Randolph field hockey moving forward

Randolph was able to quickly rebound from a 9-1 loss to Madison in last Saturday’s Morris County Tournament semifinals by taking a 4-1 decision from West Morris on Monday.

With the triumph, the Rams are unbeaten in 10 of their last 11 games and have their sights set on the NJAC National Division title as well as a deep run in the state tournament.

Randolph managed to open a 1-0 lead against Madison before the Dodgers responded with nine goals.

“The loss to Madison was tough,” Randolph coach Linda Cross said. “We did manage to hold them scoreless for half of the first half, and we scored first, which was awesome. But they are so skilled and talented, and they have no holes. But we know that we will be back because we have the conference and state tournament to look forward to. We’re having a great season, and this is a great group of girls who are very committed, play together and want to improve.”

The Rams are led by T.T. Naslonski, who finished with two goals and an assist in the recent victory over West Morris. The junior forward has accounted for 33 goals and eight assists this year.

“T.T. is having a phenomenal season,” Cross said.  “She does everything for us on the field and is absolutely unpredictable by not falling into what field hockey is supposed to be. Anytime she gets the ball near her, she can use her phenomenal speed. She’s fun and exciting, and her teammates all support her.”

The Rams are anchored by a quartet of seniors, midfielder Jenna Patel (4 goals, 13 assists), back Lexi Gihorski, midfielder Emery Varga and back Caroline D’Amore.

Another key player has been sophomore forward Erin Corrigan, who has delivered 10 goals and 11 assists. And the emergence of freshman goalie Mackenzie Vorel, who has posted five shutouts, has been a plus.

“Those four seniors, they’re the backbone of the team,” Cross said. “They’re our leaders and our voice on the field. Caroline has been a great shut-down defender, and Jenna’s play has just been fantastic. Emery has been just wonderful as a freshman. She plays with confidence, and the team has embraced her.

“We’re a skilled team, and it’s just a matter of finding the right mix. We still have a lot to play for.”

Morris County Tournament

Madison won its fifth consecutive and 21st overall Morris County Tournament championship with a 2-1 decision over Mendham on Tuesday. But some adjustments that Mendham made after dropping a 5-1 verdict to Madison when the clubs met on Oct. 6 made the title game a much closer affair.

“After the other game, we were able to analyze the film and see what we needed to improve on,” Mendham coach Lori Welles said.  “We worked on winning the 50/50 balls and stopping the long ball. Our defense really was able to step it up and get it done. We were able to win a lot of the 50/50 balls and were able to beat them on the long balls. As a team, we put it together.”

TOP 10

1-Madison 15-2

2-Mendham 14-2

3-Randolph 12-4-1

4-Montville 11-2-1

5-Morristown 10-6

6-West Morris 8-5-1

7-Morristown-Beard 10-5

8-Mountain Lakes 6-6-1

9-Roxbury 6-7-2

10-Mount Olive 10-5

Records through Tuesday