RAIDER ROUNDUP
By: Rudy Brandl
The Hillsborough High field hockey team was eliminated from the North 2, Group 4 playoffs by a familiar foe Monday afternoon.
For the fifth straight year, the Raiders met rival Hunterdon Central in the state playoffs. Two years ago, Central beat HHS in the sectional final to end Hillsborough’s season for the third straight season. Last year, the Raiders enjoyed some sweet payback with an overtime victory on Central’s home field.
This time, the season-ending loss for Hillsborough came in heart-breaking fashion. It wasn’t enough that the teams battled to a 1-1 tie through 60 minutes of regulation and 20 minutes of overtime. The result still wasn’t settled after five penalty strokes, during with HHS and Central converted on two shots apiece.
Central won the game on the first sudden death stroke and sixth overall to eliminate Hillsborough.
"It was an incredible game," HHS head coach Peach Draper said afterward. "I really thought we had it. It’s that same Hunterdon Central curse."
The Raiders took a 1-0 lead with five minutes to play in regulation when Lauren Griggs found the back of the cage. It was starting to look like the Raiders would pull the upset, but Central came right back to tie the score and forced overtime.
After two scoreless overtimes, the Raiders felt good about their chances in strokes. Veteran goalkeeper Ellyn Griggs had played a superb game and the HHS girls had practiced strokes in anticipation of this post-season drama.
Katherine Glass-Hardenberg gave Hillsborough a 1-0 lead on the first stroke. Central answered right away but both teams missed in the next three rounds before HHS senior Emily Rothschild made it 2-1. Central again tied the score to force the sudden death phase of the shootout.
Hillsborough, the sixth seed in the sectional bracket. had suffered a 3-0 loss at Central earlier in the season. This time, the game was up for grabs.
"After losing to them 3-0 and playing like this today, I’m really proud of the girls," Draper said. "It was an evenly-fought game this time. I feel so bad that we lost, but these girls really grew as a team. They accomplished a lot of great things."
In regular season action, the Raiders defeated Franklin and Montgomery to reach double digits for victories. Dorian Gilmartin-Dzitko netted a hat trick to lead Hillsborough past Franklin. Jen LaPlaca, Carlin Dunne and Lauren Griggs also scored for the Raiders, who broke the game open with five goals in the second half.
Lauren Griggs and Kelsey Palmer connected for the goals in Hillsborough’s 2-0 triumph over Montgomery on Senior Night last Thursday. Danielle Cszysz and Gillian Cardinale notched the assists and Ellyn Griggs recorded the shutout.
Girls’ tennis team
drops division match
The Hillsborough High girls’ tennis team just couldn’t find a way to beat Bernards in a head-to-head match this season.
Last Thursday’s 3-2 loss at Hillsborough cost the Raiders (16-5) a chance to win the Delaware Division title. Bernards (19-3) also defeated HHS by the same score earlier in the season.
All five matches were closely-contested, including the first singles battle between HHS senior Emily Mannix and state runner-up Lindsay Clark. Mannix came closer than ever to beating her nemesis but Clark pulled out a 7-6 (7-2), 6-1 victory to lead her team.
Hillsborough sophomore Paige Aiello took the first set from Chelsey Kohler of Bernards but couldn’t close it out. Kohler recovered to post a 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 victory.
The Raiders also dropped a three-setter at second doubles. The Bernards team of Brittany Blackstone and Megan Masuret defeated Alary Price and Justine Turnbull in a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 match.
Third singles player Reciel Arribe and the No. 1 doubles team of juniors Caitlyn Katzelnick and Mae Ling Strang produced Hillsborough’s points. Arribe defeated Yvette Gong by a 6-4, 6-3 margin, while the Katzelnick-Strang combo took two tough sets from Haley Lightcap and Taylor Theiss 7-6 (7-5), 7-5.
Hillsborough rolled over Hunterdon Central and Bridgewater-Raritan in other action last week. The team was scheduled to finish the season with a match vs. Watchung Hills this week.

