Tournament play brings radical changes to Morris/Sussex girls lacrosse Top 10
The Morris County and Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex tournaments are rolling along. Quarterfinals are slated for Saturday, all hosted by the better seed.
The coaches' rankings have mainly held up. The top eight MCT seeds, including defending champ Morristown at No. 1, are all still playing. The average goal differential in the second round was 12.25.
HWS top seed and defending champion Hunterdon Central and second-seeded Sparta get going on Saturday.
How has our Morris/Sussex girls lacrosse Top 10 been impacted by the shift to tournament play?
Girls lacrosse: 2024 Morris County Tournament bracket, schedule, scores
Girls lacrosse: 2024 Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex bracket, scores, schedule
10. Vernon (6-4)
Last week: Unranked
Seniors Sidney Van Tassel (46g, 14a, 34gb, 69dc) and Makenna Thomas (23g, 5gb, 29dc) lead the Vikings. Sixth-seeded Vernon heads into its HWS quarterfinal at No. 3 North Hunterdon on a three-game winning streak.
Up next: Saturday at North Hunterdon in HWS, Monday at Delaware Valley (Milford, Pennsylvania), Thursday at Kinnelon
9. Mount Olive (6-3)
Last week: Unranked
Junior midfielder Maggie Tilves (39g, 14a, 24gb, 64dc) scored her 100th career goal in a 19-7 win against St. Elizabeth on April 29. Undefeated in the Independence Blue, ninth-seeded Mount Olive was knocked out of the MCT by West Morris, 17-12, on May 1.
Up next: Friday vs. Roxbury, Monday vs. Morris Hills, Wednesday vs. Jefferson
'Balanced player, not a ball hog': Mount Olive lacrosse player rewrites the record books
8. Morris Knolls (4-7)
Last week: Unranked
Sophomore Lucia Nash (38g, 13a, 26gb, 27dc, 19ft) and junior Addy Walker (34g, 12a, 19gb, 33dc, 5ft) lead balanced Morris Knolls. The Golden Eagles snapped a six-game losing streak, and have gone 3-1 since – including a 10-5 Stars & Stripes Blue win at Randolph. Seventh-seeded Morris Knolls visits No. 2 Chatham for a MCT quarterfinal on Saturday.
Up next: Saturday at Chatham in MCT, Tuesday at Ridge
7. Madison (5-5)
Last week: Unranked
Juniors Gabby Mariani (28g, 9a, 51gb, 65dc, 8ft) and Hadley Holland (29g, 16a, 32gb, 14dc, 7ft) lead Madison, which has had a rollercoaster first season in the new-look Stars & Stripes. The fourth-seeded Dodgers get a chance to avenge a 14-4 loss to Mountain Lakes in an MCT quarterfinal on Saturday.
Up next: Friday vs. Kent Place, Saturday vs. Mountain Lakes in MCT
6. Sparta (9-2)
Last week: No. 6
Junior midfielder Uma Kowalski has 52 goals, eight assists, 59 draw controls, 18 forced turnovers and 25 ground balls. One of two undefeated teams in the Freedom White, Sparta takes a five-game winning streak into its HWS quarterfinal with Phillipsburg, the seventh seed.
Up next: Saturday vs. Phillipsburg in HWS, Monday at Morristown Beard
5. West Morris (9-2)
Last week: No. 5
Sophomore Kate Barisonek has 37 goals and 22 assists for the balanced Wolfpack, who have scored a Freedom White best 160 goals. Eighth seed West Morris visits No. 1 Morristown in an MCT quarterfinal on a three-game winning streak.
Up next: Saturday vs. Morristown in MCT
4. Mountain Lakes (3-7)
Last week: Unranked
Senior Kayla Plotts (32g, 4a, 12gb, 24dc, 5ft) had five goals as the Lakers defeated Madison, 14-4, on April 25 – with a rematch to come in Saturday's MCT quarterfinal. Harvard-bound senior goalie Emma Barkauskas, who has more than 600 career saves, has allowed 9.9 goals per game this spring.
Up next: Saturday at Madison in MCT
3. Mendham (7-5)
Last week: No. 3
The Stars & Stripes Red has been unkind to Mendham, dishing out four of its five losses. The Minutemen get a chance to avenge the other when they host Randolph in an MCT quarterfinal on Saturday. Florida-bound senior midfielder Sophia Cardella continues to lead the way with 44 goals, 11 assists, 39 draw controls, 10 forced turnovers and 17 ground balls – almost all team highs.
Up next: Saturday vs. Randolph in MCT
2. Chatham (8-4)
Last week: No. 2
Chatham's quest to reach its third straight MCT final continues Saturday against seventh-seeded Morris Knolls. Ashlyn Carpenter (29g, 13a, 12gb) and Cameron McGlynn (11g, 18a, 4gb) scored four goals apiece as the Cougars won a Stars & Stripes crossover with the Golden Eagles, 17-7, on April 16.
Up next: Saturday vs. Morris Knolls in MCT
1. Morristown (13-0)
Last week: No. 1
Unbeaten Morristown continues to roll through the Stars & Stripes Red. The only undefeated team left in the entire North Jersey Interscholastic Girls Lacrosse League, the Colonials host division foe Summit before continuing their MCT title defense on Saturday.
Up next: Friday vs. Summit, Saturday vs. West Morris in MCT
Also considered: Jefferson (7-5), Park Regional (6-3), Pope John (7-5), Randolph (4-7), Roxbury (6-4).
This article originally appeared on Morristown Daily Record: NJ girls lacrosse: Morris/Sussex Top 10 rankings
