Keeping the Crown
South Jersey has always been a hotbed for field hockey and within the seven-county area, one division has been standing out—the Tri-County Royal Division.
Last year the Royal Division produced two state champions: Kingsway in Group 4 and Clearview in Group 3.
Kingsway was so dominant in winning Group 4, that the Dragons outscored opponents 34-2 in their five NJSIAA state tournament games. The closest of the five games was a 3-0 win over fellow Royal Division member Washington Township.
This year Kingsway and Clearview are again formidable teams, capable of contending for state titles, but has Washington Township also moved up among the elite?
It’s not as if Washington Township wasn’t strong in the past. For the previous two seasons, Washington Township advanced to the South Jersey Group 4 semifinal, only to be eliminated by Kingsway.
Washington Township began this week with a 9-0-1 record. The lone blemish was a 1-1 draw with perennial powerhouse Eastern. Among the big early-season wins was last week’s 1-0 overtime win at Clearview on a goal by Ryli Zee.
Township has a strong offensive and defensive game, led by one of the more impressive defenders, senior Simone Johnson and a shutdown goalie in classmate Leah Roe.
What is impressive about Kingsway, Clearview and Washington Township is that they all play difficult schedules beyond the Royal Division, where they face each opponent twice each.
The day before last week’s loss to Washington Township, Clearview beat Haddonfield, 1-0. That is a Haddonfield team that was ranked among the state’s Top 20 by NJ.com.
Besides the ‘Big 3’ the other Royal Division teams are Gloucester County Institute of Technology and Williamstown.
While this appears to be a rebuilding season for Williamstown, GCIT might be among the more underrated teams in South Jersey.
Already, GCIT has lost one-goal games to Kingsway (2-1) and Washington Township (1-0).
Even though Kingsway has lost quite a bit to graduation, the Dragons remain among the top programs in the state. Kingsway entered the week 5-1 and the lone loss was a 4-1 defeat to Darien, Connecticut in the National High School Invitational.
Junior Isabella Sanchez leads the Kingsway attack with 11 goals. It’s the third straight year she has scored double figures in goals, but this season it has been in just six games.
Kingsway, Washington Township, GCIT and Clearview play the type of difficult regular season schedules that will prepare them for the playoffs. And remember, Washington Township, Kingsway and GCIT are all in a loaded South Jersey Group 4 field.
Clearview will face plenty of difficult teams in South Jersey Group 3, including Moorestown and Toms River East.
Before the playoffs, the Royal Division race should be something to watch. Defending champion Kingsway remains the favorite, but with two games each against Clearview, Washington Township and GCIT, the Dragons will surely be tested in attempting to defend their title.
Photo of Washington Township field hockey's Simone Johnson / Marc Narducci
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Author: Marc Narducci
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