Ridgewood celebrating after its come-from-behind 9-8 win over Summit on Monday, as the Maroons went on a 5-1 run in the final 15:16 of play, capped by sophomore Hannah Cermack’s game-winner with 1:27 to go. Ridgewood is 8-0.
LINK: In case you missed it, North Jersey’s points leaders through Sunday, April 12
My first time seeing Ridgewood this year and the Maroons did not disappoint on Monday, rallying from a 7-4 second-half deficit against Summit — fueled by five second-half goals from a trio of sophomores in Hannah Cermack, Chelsea Trattner and Alex Absey — to prevail, 9-8, and improve to 8-0. Cermack scored an impressive game-winner with 1:27 left — beating a double-team from the behind the net — to give Ridgewood its first and only lead of the game. The victory came on the eve of junior Katie Borque’s 17th birthday and she told her mom that all she wanted this year as a gift was to beat Summit after falling to the Hilltoppers in close contests the past two years.
Senior Jordan Ford was also as good as advertised, striking for a goal and five assists in the comeback win, which saw Ridgewood go on a 5-1 run in the final 15:16 of play. In a game that was all about draw control, once Ridgewood started controlling possession, it was hard to stop the Maroons’ attack. With college commits and stars all over the field, it’s Ridgewood’s sophomore class that has Ridgewood thinking big this spring. From the Class of 2017 alone, Cermack is committed to Boston College, Trattner to Stanford, Claire Smesko to Colorado, Riley and Hailey Ricciardi both to Dartmouth, and Quinn Daly to Elon. And that’s not even including Alex Absey, who scored a pair of clutch game-tying goals Monday. The big win over Summit came two days after knocking off Oak Knoll — another state power — where Ford, Trattner and Absey all stuck for hat tricks and Smesko went for two and two in the 13-10 win.
Immaculate Heart has picked up two straight wins since falling to Westfield last week, knocking off West Morris, 9-7, on Saturday and Kent Place, 18-17, on Monday — playing a man down for the final 23 minutes. In the win over West Morris, Gabby Vinci struck for a hat trick while Sam Marmo and Christine Weber each scored two. In Monday’s high-scoring affair, IHA trailed 11-9 at half, but rallied with a 9-6 run in the final 25 minutes to move to 6-2 on the year. Josie Zinn went for eight points with a five-goal, three-assist performance, Hailey Bossolina struck for four goals and Marmo, Vinci and Maggie Zied all scored twice.
Milestone galore in Northern Highlands on Monday, as Julia Bradbury and Julia Corrison both scored their 100th career goals and Julia Pash picked up her 100th career point in the Highlanders’ 18-5 win over Cranford. Bradbury, a sophomore, accomplished the feat in just 30 career games and currently sits at 102 career goals after Monday’s hat trick. Corriston led the way points-wise Monday, with six goals and four assists, while Pash added one goal and five assists, adding to her North Jersey lead in that category, now with 31. Haley Sobel scored five times Monday against Cranford as well for Northern Highlands, now 8-0.
Mahwah has bounced back from its loss to Northern Highlands in a big way, defeating Scotch Plains, 18-1, and Livingston, 19-4, on Monday. Kelly Pushie went for seven goals and two assists against Livingston, Taylor Herrmann added a hat trick and four assists, Casey Feeney picked up a hat trick and Erin Jaffe and Taylor Jaffe both scored twice. Pushie and Herrmann both struck for four goals in Mahwah’s win over Scotch Plains on Friday, while Brianna Spencer and Briana Blake both scored twice.
Ramapo improved to 5-3 on Friday with a 16-5 win over Montclair Kimberley, getting five more goals and three assists from Danielle Van Calcar and two each from a handful of others — Anna Powers, Reilly Garner, Aly LoPresi, Kate D’Alessandro and Emily Ramsden.
Saddle River Day improved to 8-1 with a pair of wins since Friday, as the Rebels defeated Morristown-Beard, 17-7, and Montclair Kimberley, 12-11, rallying from a 6-4 halftime deficit with nine second-half goals. Freshman Michaela McMahon scored six in both wins, while sister Daniella McMahon scored four against Mo-Beard and provided two goals and seven assists against MKA on Monday. Freshman Alexa Tsahalis and Kelly Hannigan both struck for hat tricks in Monday’s win vs. Montclair Kimberley.
River Dell moved to 6-0 on Saturday with a 9-7 win over Holy Angels, as Gabrielle Davidson struck for a hat trick and three assists, while Yasmine Khaddage and Taylor Sobel both scored twice.
Glen Rock won its third straight to improve to 6-1 with a 12-11 win over Vernon on Monday, getting five goals and four assists from senior McGara Dewan and two goals apiece from Killeen McDonald and Julia Gaffey.
Pascack Hills rolled past Mary Help on Monday, 23-6, to improve to 4-1 behind Caitlin Ernest’s five goals and two assists, Phoebe Shields’ four goals and one assist and two goals apiece from Allison Ernest (three assists), Courtney Welyczko, Marykate O’Neill and Libbe Christophel.
Big win from Westwood on Monday, taking down Ramsey, 17-12 — though the box score information we have has Westwood scoring 19 goals. Either way, the Cardinals rallied from behind in the second half to improve to 3-3. Trailing, 11-5, at halftime (or maybe 11-7), the Cardinals outscored the Rams, 12-1, in the final 25 minutes. Melissa Carmilani scored six, McKenzie Knapp went for five, Morgan Connon provided a hat trick and two assists, Brooklyn Colon scored twice and added one assist, Lexi Santise scored twice and Dana Cuccio added one goal. Goalie Allyn Lilien recorded an impressive 26 saves in the win. It was Westwood’s second straight win after beating DePaul, 19-6, last week — with the Cardinals getting similar second-half production, outscoring the Spartans, 11-1, in the final 25 minutes of that one. Connon supplied six goals in that one, with Knapp scoring four and Carmilani and Allison Linaris both recording hat tricks.
Since falling to Saddle River Day last week, Pascack Valley has won two straight over Cranford, 11-9, and Morristown-Beard, 18-5. In the win over Cranford on Friday, PV broke a 6-6 tie at half with a 5-3 second-half run and got hat tricks from Ana Beyer and Lydia Christiano and two goals from Natalie Bade. In the win over Mo-Beard on Monday, Jill LaRocca scored four and added a pair of assists, Christiano also scored four goals and Bade recorded a hat trick for the Indians, now 4-3.
After an 0-4 start, Wayne Hills has got things going with back-to-back wins over Scotch Plains, 7-6, and Livingston, 11-9. In the win over Scotch Plains last week, Ali Davies struck for a hat trick and Elise VanderMay added two goals and one assist. Davies went for another hat trick in the Pats’ win over Livingston on Friday, giving her 14 goals on the year. Lexi Patania and Kristen Russo both scored twice on Friday and goalie Christina Vittas has made a combined 22 saves in Wayne Hills’ last two wins.
Quietly, Wayne Valley has started the year 4-3 — with just two seniors on its roster — with wins over Fair Lawn, Bergen Tech, Westwood and Eastern Christian. Those two seniors have led the way early on, as Taylor DeStefano has a team-best 12 goals and six assists, while Toni Cuccurullo has supplied six and six. Christa Provax has scored nine goals and Alexa Simonetti has provided eight.
Holy Angels snapped a four-game skid — against four pretty good teams in Lakeland, Glen Rock, Paramus and River Dell — with a 13-11 win over Bergen Tech on Monday. Danielle Stephens struck for 11 points (six goals, five assists), while Devin Toolen added five goals and a pair of assists and Melanie Welch supplied a goal and two assists for the Angels (4-5).
Shoutout to West Milford, as the first-year varsity program has picked up back-to-back wins in its last two games, taking down Boonton, 16-2, and Vernon, 10-9, in overtime. In the win over Vernon, Tess Korinko struck for a hat trick, including the game-winner with 22 seconds left in the second overtime, and added four assists. Teammates Taylor Bishop and Christina Pellegrino both scored twice, while Bailey Cole (two assists), Rebecca Jurkovic and Samantha Maurer all scored once. Goalie Casey Butera made seven saves in West Milford’s second win in a row after an 0-4 start. In the Highlanders’ first win against Boonton, Cole and Jurkovic both recorded hat tricks.