Girls Soccer: Full breakdown of the NEW Top 25 (9/16)

The first girls soccer report of the season ran in today’s Record. In case you missed it, here are the links:

– Lead story: Paramus keeps pace in competitive division
– Player of the Year watch list
– List of the new Top 25
– Notebook: Around the pitch

And below is an extended breakdown of this week’s Top 25, covering all that has occurred in North Jersey since the season opener Sept. 4. At the bottom includes teams on the verge of joining the Top 25 and others to keep an eye on going forward.

Note: All stats and numbers are according to our database… if anything is incorrect, please e-mail me at conrad@northjersey.com and I will make the necessary corrections as soon as possible.

1. Northern Highlands (3-0)
The Highlanders, who started as The Record’s preseason No. 2, return to the spot they so often occupied the last handful of years. They grabbed early-season headlines with their 3-1 win over Maria Carrillo (Calif.) on Sept. 5 — which propelled them to the No. 1 spot in several national polls — then shutout both Paramus, 4-0, and Hackensack, 7-0, without allowing a shot on goal. In fact, it’s been over 200 minutes since Highlands has last allowed one. One North Jersey coach said the Highlanders are “way better than last year, if that even possible.” They’ve got another good one today when the host Ramapo. Senior midfielder Casey Richards has posted five goals and four assists in Northern Highlands’ first three games.

2. Immaculate Heart (2-1)
After an admitted slow start — in the first half — in its season against Maria Carrillo on Sept. 4, the Blue Eagles have bounced back nicely. They defeated Paramus Catholic, 3-1, receiving goals from Molly Younghans, Shannon Burns and Tatum Albrecht, then took down DePaul, 3-0, on Tuesday getting first-half goals from Alexa Buffa, Gianna Nitti and Julia Raith. IHA will hit the road this time for another national showdown Saturday, traveling to Somers (N.Y.) to take on a program currently ranked No. 2 nationally by the NSCAA.

3. Kinnelon (3-1)
The Colts, the reigning Group 1 state champions, gave nationally-ranked and defending Group 4 champion Montclair all it could handle in a 2-1 season-opening loss. Since then, Kinnelon has responded with three straight shutout wins over Mendham, St. Elizabeth and Boonton, outscoring those three opponents, 16-0. Ida DiClemente has led the way with seven goals and a pair of assists and Julia Kleczkowski has provided five goals and four assists.

4. River Dell (1-0)
The losses from Ramapo and Ridgewood opened the door for Kinnelon and River Dell to jump into this week’s Top 4. The Golden Hawks picked up a convincing season-opening win over Fort Lee, 8-0, behind junior Rachel Sorkenn’s hat trick and three assists. Sorkenn, committed to Miami, has 52 goals and 28 assists in her career. River Dell has a big early-season test tonight against Mahwah — a game featuring two Big North Patriot Division contenders.

5. Ramapo (2-1)
After two terrific performances to open the year against Bridgewater-Raritan (3-0 win) and Ridgewood (4-0 win), the Green Raiders fell to Indian Hills, 2-1, for the first time in 22 years on Saturday. There’s no time to dwell on the loss, however, with Ramapo set to travel to Northern Highlands today for another chapter in one of North Jersey’s best rivalries. Olivia Kraebel (four goals) has scored in all three games for Ramapo.

6. Paramus (2-1)
The Spartans make the biggest jump in the Top 25 this week — from No. 21 to No. 6 — after its 1-0 double-overtime victory over previously-ranked No. 4 Ridgewood, capped by Kaitlyn Scrivanich’s game-winner — off an assist from Shannon O’Brien — with about three minutes left in extra time. Paramus lost 13 seniors from last year’s team to graduation, then took another hit this preseason when starting defender and team captain Keri Ferrara went down with a torn ACL. But the Spartans have four-year starter Nicole DiPasquale in net — “the most athletic goalie” Paramus has ever had, according to coach Glenn Haug, a defense that held a talented Ridgewood team scoreless for nearly 100 minutes and some capable scoring threats in Scrivanich, Julia Koenemund and Shelby Breen.

7. Paramus Catholic (2-1)
Wins against Hackensack, 6-0, and Mount St. Dominic, 3-1, and a competitive 3-1 loss to Immaculate Heart move the Paladins up two spots in the poll this week. Juliana Mascelli, back with Paramus Catholic after a one-year hiatus, has scored three goals in the opening three games and Gemma Perez, a 2014 first team All-County selection, has posted a pair of goals and two assists. Nicole Cortellino, who posted 13 goals as a junior last season, scored twice in PC’s win over Hackensack.

8. Ridgewood (1-2)
After a season-opening 4-0 win over Holy Angels, the Maroons have now dropped back-to-back contests against Ramapo, 4-0, and Paramus, 1-0 (2 OT). It’s much too early to panic — there’s too much talent on coach Jeff Yearing’s squad for that. Ridgewood did lose starting midfielder Hannah Cermack — who was expected to be heavily involved in the offense — in the season opener. One year after suffering a season-ending hip injury halfway through the year, Cermack broke her left fibula in the season-opener against Holy Angels and is out for the season. Committed to Boston College for lacrosse, Cermack will be in rehab mode for about two months.

9. Mahwah (1-0)
The Thunderbirds got off to an excellent start in their season-opener, taking down rival Ramsey, 3-2, in a back-and-forth, five-goal second-half. The Rams led, 1-0 and 2-1, but Mahwah got equalizers from Hannah Busch and Samantha Ullman. Tied at 2, Mahwah’s Sarah Jordan — who also assisted on both previous goals to Busch and Ullman — struck for the game-winner in a big, early-season Big North Patriot Division victory. Another big test await for the T-Birds tonight, with a road game in River Dell up next.

10. Ramsey (1-1)
The Rams stay put in the No. 10 spot, letting an opportunity to rise in the ranks slip by with their 3-2 loss to Mahwah. Maddie Barrow and Dana Webb both scored go-ahead goals in the defeat, which came just four days following Ramsey’s big season-opening 1-0 win over Watchung Hills, which included a game-winner from Kelsey Larkin in the 87th minute. Ramsey will host No. 23 Westwood, new to the Top 25 this week, tonight.

11. Glen Rock (1-0)
In Glen Rock’s only game so far this season, the Panthers defeated No. 24 Pompton Lakes, 1-0, on a second-half goal from Erin Callahan and a three-save shutout from Caitlin Rundle.

12. NV/Demarest (2-0)
The Norsewomen, the reigning Big North National champions, have opened the year with back-to-back wins over Bergenfield, 3-0, and Teaneck, 3-1. Freshman goalie Emma Miller, who is replacing the injured All-County keeper Kelly LaMorte after the Fordham-bound senior tore her ACL this offseason, has allowed just one goal in her first two varsity starts. Breanna Nolan has paced the offense with three goals.

13. NV/Old Tappan (1-0-1)
14. Pascack Valley (1-0-1)
The Golden Knights and Indians played to a 1-1 tie in both team’s season openers — a game played in a steady rain — and remain side by side in the rankings. Pascack Valley struck first in the second half of regulation, with sophomore defender finding freshman midfielder Arianna Quevado, who pushed one past OT’s goalie into the left corner of the net. Six minutes later, NV/OT’s Kelly Walsh struck on a direct kick from 30 yards out, sneaking one through the left side of the net. Two days following the draw, Pascack Valley defeated Tenafly, 4-2, behind a pair of goals from Katie Gallagher, one each from Petro and Quevado and seven saves from Gina Criscuolo. Old Tappan also picked up its first win of the year two days after its rain-dominated season-opener, defeating Bergenfield, 4-0. Four different players scored: Walsh (also two assists), Amanda Tripodi, Taylor Newman and Izzy Ramil, while Maia Levenshus and Jada Usal made two saves each for the combined shutout. It should be a competitive division again with NV/Demarest, NV/Old Tappan and Pascack Valley all appearing capable of grabbing the division crown.

15. Wayne Hills (1-0)
The Patriots have played just once so far this season, taking down West Milford, 3-0, getting goals from Deana Abdou, Danielle McCall and Olivia Prusakowski. Siobhan O’Sullivan made three saves for the shutout and Lynnea Kolpon, Callen Vander May and Johnna Caporuscio all provided one assist.

16. Pequannock (1-1)
The Panthers have opened the season with a loss to Madison, 4-2, followed by a 3-0 win over Whippany Park. Five different players have scored one goal each for Pequannock, including Dana Scillieri who also has dished out a pair of assists, and Hannah Daley has a team-best three assists.

17. Clifton (2-0)
The Mustangs have opened with a pair of touchdown wins, both 7-0 victories over Bergen Tech and Passaic. Sophomore Meaghan Mancini has led the 14-goal barrage to open the year, striking four times, while Brittany Morales has provided two goals and one assist. Sophomore goalie Cindy Espinal has posted back-to-back shutouts to open the year.

18. Park Ridge (2-0)
The three-time defending NJIC Patriot Divisions have opened the year with back-to-back wins over Emerson, 5-0, and Eastern Christian, 7-1. Scoring machine Mikaela Heyboer has started fast, striking four times in the opening two games to give her 79 career goals, while Shayna Bohus has already supplied seven assists.

19. Indian Hills (1-0-1)
If you beat Ramapo, you enter the Top 25. And the Braves did just that on Saturday, taking down their in-district rival, 2-1, for their first win over the Raiders in 22 years. They won’t be sneaking up on anyone any longer; the word is out that they’ve got some talent. Bryn Heinowitz scored the game-winner in the second half against Ramapo and Kelly Yadoff gave Indian Hills an early 1-0 lead. Ann Wray made 12 saves to earn the victory in net for the Braves, whose road won’t get any easier in the uber-competitive Big North Freedom Division. Indian Hills’ next three games: vs. No. 8 Ridgewood (today), at No. 6 Paramus (Sept. 19), at No. 1 Northern Highlands (Sept. 21).

20. New Milford (2-0)
The Knights started the season with a big win over previously-ranked No. 19 Lyndhurst, the reigning NJIC Liberty Division champion. New Milford beat Lyndhurst, 2-1, in overtime, getting goals from Fiona Matthews and Nicole Garcia and one assist from Alyssa Jasuale. On Tuesday, the Knights improved to 2-0 with a 3-0 victory over Harrison, getting goals from Marykate Doran, Garcia and Alexis Monroy, which was her 80th career goal at New Milford.

21. Lakeland (2-0)
The Lancers have started the year with back-to-back wins over Kittatinny, 2-0, and previously-ranked No. 20 Wayne Valley, 4-1. Senior Annie Yost scored twice in Lakeland’s win over the Indians and Maddie Burgner added a goal and two assists, as the Lancers moved into third — for now — in the Passaic County pecking order behind Wayne Hills and Clifton. The Lancers will host Wayne Hills on Saturday. Lakeland’s Jenna Bracken stopped 12 shots in the win over WV.

22. Pascack Hills (1-0-1)
23. Westwood (0-0-1)
The Cowgirls opened with a 5-1 win over West Milford, getting a hat trick from Katelyn Desaetels, the tied Westwood, 2-2, with one goal a piece from Desautels and Erica Bardes and four saves from Mackenzie Catherwood. The Cardinals make their debut in the Top 25 because of that tie, as goals from Bella Guerriero and Nicolette Lombardi and three saves from Miranda Boes earned Westwood the draw after 100 minutes. One North Jersey coach said this preseason that the Cardinals were a team to keep an eye on and they’ll get another big test tonight when they travel to No. 10 Ramsey.

24. Pompton Lakes (2-1-1)
The Cardinals have been busy in the early goings of the year, one of just two teams (along with Kinnelon) to already have played four games. After opening the season with a 3-3 tie against Midland Park, and giving No. 11 Glen Rock a competitive game in a 1-0 loss, Pompton Lakes has rattled off two straight wins over Passaic Tech, 3-0, and Rutherford, 4-0, on Tuesday. Nicolette MacDonald has led the way offensively early on, already striking for seven of Pompton Lakes’ 10 goals. Casey Ramirez has posted a pair of goals and one assist.

25. Waldwick (1-0)
Ironically, it came down to Waldwick or Midland Park for the 25th spot (the two schools co-op for a very successful program), but Waldwick got the nod for its season-opening 3-2 win over then-No. 23 Hasbrouck Heights (weighed against Midland Park’s season-opening tie against then-No. 24 Pompton Lakes). In the win over Hasbrouck, Waldwick rallied from a 2-1 halftime deficit with a pair of second-half goals. Madison Archer, Francesca Raffaele and Erin Smith all scored, Caitlin Vellios supplied two assists and Amanda Craven made six saves for the big win.

New to the poll: No. 19 Indian Hills, No. 23 Westwood, No. 25 Waldwick
Dropped out: Lyndhurst, Wayne Valley Hasbrouck Heights
Receiving consideration: Midland Park (2-0-1), Fair Lawn (2-0), Cliffside Park (2-0)
Keep an eye on: Holy Angels (2-1), DePaul (0-2-1), Hawthorne (2-0), Wood-Ridge (2-0), North Arlington (1-0), Dumont (1-1)