Field hockey team seeking county respect
By: Rudy Brandl
Somerset County Tournament action kicks into more serious gear this weekend with the second round games in soccer and field hockey.
Hillsborough High’s soccer teams earned high seeds, so they won’t be playing until the quarterfinal round on Oct. 20. Both the top-seeded boys (7-0) and third-ranked girls (7-3) will play at home against an opponent to be determined this weekend.
The Raider field hockey team, on the other hand, didn’t get the same respect from the seeding committee so it will play its second SCT contest this Saturday at No. 2 Mount St. Mary’s. Seventh-seeded Hillsborough (5-4) advanced to that game with a resounding 6-0 victory over North Plainfield in Monday’s preliminary round.
"They decided to do it strictly by record," HHS field hockey coach Kim Flynn said. "People in the county don’t respect us. We have to work hard to earn that respect."
The Raiders are 3-0 against county competition, with regular season victories over Franklin and Bridgewater. All four losses have come against Hunterdon County teams ranked in the state’s top 20.
Last Thursday’s 7-1 loss at Hunterdon Central was humiliating, but the Raiders bounced back and are still confident about their chances in the county tournament. HHS has reached the semifinals the last two seasons only to lose on goals late in the game.
Monday’s shutout win over No. 10 North Plainfield put the Raiders back on the right track. Jenn Geigert scored less than four minutes into the game off a Kelly Chan assist and Hillsborough was off and running. Chan scored six minutes later on a feed from Barrie Quick and Lauren Kloss scored two unassisted goals in the next seven minutes for a 4-0 bulge. Alex Janos tallied with 1:34 remaining in the half and Kloss completed her hat trick with a goal in the second half.
"We needed to feel confident," Flynn said. "Certain players who were lacking confidence gained some today. When individuals gain confidence, that helps the team as a whole."
A victory over Mount St. Mary’s would likely send Hillsborough to Ridge for an Oct. 20 semifinal battle. Top-seeded Pingry will undoubtedly be waiting if the Raiders reach the Oct. 27 championship game.
The SCT boys’ soccer seeding meeting became a little dramatic, with Hillsborough and Pingry locked in a tie for the No. 1 seed. The other 14 coaches voted again and Hillsborough emerged with the top ranking.
"Our chances are good," said HHS veteran head coach Rob Richard, whose team has shared two county titles but never won one outright. "We have Gill and Franklin in our bracket and I think we should be able to beat them. We’ve beaten Bridgewater already and I know it will be tough to beat them three times, but I think we can do it."
Fourth-ranked Bernards and fifth-seeded Bridgewater will likely clash for the right to meet Hillsborough in the semifinals, which are set for Oct. 27 at Raritan Valley Community College. The Raiders will probably have to get past No. 8 Franklin first.
The rest of the boys’ soccer bracket includes No. 2 Pingry, No. 3 Ridge, No. 6 Immaculata and No. 7 Montgomery. The championship game will once again be held on a Sunday night, Nov. 4, at Bound Brook’s Lamonte Field.
Somerset County’s girls’ soccer bracket follows the same format. The top four teams don’t play until Oct. 20, while the 5-8 teams host the winners of last weekend’s 9-16 games this Saturday.
Hillsborough finds itself in a favorable position in the girls’ soccer bracket. The third-ranked Lady Raiders won’t have any easy quarterfinal game against Watchung Hills, but they’re away from top-ranked Bridgewater and the fourth-seeded Montgomery team that eliminated them in a penalty kick shootout in last year’s tourney.
"It’s pretty good (position)," Lady Raider head coach Cindy Vacacela said. "Watchung is a pretty tough, physical team and they have a couple good players. We have to beat them to get to the semifinals."
The HHS girls are expecting standout midfielder Danae Risoli to return from her injury in time for the county tournament. Risoli has missed the last seven games because of a second degree MCL sprain on her right knee. Hillsborough is 4-3 without Risoli after starting out with three straight victories.
"I’m looking forward to the counties," Risoli said. "I want to come back strong."
A healthy Risoli, a surging boys’ team and a hungry field hockey crew could make this a very exciting October for Hillsborough sports fans.