Soccer, field hockey action on tap for Saturday
by Rudy Brandl, Sports Editor
Hillsborough High’s soccer and field hockey teams will compete in Somerset County Tournament action Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m.
The HHS field hockey team, ranked seventh, travels to No. 2 Pingry, the perennial county powerhouse, for the quarterfinal round. The Raiders advanced to the quarters with last week’s 7-1 drubbing of North Plainfield.
Kelsey Palmer and Victoria Wilson lead the HHS offense, which produced 15 goals in two games last week to help the team reach the .500 mark after a slow start.
The HHS boys’ soccer team, seeded ninth in the county bracket, begins defense of its title with a road game at eighth-ranked Gill St. Bernards. A slow start put the Raiders in a hole and caused them to receive a low seed, which will make navigation through this year’s tourney a bit more challenging. If they win, the HHS boys will challenge No. 1 Pingry in the Oct. 13 quarterfinals in a rematch of last year’s thrilling county final.
Hillsborough often has hosted two or three county events on the first Saturday of October, but this year only the girls’ soccer team will be playing on the home turf. The fifth-ranked Lady Raiders will host Franklin and expect to advance to the Oct. 13 quarterfinals at No. 4 Somerville. After starting the season with a 3-1 loss, the HHS defense shut out five of its next six opponents.
For complete coverage of all the Hillsborough High sports action, see Thursday’s Hillsborough Beacon.