In their team’s pursuit of winning a county/conference tournament this fall, these girls rose to the challenge to help their program hoist a championship trophy.
Below is a list of the most valuable players from each of the 12 N.J. field hockey conference/county tournaments this fall.
Bergen County Tournament
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Ryan Fazio, Northern Highlands, Sr.
For the second straight season, Fazio converted on a penalty stroke to help lift Northern Highlands to a Bergen County title. The Highlanders continued their reign atop the county with a 3-0 victory over Ramsey. Her goal helped break a scoreless tie in the third quarter. Fazio also had two assists against Immaculate Heart and a goal against Demarest in the previous two rounds.
Cape-Atlantic League Tournament
Shayla Malone, St. Joseph (Hamm.), Sr.
Malone played another key role in the Wildcats hoisting up the CAL Tournament trophy for the second straight year. The senior dished out three assists in the team’s semifinal win over Cedar Creek. During the CAL championship game on Oct. 22 against Ocean City, Malone found the back of the cage for the go-ahead goal in the third quarter to help St. Joseph rally for a 2-1 victory. Malone has nine goals and 11 assists this fall to help St. Joseph stand at 16-1 heading into the NJSIAA Non-Public, South Jersey Tournament.
CVC Tournament
Nicole Hurley, Notre Dame, So.
With her team deadlocked in a 1-1 tie with Princeton in the CVC championship game on Oct. 17, the Robbinsville transfer stepped up with two big plays to help Notre Dame capture its first conference championship. Hurley dished out an assist on senior Kelsey Wood’s go-ahead goal and then added an insurance goal herself to lead the Irish to a 3-1 victory. During the CVC Tournament, Hurley collected four goals and three assists in three games. The sophomore currently stands with 12 goals and six assists on the season.
Essex County Tournament
Alex Agostini, West Essex, Sr.
The Lafayette commit has been a force for the state’s top team at center-mid all season. She helped West Essex win its 26th Essex County title with an extraordinary two-game effort. In a 8-0 win over Caldwell in the semifinals, Agostini tallied her first hat trick of the season. She followed that up with two goals and an assist in a 7-0 win over Montclair in the ECT final. Agostini is tied for the state lead in assists with 23 and also has 12 goals.
GMC Tournament
Rachel Gerould, East Brunswick, Sr.
The two-sport star helped East Brunswick make history again on Oct. 24 in Sayreville by winning a sixth consecutive GMC Tournament title. Gerould tallied a goal during the Bears’ 2-0 victory over South Plainfield during the GMC final. The senior forward/midfielder had an assist as well during the semifinals to help East Brunswick score a 2-0 victory over Metuchen. Gerould has 23 goals and 12 assists this season for East Brunswick, which is the top-seed in the North Jersey, Group 4 Tournament.
H/W/S Tournament
Paisley Testa, North Hunterdon, Sr.
The Bucknell University commit was outstanding throughout the H/W/S Tournament to lead the Lions to their first title in four years. Testa knocked in five goals and dished out three assists during the tournament, which included a goal and two assists in the team’s 7-1 win over Voorhees in the H/W/S final. She currently leads North Hunterdon with 32 goals this fall and has now scored 102 goals for her career.
Morris County Tournament
Molly Chazen, Chatham, Sr.
Chazen was consistent with a goal in every game in the tournament, but really came up clutch when the Cougars needed her the most in the final round. She scored the game-winning goal on a rebound off the post in the fourth quarter to lift Chatham to a 2-1 win over Madison. She also scored the initial goal of the game when she put away a loose ball in the circle. The Colgate commit is up to 16 goals and 11 assists this season. This is Chatham’s sixth MCT titles and first since 2023.
Passaic County Tournament
Julia Plewa, West Milford, Sr.
The county’s most dangerous scorer did it when it mattered most to lift West Milford to a repeat in the Passaic County Tournament. Breaking a scoreless tie in the fourth quarter, Plewa’s goal went a long way in giving the Highlanders a 1-0 win over Pompton Lakes. The team had gone seven straight quarters without scoring against the Cardinals this season. Plewa is up to 22 goals on the season after combining for five goals in the previous two rounds against Passaic Tech and Wayne Valley.
Shore Conference Tournament
Marielle Montenegro, Shore, Sr.
The University of Pennsylvania commit delivered an excellent performance in the SCT to help lead Shore to its record 22nd conference championship. Montenegro found the back of the cage nine times during the tournament. She scored the first goal in the SCT final against Wall on Saturday to begin Shore’s march to a 3-0 victory. Montenegro now has 36 goals this fall and 143 for her career. Four more goals by Montenegro will make her the first player in Shore history to record three straight 40-goal seasons.
Somerset County Tournament
Cameron Tarpley, Pingry, Sr.
One of the state’s most prolific scorers put on a show in the Somerset County Tournament final. Her fourth hat trick of the season led the way for Pingry to win its second straight county title with a 4-1 win over Ridge. This was on top of scoring four goals against Somerville and two against Hillsborough in the previous two rounds. Tarpley has improved her goal total by an astounding 16 goals this season with 29, which puts her in a tie for the tenth most in the state.
SJ Tournament of Champions
Sophia Stazi, Camden Catholic, Sr.
The Rutgers commit continues to step up when the Irish need her the most. Stazi registered five goals and four assists during the South Jersey Tournament of Champions. She scored a goal and dished out an assist in the team’s 3-2 win over Clearview in the final on Oct. 24 to help the Irish win their second straight title. Stazi, who has 22 goals and 15 assists this fall, has 308 points in her career. She is the third player in Camden Catholic history to reach that milestone.
Union County Tournament
Alexandra Sherman, Oak Knoll, Jr.
Oak Knoll had a number of strong possibilities, but Sherman stood out amongst the rest with her stellar performances in the county tournament. The Dartmouth commit posted a hat trick in an 8-0 win over Johnson in the semifinals before going off for two goals and two assists in a 6-1 victory over Kent Place. It’s been an excellent junior campaign as a whole for Sherman with 25 goals and eight assists.