contests dating to 2012, opened the postseason with a surprisingly-tight 2-1 win vs. No. 15 seed Millburn. Coach Josie Potter's team, which will next host No. 3 Randolph on Friday, has won three straight since a 5-0 loss to North Hunterdon on Oct. 21 -- its third setback against the Lions this season. 

Are we heading for a fourth matchup?

"We have to get through Randolph first," Potter said after Tuesday's win. "We played well [against Chatham]. Hopefully we can keep it rolling."

This will be the Streaks' first postseason meeting with Randolph and first in the series since 1987. Hills, which is 93-44 all-time in postseason play and has not lost a home playoff game since 2007, is 4-0-1 and has outscored the Rams, 16-0, in their brief series dating to 1983.

Warren Hills sophomore forward-midfielder Sarah Salameh has emerged as an offensive force, sharing the team lead for goals (17) with standout senior forward Maddie Summitt. Salameh has scored five goals in the team's last five games, while sophomore Jess Pawloski and junior Gabby Fama (first career) had goals against Chatham. Defensively, freshman back Shivya Desai and senior sweeper Holly Ort, who Potter said is "playing phenomenal hockey right now," have picked up the slack since the loss of star senior back Emily Dvorsky was sidelined by a knee injury. 

North Hunterdon (18-1), which is enjoying its best season in recent memory, is seeking the program's third sectional title and first since 1993 and second finals appearance in three years. The Lions, who had not played for a championship since '93, came up short in the 2019 North 2, Group 4 final, falling to Hunterdon Central, 2-1, at Singley Field.

First-year North coach Geoff Chrisman's team will next host No. 5 seed Lawrence -- a 3-0 winner over No. 4 Northern Highlands -- in Friday's semifinals. Lawrence (19-3) is led by senior forward and Cornell commit Talia Schneck (112 goals), who became the first in New Jersey history to reach the century mark for goals in a season earlier this year.

Junior forward Lauren Masters, who continues to rewrite the Lions' offensive record books with a career-best 38 goals this season and needs eight points to reach the century mark for this season, was held without a goal or an assist for just the third time this season in North's win over Summit. Senior forward Ryan Anderson logged a goal and an assist -- giving her a career-best 30 goals and a team-leading and a HWS area-best 18 assists on the year. 

Senior goalies McKenna Laman and Katherine Hall combined for North's eighth shutout, as the Lions have outscored their opponents, 72-4, during their 10-game winning streak since a 4-3 loss in overtime to Pingry on Oct. 5.

P'burg, which reached the semifinals for the first time since 2017, and is seeking the program's first sectional title since 1999, will next hit the road to face No. 4 seed Montclair, a 6-0 winner over No. 5 Princeton, on Friday at the Watchung School. The Mounties, led by longtime coach Mary Pat Mercurio who surpassed the 400 career wins mark this season, have been a postseason thorn in the Stateliners' side for many years, most recently scoring a 3-1 win in the 2019 North 1, Group 4 quarterfinals.

"On any given day, anything can happen," said P'burg coach Toni Popinko, whose teams are 4-3 overall in postseason play during her five seasons in charge. "They're a good team. We played them a couple of years ago. I do remember that game vividly."

P'burg eyes history in its 60th season overall.

Montclair (16-4) also won postseason matchups with Phillipsburg in 2016 (6-0 at home in the North 1, Group 4 quarters) and 2011 (3-2 at home in the North 1, Group 4 semifinals). P'burg, which did score a 1-0 victory at Montclair in the 2009 quarterfinals, haven't had muck luck in that series or in the playoffs in general, missing out on the chance to play for the 2010 sectional title under coach Carrie Saul due to having played too many regular-season games. The 'Liners were ruled ineligible after an 8-1 win over Vernon in the semifinals -- the program's last finals berth.

Since that 2010 season, Saul's last before taking over at Catasauqua and now Northampton (Pa.), her alma mater, Phillipsburg, which went 109-105-8 under Saul from 2000-10, has gone 82-121-9 (three winning seasons) the last 11 years. A major reason for the recent turnaround, back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since three straight from 2004-06, has been getting players to make an offseason commitment. 

"We've built pretty much from the ground up," Popinko said. "When I took over, we had zero girls playing travel or club. Now, we have 13-14 playing year-round."

Junior forwards Samantha Helman and Gracie Merrick scored goals in the win over Montgomery, while senior center midfielder Madison Darmstadt, a Stonehill College commit, continued to fuel the offense with a goal and an assist. Darmstadt, who played most of her high school career as a defensive player, has logged two goals and two assists in the playoffs and seven of her eight goals in the team's last eight games. 

Sophomore Adrianna Taynor also scored her first varsity goal, while senior Lena Lopes added a career-high three assists.

In the other North 4 semifinal, No. 3 seed Ridge -- a 2-1 winner in overtime against No. 6 Hillsborough -- will face No. 2 Middletown South, which scored a 1-0 win over Bridgewater-Raritan in the quarters. Phillipsburg split with Ridge during the regular season, avenging a 3-1 loss at home on Sept. 14 with a 2-1 win on the road on Oct. 12.

Semifinal matchups

North Group 4

9-Phillipsburg (11-9) at 4-Montclair (16-4), 11 a.m.

3-Ridge (16-4-1) at 2-Middletown South (16-4)

North Group 3

5-Lawrence (19-3) at 1-North Hunterdon (18-1), 11 a.m.

3-Randolph (17-3-1) at 2-Warren Hills (15-5-1), 2 p.m.

North Group 1

4-Glen Ridge (16-4) at 1-Shore (22-1)

6-Lenape Valley (16-3-1) at 2-Pompton Lakes (19-1), 11 a.m.

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

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

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

P'burg seeks its first sectional title since 1999.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Quarterfinal matchups

North Group 4

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

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

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

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

North Group 3

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

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

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

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