Girls soccer: North Jersey Top 25 rankings, plus big winners from opening week
Thunder and lightning made a mess of the opening week schedule with less than half of North Jersey girls soccer teams completing a game in the first five days.
The result? The first installment of the regular season rankings is not much different from the preseason.
There is some important shuffling near the top though with Ridgewood and Ramapo moving up a spot to second and third, respectively. Rutherford is on the rise as well after climbing into the rankings at No. 25 with a high-scoring start.
Top 25 rankings
DePaul 1-0
Ridgewood 0-0-1
Ramapo 2-0-1
Immaculate Heart 1-2
Ramsey 2-0
Wayne Hills 2-0
Northern Highlands 2-0
Wayne Valley 1-2
Waldwick 0-0
Pascack Valley 2-0
Mahwah 2-0-1
Park Ridge 1-0
Old Tappan 1-1
Glen Rock 1-0
Pascack Hills 1-0-1
Paramus 1-1
Passaic Tech 2-0
North Arlington 2-0
Saddle River Day 1-0
Bergen Tech 2-0
Westwood 1-0-1
Hawthorne 0-1
Fair Lawn 0-2
Hasbrouck Heights 1-0
Rutherford 2-0
(Records through Tuesday.)
Week 1 winners
Mahwah is starting to show its potential after losing eight to 10 starters to injury during a tumultuous 2022 season. The Thunderbirds didn't allow a shot on goal in wins over Dumont and Indian Hills before tying league rival Pascack Hills on Tuesday in Montvale. Senior goalie Micaela Tracey still looked sharp against the Broncos with 14 saves in a 1-1 draw.
"They are a really good group of kids this year," coach Allie Graff said. "They are really close. I think the seniors are really recognizing that this is our last go and we have to leave it all out there every single game and play with no regrets."
Ramapo had arguably the best week of anyone in North Jersey. The Raiders beat defending state champion Immaculate Heart (1-0) on opening day, blew out Paramus (6-0) in their only home match to date and tied two-time defending Bergen County champion Ridgewood (1-1) on the road.
Senior goalie Bridget Carr has stood tall in a new role as starter, helping the Raiders allow one goal in the first three games. Kate Langfelder and Abby Hendrickson lead the offense with two goals apiece for the Raiders.
Rutherford looks like a contender in the NJIC National after waxing off Wood-Ridge/Wallington (6-2) and Secaucus (2-0) to start the season. Junior Poppie Bimson picked up right where she left off with two goals and five assists in the early going. Coach Rich Blanchard will get a good litmus test on Thursday when the Bulldogs travel to North Arlington to face the returning league champs.
"This team is a tight-knit group that supports one another," Blanchard said. "Many players can play multiple positions. They hold each other to a high standard and support one another. It's early but they are a fun group to be around."
Passaic Tech is off to a 2-0 start for the fourth straight season under coach Caitlin Kiernan. The Bulldogs have shown balance so far with seven players finding the back of the net, led by Casey Noonan and Olivia Dragone in the midfield.
Across town, it was a short but triumphant debut on Saturday in Bjonda Ademi's first game as Wayne Hills head coach. The Patriots put win No. 1 in the books by beating Lakeland, 5-0, in a game that was called at the half due to weather.
That scoring spree was an encouraging sign with senior forward Sophia Bradley still out indefinitely with a lisfranc tear in her foot. Blake Nisenensen stepped up in her absence with a hat trick against the Lancers and deposited the only goal Wayne Hills needed to beat Fair Lawn on Tuesday.
"It felt great. You'll always remember your first win," Ademi said. "We set the tone, executed our game plan and unfortunately although the game was cut short due to weather, we left with a good positive feeling. I know, however, the job isn't done yet and there's still a lot to work on."
This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: NJ girls soccer: Top 25 rankings, big winners from opening week
