Swim teams open regular season with home romps

RAIDER ROUNDUP

By: Rudy Brandl
   Hillsborough High’s boys and girls opened the regular season with a pair of lopsided home swimming victories over East Brunswick at the Hillsborough YMCA last week.
   The HHS girls posted the wider margin of victory with a 106-64 triumph. Kelsey Hurley led the assault with two individual victories and two relay wins for the Raiders. Hurley prevailed in the 200 individual medley (2:17.85) and 100 fly (1:03.12) and participated on the winning 200 medley and 200 free relays.
   Kerri Hamersky was the team’s only other individual winner, taking first in the 500 free (5:41.37).
   Hillsborough dominated the relays with three victories. Hurley joined Jessica Parker, Stephanie Silleck and Ariel Newman in the 200 medley relay (2:01.01) and teamed with Parker, Newman and Carolyn Mehrtens in the 200 free relay (1:47.17). The 400 free relay team of Hamersky, Lauren Horowitz, Talya Gunasekara and Lauren Marchese ended the meet with a victory 4:09.56.
   The HHS boys also broke the century mark with a 102-68 rout. Senior Pat Kuehne led six different individual winners with two victories. Kuehne took first in the 200 IM (2:05.37) and 100 breast (1:05.0).
   Other Hillsborough winners included Tim Rauch in the 200 free (1:53.55), Rob Parker in the 50 free (24.39), Rob Webb in the 100 free (51.32), Kyle Smith in the 500 free (5:27.63) and David Wilson in the 100 back (1:01.89).
   The Raiders added victories in the 200 medley relay (1:50.55) with Wilson, Greg Johnson, Bobby Gendimenico and Parker and in the 200 free relay (1:35.50) with Kuehne, Parker, Kevin Thorp and Vincent Amendolare.
   Hillsborough’s teams were set to host Bridgewater-Raritan in a huge showdown Tuesday and welcome Warren Hills to the YMCA for another dual meet Thursday.
Ice hockey team
splits first four
   
The HHS ice hockey team has found life a little more difficult and competitive in the White Division this winter. Instead of piling up lopsided mercy rule victories like they did in the Blue Division last winter, the Raiders have been put to the test in three of their first four games after jumping in class this season.
   Hillsborough (2-2) has split its first four games, three of which have been decided by one goal. The Raiders expected to be pushed and have faced some very tough competition already in the young season.
   Friday’s 4-3 loss to Ridge marked the second time the team dropped a one-goal barnburner in their home Aspen Ice Arena. The Raiders rallied to tie the game with two goals in the third period only to fall short at the end.
   Matt Janos and Corey DeFranco led the offense with a goal and two assists apiece. Joe Kubrak added Hillsborough’s other goal. HHS goaltender Eric Visnovsky stopped 29 shots by the Red Devils in the loss.
   Earlier in the week, the Raiders enjoyed their only easy day of the season in an 8-2 rout of Westfield. DeFranco had a huge day with two goals and three assists for the winners, who also received two goals and an assist from Janos and single tallies from John Cohn, Trevor Bierwirth, James Nobilio and Sean Burke. Nobilio dished out two assists, while Matt Daugherty, Alex Merry and Kubrak added one apiece. Visnovsky made 25 saves for the winners.
   The Raiders were scheduled to play three games this week — at Hunterdon Central, at South Brunswick and home vs. Watchung Hills Friday in a rematch of last year’s first-round state playoff game.