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Field Hockey

Chatham players gather for a selfie after their MCT final win over West Morris on Tuesday, Oct. 19.

Cougars repel Rams for MCT title

BOONTON _ Chatham's defense made it all look so easy. Tasked with having to protect their goal line against 19 corner attempts by top-seeded Randolph, the Cougars stopped an incredible 18 of them in the Morris County Tournament Field Hockey final on Tuesday, Oct. 19. The Rams often swarmed the circle yet third-seeded Chatham was steely and resistant, sending the ball out all but once. Mia Sciacchitano snapped a 1-1 deadlock with 6:16 remaining to seal the Cougars' 2-1 victory and earn them their first MCT championship in 11 years. "This is amazing," said Sciacchitano, a sophomore right wing, of…
Brooke DiBiase, left, scored Chatham's first goal in a 2021 MCT semifinal.

MCT final is set: Randolph vs. Chatham

  BOONTON _ Recognizing and writing down fears has long been the first step in attempting to overcome them.   Chatham took the practice several steps further after its workout on Friday. The players wrote what upsets them on white ceramic plates then smashed them to ensure the fears would disappear.   The motivational session was a great success and several Cougars players felt it played a significant role in their 2-0 victory over seventh-seeded West Morris in the Morris County Field Hockey Tournament semifinals.   In the second semifinal on Saturday, Oct. 23, top-seeded Randolph shut out fifth-seeded Morristown,…
Chavez scores 1st goal; Pequannock triumphs

Chavez scores 1st goal; Pequannock triumphs

MONTVILLE _ Victoria Chavez came close to scoring a goal for Pequannock quite a few times this season. "I kept missing by this much," said Chavez, a senior midfielder, holding her thumb and middle finger a half inch apart then decreasing the gap even more as she recalled her squandered opportunities. "I'm so glad it went in." Chavez, who collected a pass from Sam Blahut, registered what proved to be the gamewinner off a corner with no time left in the second quarter of a Morris County Field Hockey Tournament first-round game on Saturday, Oct. 2. The 11th-seeded Golden Panthers…
Katie Lachanski of Randolph and Mendham's Clara Bravstein chase down the ball.

Rams finish, nip Mendham

MENDHAM _ Randolph's Riley Novak doesn't understand what it means to be tired. Novak, the Rams' center midfielder, refuses to stop, going all out every minute of each day, especially during field hockey. A first-year starter, Novak fits in perfectly at the high-profile position amidst nine senior starters. On Thursday, Sept. 22, Novak provided stellar all-around play and Sarah Bona notched two goals to help Randolph trim Mendham 2-1 in NJAC-American Division action to send their record to 5-1. "We're doing a good job of dominating games. However, we've been struggling to score," said Rams coach Gina Adickes. "Our feet…
Pequannock's Jess Pierson, No. 4, scores the Golden Panthers' second goal in the fourth quarter.

Panthers repeat as sectional champs

PEQUANNOCK TWP. _ The feat was extraordinary - back-to-back sectional championships - and the Pequannock field hockey players were intent on reveling in it. The Golden Panthers whooped it up as a team then celebrated with their parents and fans after the 2-0 victory over Belvidere that propelled them to the North West A title on Saturday, Nov. 21. Pictures were taken. Well-deserved postgame treats were consumed. Smiles and laughter were abundant but there were a few tears, too, and sadness from the realization that the stellar, cohesive group had played together for the very last time. "Most of these…
Last season, Pequannock defeated Boonton to claim its first sectional title in 16 years.

Pequannock moves on in states

PEQUANNOCK TWP. _ Pequannock displayed a well-balanced attack, hitting on all cylinders on the front line, in the midfield, on defense and in the goaltender's cage. And, because of it, the resilient Golden Panthers earned a hard-fought 2-0 victory over a quality Lenape Valley team in the North West A state tournament sectional semifinal on Friday, Nov. 20 at Pequannock High School. Top-seeded Pequannock (12-1) will play second-seeded Belvidere (8-3-1) in the North West A final on Saturday, Nov. 21 at 2 p.m. The County Seaters from Warren County defeated third-seeded Newton, 2-0, in the bracket's other sectional semifinal. Senior…
Joele Russomanno, right, of Morristown-Beard and Abigail Weiss of West Milford battle for control of the ball.

Crimson land berth in final

WEST MILFORD _ There are times when Morristown-Beard coach Kate Alderman wishes she had come up with a moniker for her seven seniors. Since freshman year, the talented group has been the epitome of reliable. They are relentless, united and focused. The list of attributes goes on and on. Alderman said she "knew they were the ones" when they were ninth graders. Apparently, Alderman was right. On Thursday, Nov. 19, the Crimson shut out second-seeded West Milford 2-0 behind goals by Jess Patricia and Ella Singer in a Northwest Region B semifinal. Morristown-Beard advances to the title game and will…
Bona, Rams are division champs

Bona, Rams are division champs

ROXBURY _ Randolph's possibility of a perfect season slipped away with a loss to Montclair on the road. The defeat stung, of course, but the Rams gleaned much from the setback that put the first blemish on their record and applied what they learned to notch a 4-0 victory over rival Roxbury on Monday, Nov. 9. The triumph, highlighted by Sarah Bona's hat trick, not only got Randolph back on track, it helped it clinch the NJAC-Northern Red title. The result of having that precious zero taken away? "It let us know what we had to look at," said Rams…
Jane Garrity of Madison tries to advance the ball past Pequannock's Jessica Pierson.

Pequannock shocks Dodgers

MADISON _ Franki Dygos was still new to high school sports when she had her first encounter with perennial county and state field hockey power Madison. That game was memorable but not in a positive way for Dygos, a freshman playing varsity for Pequannock. The Dodgers handed the Golden Panthers an 8-0 loss, their worst setback of the season, and the result lingered in her mind. "It was hard to forget," Dygos said. Thirty-seven months later, Dygos and her Pequannock teammates clashed again with Madison, and came away with a 4-0 shutout. Now Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2020 will be the…
Mountain Lakes' Melina Penniston, right, had her first career hat trick versus Parsippany on Oct. 10, 2020.

Penniston, Lakers fire up attack

MOUNTAIN LAKES _ In Mountain Lakes' season opener versus Boonton, Melina Penniston, making her first start on varsity, was nervous and held back. Penniston, a sophomore midfielder, was a bit out of sorts in the midst of the seniors. There were chances for her to impact the Lakers' attack but she didn't feel comfortable taking the shots on goal that she had practiced. On Saturday, Oct. 10, Penniston got confidence from her first goal then connected two more times to notch her first career hat trick when Mountain Lakes defeated Parsippany, 5-1, in a NJAC-Northern Blue game. "That first goal…
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