News and notes from the local field hockey scene
It’s about the time of the year to clean out the notebook from a very interesting first month of the hockey season.
So, as we head into the final weeks here are a few observations, congratulations, revelations and anticipations. • Congratulations to Val Radvany, the multi-talented player from Princeton Day, on choosing No. 4 Michigan as her college destination. Val grew up watching her sister, Jackie Gaudioso Radvany, win titles at Stuart and then a national title at North Carolina.
It’s going to make for some interesting Thanksgiving Dinners at the Radvany household.
• Congratulations to Notre Dame for winning the Colonial Division with a perfect 3-0 record.
• Rancocas Valley snapped a five-game losing streak with a thrilling 1-0 win over Northern Burlington. The RV victory snapped a threegame winning streak for the ’Hounds.
• Princeton Day is 9-4 and all the losses have come to powerful Prep A teams in Germantown, Lawrenceville, Blair and Hill. Have to credit coach Heather Farlow and athletic director Tim Williams for upgrading the schedule.
• After a fast 4-0 start, Hightstown has been on a win one, lose one cycle. The Rams have a good chance to finish strong heading into tourney time. They are three wins away from their best total since 2012.
• Pemberton cracked the scoreboard in a game with Maple Shade. Marissa Rosario had the honors with the goal and Daniela Cruz had the assist. The Hornets got another in the game with Delran as Alexxis Carter scored and Trinity Beachem assisted.
It’s great when these programs that at times struggle can see the work in practice paying off.
• The Mercer County Tournament seedings are out and it could be a wide-open tourney. No. 1 Lawrenceville and No. 5 PDS lead the prep contenders. No. 2 Allentown, No. 3 Robbinsville and No. 4 Notre Dame lead the CVC hopefuls.
• Robbinsville’s Shea Walsh leads the scoring parade with 26 goals, Sasha Sindhwani (PDS) 23, Mary Bellotti (Allentown) 17, Grace Maslak (Robbinsville (17) and Maggie Blundi (ND) 16 are the top goal scorers.
• Bordentown’s Georgia DeMas leads in assists with 12, Amanda Allen (Robbinsville) 11, Shea Walsh (Robbinsville) 11, Olivia Corso (Lawrence) 10, Abby Gunther (Bordentown) 9, Val Radvany (PDS) 9, Megan Testa (Robbinsville) 9.
• A couple weeks ago when Allentown and Robbinsville got together it was great to see the midfield controlled by Allentown’s Sierra Wojcik and the Ravens’ Amanda Allen.
• Couple big games on tap this Thursday as PDS goes to Robbinsville and Allentown hosts Rancocas Valley.
• Bordentown and Florence tangle this Friday. I wonder if the hockey rivalry is as heated as football and basketball used to be.
• Speaking of the Scotties, Georgia DeMas has a point in every game and Sydney Wieczkowski has five goals and two assists in the last three games. The Scotties are 5-2 over the last seven and losses came to Burlco’s best in Delran and Cinnaminson.
• Peddie found the win column with a nice victory over Burlington City.
• Break up the Knights! WW-P North has won two in a row after struggling mightily at the start. Camille Redmond, a four-year program player, had two assists in the win over Hamilton.
• Stuart has made it five of the last seven and now get ready for a very good Blair team.
• I know the games are played to determine a winner, but to me the biggest group of winners around here are the players. We have a group of coaches who really care about their players on and off the field and too often the job they do is taken for granted.
It’s becoming more and more difficult for parents and fans to be objective and see the whole picture, instead of just their daughter or their team.
So, let me be the first to thank the coaches for all they do and the class they do it with.
The same can be said for umpires. Are they always right, no, but they are right a heck of a lot more times than they are wrong.