Girls soccer: Statement wins, upsets & surprises through Thursday's section finals

By Brandon Gould and Evan Slavit | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

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TUESDAY, NOV. 14

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Matt Smith | For NJ Advance Media

Middletown South shocks the state, beats No. 1 Northern Highlands

Middletown South 1, Northern Highlands 0
Grace Massell scored off an assist from Emma Laudisi in the eighth minute to give Middletown South the goal it needed to beat Northern Highlands, 1-0, in the Group 3 semifinals. Middletown South will play in its first state final since 2000 on Saturday when it meets Allentown.

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Mark Sullivan | For NJ Advance Media

Allentown advances to 1st ever state final

Allentown 6, Ocean City 1
Emma Pascarella scored twice and Olivia Denney finished with a goal and two assists as Allentown advanced in the Group 3 semifinals. The Redbirds will play for their first state title on Saturday against Middletown South

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Tims Hawk | For NJ Advance Media

Freehold Township outduels Washington Township

Freehold Township fought the whole way through and was able to hang on late in order to beat Washington Township, 5-3, on Tuesday in the Group 4 semifinals. Twins Jada and Jasmine Colbert combined for three goals and three assists in that contest.

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Andrew Mills | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Ridge scores early on way to Group 4 semi win

Bailey Aaron scored off an assist from Erin Keefe in the first half to give Ridge all the offense it needed to beat Morris Knolls. Ridge advances to the Group 4 final, where it will play Freehold Township. The two teams also played in 2015 state final, which ended in scoreless tie.

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Andrew Miller | For NJ Advance Media

Westwood refuses to lose, advances to Group 2 final

Westwood 1, Hanover Park 0
Erin Wilson scored in the first half and gave Westwood the goal it needed to make it to the program's first-ever group final. Westwood will play Wall in the championship game this Saturday at Kean University.

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Larry Murphy | For NJ Advance Media

Wall survives scare in PKs, books spot in state final

Wall 1, Cinnaminson 1 (Wall advances on PKs)
After a 1-1 tie, Wall and Cinnaminson went into penalty kicks in the Group 2 semifinals on Tuesday. Wall walked away with a 5-4 advantage kicks and now is one win away from the program's first outright title.

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Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media

Round 5: Shore, Glen Ridge both make it back to Group 1 state final

Shore 8, Pitman 1
Julia Eichenbaum found the net four times for Shore in an 8-1 win over Pitman, which made a Cinderella run as a No. 10 seed. Shore advances to its sixth straight state title game and will meet Glen Ridge for the fifth time in that span in the championship tilt.

Glen Ridge 1, Mountain Lakes 0
Glen Ridge advanced to its third straight state final and the same opponent awaits on the other side. Shore and Glen Ridge have played each other four times already in the last six Group 1 finals and the fifth go-around should a good one.

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THURSDAY, NOV. 9

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George McNish | For NJ Advance Media

Meet the 2017 sectional champions

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Morris Knolls wins 1st sectional title since 2009

2-Morris Knolls 3, 9-Ridgewood
Morris Knolls won its first sectional title in eight years with a 3-1 victory over Ridgewood in the North 1, Group 4 final. Madison Palma recorded a hat trick in the championship victory and added a North 1, Group 4 crown to a collection of titles that also includes a Morris County title.

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Ridge advances in PKs, wins 3rd straight North 2, Group 4 title

3-Ridge 0, 1-Westfield (Ridge wins in PKs, 4-3)
Ally Lindsey stopped three shots in penalty kicks as Ridge got the edge over Westfield, 4-3, in kicks after a scoreless draw. Ridge also won the sectinal title a year ago in penalty kicks against Scotch Plains-Fanwood.

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Freehold Township ties score with last-minute goal, wins title with OT goal

1-Freehold Township 2, 2-East Brunswick 1 (OT)
Jasmine Colbert scored with two minutes left in regulation and then Jada Colbert found the net in overtime to give Freehold Township a 2-1 victory over East Brunswick. This marks the second time in the last three years that the Patriots have won the Central, Group 4 championship.

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Washington Township takes home 1st ever sectional championship

2-Washington Township 2, 4-Toms River North 1 (OT)
Julianna Capano found the net in overtime to give Washington Township its first-ever sectional title. Giovanna Castorina had the assist on the goal and also scored a goal of her own in regulation for the Minutemen in the South, Group 4 championship victory.

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Northern Highlands wins 7th straight sectional title

1-Northern Highlands 0, 3-Roxbury 0 (NH wins 5-4 in PKs)
Northern Highlands found a way in penalty kicks after a scoreless tie against Roxbury. The Bergen County squad has now collected seven straight sectional titles and held firm on its hold of North 1, Group 3.

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Middletown South wins 1st sectional title since 2000

5-Middletown South 1, 3-West Morris (MS wins in PKs)
Grace Massell scored off an assist from Christina Sundt in regulation to helped Middletown South earn a 1-1 tie with West Morris in the North 2, Group 3 final. Keeper Gabby Cook came up strong in penalty kicks to help the Shore Conference squad win its first title in 17 years.

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Allentown brings home program's first-ever sectional title

1-Allentown 2, 6-Toms River East 1
Emma Pascarella and Olivia Ricci scored in the first half and Abby Howell made seven saves as Allentown topped Toms River East in the Central, Group 3 final. The Redbirds' latest victory secured the program's first-ever sectional championship.

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Ocean City wins in PKs, collects 1st title since 2001

1-Ocean City 0, 10-Cherry Hill West (OC wins, 2-1, in PKs)
Ocean City kept a clean sheet against Cherry Hil West in a scoreless tie in the South, Grouo 3 final. The Raiders came through in penalty kicks, 2-1, in order to bring home the program's first sectional title in 16 years.

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Westwood refuses to lose, wins North 1, Group 2 title

2-Westwood 1, 9-Sparta 0
Erin Wilson found the net with a fantastic strike off a free kick to bury the game-winner into the top corner as Westwood topped Sparta, 1-0, in the North 1, Group 2 title. The Bergen County squad improved to 16-1-3 on the season.

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Hanover Park uses 2nd half goal to win North 2, Group 2 title

4-Hanover Park 1, 2-Parsippany Hills 0
Hanover Park knocked off the defending Group 2 champion on Thursday and took home the North 2, Group 2 title with a 1-0 win over Parsippany Hills. Aryana Galioto scored off an assist from Alyssa Viegas in the second half and Natalie Santangelo made eight saves.

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Wall continues path to state final, wins Central, Group 2 title

1-Wall 2, 2-Johnson 0
Sarah Gordon and Lauren Karabin each scored for Wall as it picked up its second straight sectional title. The Shore Conference squad is looking to win its first-ever outright group title this season. Wall improved to 23-1-1 with the shutout victory over Johnson.

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Cinnaminson wrestles South, Group 2 title away from Haddonfield

2-Cinnaminson 3, 1-Haddonfield 2 (OT)
Hailey Gutowski kept her hot streak in the playoffs alive and scored twice in a 3-2 overtime victory over Haddonfield on Thursday. Emma Karch added a goal and an assist for Cinnaminson as it took home the South, Group 2 championship.

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Mountain Lakes wins historic sectional title

2-Mountain Lakes 2, 1-Waldwick 1
Emma Lenthe found the net twice as Mountain Lakes won its first-ever sectional championship. Lea Credidio came up with seven saves for the Lakers as they picked up the historic victory in the North 1, Group 1 final.

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Glen Ridge keeps streak alive, wins 6th straight title

1-Glen Ridge 4, 11-Verona 0
Glen Ridge collected its sixth straight sectional title as Tara Feenaghty recorded a hat trick in the team's 4-0 win over Verona in the North 2, Group 1 final. Lindsay Jaiyesimi also came through wth a goal in the final and the defense held strong in the shutout win.

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Shore wins 6th straight sectional championship

4-Shore 3, 1-Palmyra 0
Hannah Birdsall, Frankie McDonough and Lauren Mendillo all found the net for Shore as it won its sixth straight sectional title. The Shore Conference squad took care of business in a 3-0 win over top-seeded Palmyra.

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Cinderella story continues, 10th-seeded Pitman wins title in OT

10-Pitman 3, 4-Haddon Township 2 (OT)
Pitman made a run from the No. 10 seed all the way to a sectional title thanks to a 3-2 overtime win over Haddon Township in overtime of the South, Group 1 final. Annie Sanker scored twice in the championship victory, which was sealed when she scored in overtime for Pitman.

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Immaculate Heart takes back the North, Non-Public A title

1-Immaculate Heart 3, 2-DePaul 1
Laura Zaccardi found the net twice as Immaculate Heart once again hoisted the North, Non-Public A title. Katrina Fett also found the net for the Bue Eagles, which will play for the Non-Public A championship on Sunday.

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Bishop Eustace collects 1st South, Non-Public crown since 2008

5-Bishop Eustace 2, 2-Mount St. Mary 2
Michaela Salvati scored the game-winning goal in the second half to give Bishop Eustace the edge on its way to its first sectional title since 2008. Olivia Hansen scored in the first half for the South Jersey squad to play her part in the championship win.

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Montclair Kimberley goes 3-for-3 in 2017 title pursuits

2-Montclair Kimberley 4, 1-Morrs Catholic 0
Kerri McGuire came through with two goals as Montclair Kimberley won the North, Non-Public B championship for the first time ever. Claire Sharbaugh and Jaime Fuchs also scored for the Cougars, which have now won an Essex County title, a Prep B championship and a North, Non-Public B crown.

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Moorestown Friends heads back to the Non-Public B final

2-Moorestown Friends 1, 1-Rutgers Prep 0
Kieran Lees knocked in a rebound in the first half to give Moorestown Friends all the offense that it needed to advance to its second Non-Public B final in the last three years. The Burlington County squad will play Montclair Kimberely in the state final on Sunday.

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Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media

MONDAY, NOV. 6

There were plenty more upsets in the semifinal round with top seeds, county champions and even a defending group champion eliminated from the state tournament. Scroll below to see all the upsets from Monday's games and to see which Cinderella teams kept their magical run going.

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SEMIFINAL ROUND ACTION

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Mark R. Sullivan | For NJ Advance Media

Shore playing like a No. 1 seed

4-Shore 2, 1-Metuchen 0

Shore got goals from Sophie Hauritz and Frankie McDonough to knock off top-seeded Metuchen and advance back to the sectional final. But while the seeds make this one look like an upset, that was far from the case. Metuchen had a great season, starting the year with 12 straight wins, but Shore has been the class of Group 1 for years now.

This is the second straight season Shore wasn't seeded in the top three in its bracket, and it looks like it'll be the second straight year that doesn't matter. Shore is looking for its third straight Group 1 championship and fifth straight Group 1 final appearance.

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Mark R. Sullivan | For NJ Advance Media

Toms River East knocks out Mercer County champ

6-Toms River East 2, 2-Steinert 1

Jillian Conklin scored twice in the second half to help Toms River East take down a Steinert team that had just won the Mercer County Tournament championship by beating Allentown, the top seeded team in the Central Jersey, Group 3 section.

That tournament win made Steinert look like the favorite in the CJ, G3 section heading into the state tournament. But the Raiders were never a pushover. Toms River East has battled with some of the best teams in the state, and Conklin has been unstoppable all season. The senior now has 33 goals after scoring six of Toms River East's seven state tournament goals.

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Andrew Miller | For NJ Advance Media

East Brunswick beats defending Group 4 champion Hunterdon Central

2-East Brunswick 2, 3-Hunterdon Central 2 (East Brunswick 4-3 PK win)

It wasn't an upset by seeding, but beating defending Group 4 champion Hunterdon Central was still big for the Bears. Jessica DiMatteo and Alyna Negron scored during regulation, and Nicole Unangst, DiMatteo, Sabria Glasgow and Izzy Martillo scored in penalty kicks to help East Brunswick reach its first sectional final since 2012.

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Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media

Sparta reaches sectional final as a ninth seed

9-Sparta 1, 5-Kittatinny 0

Alisa Williamson's goal helped Sparta beat Kittatinny to keep its surprising tournament run going. The Spartans have beaten Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament runner-up Newton, Passaic County Tournament co-champion Lakeland and now H/W/S Tournament top-seed Kittatinny on its title run.

That's pretty impressive as a ninth seed but that seed might be deceiving. The Spartans have lost just twice this month -- a one-goal loss to Hunterdon Central in the H/W/S Tournament and a loss to Chatham -- while also beating West Morris and Pingry, and tying Mendham.

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Chris Monroe | For NJ Advance Media

Westwood beats Ramsey in Bergen County affair

3-Westwood 1, 2-Ramsey 0

Meghan Riedel scored for Westwood midway through the second half on a corner to send Westwood to its first sectional final since 2001. Both teams have thrived in close games but in the Bergen County Tournament it was Ramsey that stole the headlines with its run. Westwood lost to Ramapo in the Bergen County Tournament quarterfinals, while Ramsey beat Ramapo in the semifinals in penalty kicks.

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Chris Monroe | For NJ Advance Media

Ridgewood outlasts Livingston in PKs

9-Ridgewood 0, 4-Livingston 0 (Ridgewood 4-2 PK win)

Ridgewood shut out its second straight Essex County foe, blanking top-seeded Montclair in the quarterfinal round for the biggest upset in the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 4 section, and following it up with a shutout against a talented Livingston offense that earned an Essex County Tournament co-championship.

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Andrew Miller | For NJ Advance Media

Verona wins battle of double-digit seeds against Dayton

11-Verona 3, 10-Dayton 2

Verona and Dayton combined to knock off the second and third seed in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 section by a combined 8-2 score. But one of the two had to have its Cinderella run end in the semifinal round. Sarah Carlucci, Ally Madigan and Lara Tole all scored for Verona to beat Dayton and advance to the sectional final as an 11th seed.

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Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media

Hanover Park beats top-seeded Lyndhurst

4-Hanover Park 2, 1-Lyndhurst 0

Claire Cahill and Sophia Rafanello both scored for Hanover Park in the win. While Hanover Park was the lower seed, the Hornets proved to be a tough out all season. They beat Morris Catholic, Mountain Lakes and Madison, and advanced past Morristown in the Morris County Tournament.

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Middletown South making another state tournament run

5-Middletown South 4, 1-Somerville 3 (OT)

Emma Laudisi had a hat trick and Emily McCarthy scored once to help Middletown South upset Somerville in overtime. Somerville was upset in the Somerset County Tournament earleir this year, losing to Franklin in the quarterfinals after a direct kick broke a scoreless tie in overtime.

For Middletown South, it's the second year it's making a long tournament run as a fifth seed. Last year it reached the semifinal before losing to eventual sectional champion Hopewell Valley.

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Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media

West Morris sweeps county rival Chatham

3-West Morris 2, 2-Chatham 1

Emily DeGeyter and Kristine Hauser scored second-half goals to help West Morris beat Chatham. While it was an upset in terms of seeding, West Morris had already beat Chatham twice during the regular season.

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Ridge gets revenge in rematch against Bridgewater-Raritan

3-Ridge 2, 2-Bridgewater-Raritan 1 (OT)

Maddy Lui scored halfway through the first overtime period to send Ridge to the sectional final. Bridgewater-Raritan had won the previous two meetings against Ridge, including a win in the Somerset County Tournament final. But Ridge took the lead midway through the first half, its first goal against Bridgewater-Raritan this season, and then won it in overtime after the Panthers tied things on a penalty kick in the final 10 minutes of regulation.

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Haddon Township back in sectional final after taking down top seed

4-Haddon Township 2, 1-Audubon 1

Sydney Farnham and Raylyn Straubmuller both scored for Haddon Township to advance back to the sectional final. Haddon Township might've been the fourth seed but the program has regularly been one of the top contenders in Group 1 and reached the sectional final last year. But it was still impressive to beat an Audubon team that beat Haddon Township twice during the regular season, and suffered just two losses all year.

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Britney Lillya | For NJ Advance Media

Pitman advances with impressive comeback against Pennsville

10-Pitman 4, 3-Pennsville 3 (OT)

Pitman came back from down 1-0, 2-1 and 3-2 before eventually winning with 57.9 seconds left in the second overtime period thanks to a goal from Emily Galvin. Madison Smith scored twice and Julia Devanney added a score to keep Pitman's Cinderalla run going. Pitman already beat second-seeded Haddon Heights, the defending sectional champion, and seventh seeded Clayton.

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Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media

Cherry Hill West takes down another South Jersey power

10-Cherry Hill West 1, 3-Delsea 0

Gabby Angelucci's second-half goal gave Cherry Hill West another upset win by taking down third-seeded Delsea. Delsea was one of the last remaining unbeaten teams in the state, suffering its first loss in the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association Tournament quarterfinal round against Eastern. But Cherry Hill West has proven to be better than its seed would indicate after battling in the tough Olympic Conference, as the Lions beat second-seeded Mainland in the quarterfinal.

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Al Amrhein | For NJ Advance Media

Washington Township advances with last second goal

3-Washington Township 2, 2-Kingsway 1 (OT)

Amanda Attanasi has burst onto the scene as a freshman, leading Washington Township in scoring this year with 27 goals this year, with her latest coming with three seconds left in the first overtime period. She also assisted on Giovanna Castorina's second-half score to tie things up. Kingsway had taken the original 1-0 lead behind Samantha Emmi's first-half goal.

But while Washington Township was the lower seed, it was the favorite coming in after getting awarded a higher seed than Kingsway in the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association Tournament, and battling with Eastern all season to be considered the top team in South Jersey.

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Bishop Eustace wins OT thriller to take down top seed

5-Bishop Eustace 1, 1-St. John Vianney 0 (2OT)

Sammie Sorensen's second overtime period goal helped Bishop Eustace upset St. John Vianney. SJV had lost just once all season, in the middle of September, beating Middletown North, Colts Neck and sweeping Rumson-Fair Haven. But Bishop Eustace has won six straight, including wins over Cherry Hill West, Camden Catholic and Notre Dame.

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Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media

THURSDAY, NOV. 2

It was a bad day to be a favorite with three top seeds falling and plenty of other upsets comprising the quarterfinal round. Scroll through to see which Top-5 ranked team in the NJ.com Top 20 had its season end, which county made a statement, and what double-digit seeds look like real contenders for sectional titles.

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QUARTERFINAL ROUND ACTION

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MUST SEE: Player of the Week for each of N.J.'s 15 conferences, Oct. 25-31

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8-Clearview takes down 1-Goliath

Eastern seemed unstoppable.

But that didn't matter to 8th-seed Clearview, which had a chance to prove itself after narrowly missing out on a invitation to the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association Tournament, Elizabeth Bonomo with an assist from Jackie Norris did just that, scoring to keep the game tied, 1-1, at the end of overtime and then the Pioneers advanced on PKs.

Top-seeded Eastern trailed once all year and the only game it didn't win was a tie against Cinnaminson in the SJSCA Tournament semifinals, where Eastern advanced on penalty kicks. As the top seed and behind one of the most complete lineups in the state, a sectional title almost felt like a given until Clearview made one of the biggest statements in the state tournament.

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Chris Monroe | For NJ Advance Media

9-Ridgewood takes down top-seeded Montclair

Ridgewood has very quietly put together a strong run over the last month. Since Sept. 18 the Maroons have only lost to IHA and Northern Highlands, both 1-0 games, with the loss to Northern Highlands coming in the Bergen County Tournament. On Thursday, Ridgewood earned arguably its most impressive win of the season by shutting out top-seeded Montclair and getting a score from Madelyn Grassi in a 1-0 win to advance to the semifinals.

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Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media

Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex members make major statement

In terms of county tournament hierarchy the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex tri-county tournament earned some major points with two quarterfinal wins.

9-Sparta 2, 1-Lakeland 2 (Sparta advances in PKs)
First up was Sparta - a regular Sussex County power that's had a bit of a down year by its standards. Sparta is making up for that in the state tournament though by first beating H/W/S runner-up Newton, and then following it up by taking down top seed and Passaic County Tournament co-champion Lakeland on Thursday. Anya Helmer and Carly Seeland scored two second-half goals to tie it and then Sparta won in PKs.

5-Kittatiny 2, 4-Glen Rock 1
Next up was Kittatinny. The Cougars were the top seed in the H/W/S Tournament but were upset early by Newton. In the state tournament, Kittatinny earned arguably their biggest win of the season by beating a Glen Rock team, 2-1, that took Bergen County Tournament runner-up Ramsey to overtime in the quarterfinal round.

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MUST SEE: Top 20, Nov. 1: Tournament upsets bring more change

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Aristide Economopoulos | For NJ Advance Media

Livingston turning it on late

Livingston 1, West Orange 1 (Livingston advances on PKs)
Livingston was left for dead earlier this season when the defending sectional champs lost a string of games as it adjusted to a young team and the loss of senior captain Tori Belcuore to injury.

Well, Belcuore is back now and with the switch to a four-man back line, and improved communication and chemistry across the board, Livingston has battled back to win a share of the Essex County title, and now is two wins away from its second straight sectional title after getting past West Orange in penalty kicks, 4-1, on Thursday.

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Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media

West Orange's season ends without a loss

West Orange technically ends the season with no losses on its record, but a pair of promising title runs ended in penalty kicks this year. The latest loss in kicks came on Thursday in the North 1, Group 4 quarterfinals as West Orange fell short, 4-1, against Livingston in the shootout.

West Orange ends the year with a 13-0-5 record.

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Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media

County final rematches litter semifinals

The much-anticipated matchup between Westfield and Scotch Plains-Fanwood is on for Monday as well another must-see showdown between Bridgewater-Raritan and Ridge. Those two contests will book tickets to the North 2, Group 4 final and the energy to secure those spots must be high in these battles between county rivals.

Last year Westfield and Scotch Plains-Fanwood just missed out on meeting in both the Union County Tournament and the state tournament. This season they've already played three times, finishing as co-Union County champs after the latest matchup. Now they'll face off in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 4 semifinals.

On the other side of the bracket, Ridge and Bridgewater-Raritan will meet for the third time this year. Bridgewater-Raritan won the first two meetings, taking the first in overtime and the second with a 2-0 win over Ridge in the Somerset County Tournament final.

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Mark Sullivan | For NJ Advance Media

Toms River North takes rubber match

4-Toms River North 2, 5-Jackson Memorial 1
Toms River North and Jackson Memorial battled atop the A-South Division all season, and split the two regular season meetings. But in the final match, Toms River North pulled out the 2-1 win thanks to an Emily Royson free kick goal with 3:35 left.

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MUST SEE: Top 50 performances from the 1st round of the girls soccer state tournament

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Third times the charm for Indian Hills

7-Indian Hills 1, 2-Ramapo (Indian Hills advances in PKs, 4-1)
Indian Hills' hot start to the season was stymied by a 6-0 loss to rival Ramapo, and the Ramapo continued to haunt the Indian Hills in the rematch with a 3-0 win. But in the third meeting and final meeting in the quarterfinal round of the North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 section tournament, Indian Hills tied Ramapo, 1-1, and then advanced in PKs, 4-1.

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Lower seeds run NJ, S2, G1

Three of the four teams remaining in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 1 section are double-digit seeds.

12-Whippany Park 7, 13-Secacus 0
One of those was a given with 12th-seeded Whippany Park beating 13th-seeded Secaucus in a game that ensured a double-digit seed winner. But in the other side of the bracket the second and third seed saw their season's end.

10-Dayton 3, 2-North Arlington 1
Second-seeded North Arlington fell to 10th-seeded Dayton, with Carina Servello scoring twice and Justine Ventisette adding another score in a three-goal second half.

11-Verona 5, 3-McNair 1
11th-seeded Verona got goals from Sarah Carlucci, Ally Madigan, Gabi Montagna and Lara Tole to pull off its second upset of the tournament by knocking off third-seeded McNair.

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Andrew Miller | For NJ Advance Media

Pingry is moving on

5-Pingry 2, 4-Oak Knoll 1
Pingry earned the top seed in the South Jersey, Non-Public A sectional tournament last year and was promptly ousted in the first round. This year, fifth-seeded Pingry fought back from a one-goal deficit in the second half to beat a fourth-seeded Oak Knoll (also the defending Non-Public A co-champion) in regulation thanks to two goals from freshman Olivia Volpe.

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There will be a new Non-Public A champion

6-Paul VI 1, 3-Red Bank Catholic 0
At the same time Pingry was upsetting Oak Knoll, sixth-seeded Paul VI was pulling off its second upset in as many years. Last year it took down that top-seeded Pingry team, and this year it beat defending Non-Public A co-champion and third-seeded Red Bank Catholic. Ava Albergo scored the only goal that mattered in the 1-0 win with an assist from Gabrielle Marra, and they shut out RBC for the win.

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MUST SEE: How Watchung Hills girls soccer became a darkhorse to win North 2, Group 4

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Sara Beidleman continues to shine for Bishop Eustace

5-Bishop Eustace 3, 4-Notre Dame 2
Fifth-seeded Bishop Eustace has battled some of the best teams in New Jersey, so while it was an underdog in terms of seeding against fourth-seeded Notre Dame, Eustace clearly weren't intimidated. Beidleman led all scorers with two goals in the 3-2 win to give the junior a team-leading 19 for the season. Sammie Sorensen added a third to give Bishop Eustace the win over a red-hot Notre Dame team that came in with wins in 10 of its last 11 games.

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Collingswood ends Highland Park's run

7-Collingswood 3, 2-Highland Park 1
Highland Park was having one of the best seasons in program history with plenty of talent all over the roster and a talented senior class. But Collingswood proved it shouldn't be overlooked with a decisive 3-1 result as it secured its sixth victory in its last seven games. The only loss during that stretch game against a Haddonfield team that reached the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association Tournament final.

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Mark Sullivan | For NJ Advance Media

Rumson-Fair Haven exacts revenge

5-Rumson-Fair Haven 5, 4-Robbinsville 1
Last year Robbinsville upset Rumson-Fair Haven in the sectional final, but this year Rumson got the last laugh. As the lower-seeded team, fifth-seeded Rumson-Fair Haven scored four unanswered goals in the first half and emerged with a 5-1 win with Margot Ridgeway leading the way with two scores against fourth-seeded Robbinsville.

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Mark R. Sullivan | For NJ Advance Media

Toms River East shows Shore Conference depth

By seeds it looked like an upset. Third-seeded Burlington Township had battled with some of the best in South Jersey and was primed for a deep run, but sixth-seeded Toms River East was no pushover. Battle-tested through a tough Shore Conference, Toms River East won 3-2 behind two goals and an assist from senior Jillian Conklin.

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Madison continues run, reaches semifinals

11-Madison 2, 3-Morris Tech 0
Madison entered the tournament as the 11th seed, but has crashed the party in the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 semifinals. Madison is the only team not seeded in the top four to make it this far in the bracket and made the move to the semis after getting goals from Sophia Haralampoudis and Leah Rutland. Madison also played well on defense, shutting out third-seeded Morris Tech to set up a meeting with county rival Parsippany Hills.

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Cedar Creek can't be overlooked in South Jersey

6-Cedar Creek 2, 3-Manchester Township
On Thursday, sixth-seeded Cedar Creek extended its shutout and winning streak to four games, beating a third-seeded Manchester Township team that had a prolific scorer in A'Liah Moore and one of the most complete teams in program history.

Cedar Creek has been turning it on late though. Against a tough schedule down South, Cedar Creek struggled to string together wins. But with a tie against Oakcrest, and wins against Haddon Heights, Holy Spirit and Absegami, they showed they could compete once the playoffs started.

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Tim Hawk | For NJ Advance Media

There'll be a new champion in South Jersey, Group 1

10-Pitman 1, 2-Haddon Heights 0
Haddon Heights won the section last year and looked like a favorite to repeat as the second-seed team in the bracket this season. But the defense for 10th-seeded Pitman stepped up to the plate with a shutout against Haddon Heights. Julia Devanney scored off an assist from Annie Sanker to continue to the run for 10th-seeded Pitman, which is on to the semifinal and could make an even bigger statement on that stage with a chance to push for a sectional title.

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David Gard | For NJ Advance Media

Cherry Hill West crashes the party

10-Cherry Hill West 2, 2-Mainland 1
Second-seeded Mainland had 12 straight shutouts, it won 14 straight games, it forced its way into the South Jersey Soccer Coaches Association Tournament in the final week, but a magical season ended in the quarterfinal round thanks to 10th-seeded Cherry Hill West.

Cherry Hill West played well in a tough Olympic Conference this year, but a .500 record did not help when it came to seeding. Its double-digit seed didn't matter much on Thursday though, with Michela Auguadro making 16 saves to keep Mainland's attack at bay. Samantha Santos scored twice and buried the game-winner in overtime for Cherry Hill West.

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Andrew Miller | For NJ Advance Media

Gill St. Bernard's defense flexes in win

6-Gill St. Bernard's 1, 3-Holy Spirit 0
Sixth-seeded Gill St. Bernard's has been led by its defense all season with Michigan State commit Ava Diggins as its marquee player on that unit. That defense put together a big performance in the quarterfinal round of the South, Non-Public B playoffs on Thursday and shut out an explosive Holy Spirit offense. Hayley Goldin scored the game-winner for Gill St. Bernard's in a 1-0 win over third-seeded Holy Spirit, which made it to the Non-Public B final a year ago.

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Al Amrhein | For NJ Advance Media

TUESDAY, OCT. 31

Tuesday was more jam packed than original expected with Sunday's rain causing several postponements on Monday, and that meant another day of major upsets, statement games and overtime wins. Scroll below to see all the major results from the final day of the first round.

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FIRST ROUND ACTION

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Montagna strikes in overtime to help Verona pull off upset

11-Verona 3, 6-Roselle Park 2

Verona didn't score a game in its first four games of the season but has now reeled off four straight wins with Gabi Montagna ensuring they'd exit Tuesday with the upset when she scored the overtime goal to help Verona knock out Roselle Park.

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David Gard | For NJ Advance Media

Russell unstoppable for Riverside in upset

9-Riverside 8, 8-South River 2

In her last three games Hailey Russell has scored 15 goals. Seven of those came in an 8-1 win over South River on Tuesday to seemingly single-handedly help Riverside pull off a big win despite heading into the game as the lower seed.

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Al Amrhein | For NJ Advance Media

Bone the hero for Schalick with OT score

9-Schalick 3, 8-Woodbury 2

Schalick almost squandered a 2-0 lead in its state tournament game with Woodbury, but Lauren Bone made sure the Cougars season continued into the quarterfinal round. The junior is coming back from a partial ACL tear, and scored her second goal of the season in the 89th minute to give Schalick the overtime win.

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MUST SEE: Complete previews of all 20 sections for the 2017 girls soccer state tournament

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David Gard | For NJ Advance Media

Toms River South's big second half helps it advance

11-Toms River South 4, 6-Hammonton 3

Toms River South's season should be over.

The Indians fell behind 3-0 to an evenly matched Hammonton, but even as the lower seed Toms River South reeled off three goals in the second half, and then finished the job in overtime to advance to the quarterfinals. Alyia Canfield led the comeback attempt with two goals and an assist, and Emily Donzanti and Nicole Gauthier each had a goal.

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David Gard | For NJ Advance Media

Cherry Hill West makes statement with shutout win

10-Cherry Hill West 1, 7-Triton 0

Cherry Hill West showed it might've been under-seeded after putting together impressive performances while battling Washington Township, Bishop Eustace and Seneca, and proved as much when it outshot Triton, 13-6, and got the winning score from Alivia Gallardo.

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Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media

Boyan leads Ranney to upset

13-Ranney 6, 4-Calvary Christian (Old Bridge) 1

Only two teams were seeded lower than Ranney in the South Jersey, Non-Public B section, but that sure looked like a mistake when Abby Boyan led the Panthers to a 6-1 against fourth-seeded Calvary Christian with three goals and an assist. Brianna Conselyea, Olivia Metzger and Autumn Siliato also scored in the win.

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Aristide Economopoulos | For NJ Advance Media

Wardlaw-Hartridge earns impressive win heading into quarterfinal showdown

9-Wardlaw-Hartridge 5, 8-Timothy Christian 0

At least in terms of seeding the game should've been close. But Antonella Doglio scored twice, and Destiny Ingram, Mia Reyes and Bella Wysocki each scored as well to give Wardlaw-Hartridge a statement win as it heads into a contest with top-seeded Rutgers Prep.

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Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media

Burlington Township needs more than 100 minutes to knock out Long Branch

3-Burlington Township 1, 14-Long Branch 1 (PK win)

Burlington Township earned the third seed by battling with Cinnaminson, Rancocas Valley, Moorestown and Holy Cross in a competitive Burlington County Scholastic League, and also won against Ocean City. But against a Long Branch team that allowed 20 goals in its last three games, Burlington Township needed a penalty kick win to advance. Mya Daniels scored her 38th goal of the season to tie things in the first half with Caitlin Mbuakoto scoring for Burlington Township.

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RELATED: Lawrence freshman Kendra Dempsey leads Cards to first state tournament win in over a decade

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Alexandra Pais | For NJ Advance Media

MONDAY, OCT. 30

The state tournament is underway and the first round is almost in the books. Already there have been several upsets with plenty of lower seeds advancing to the quarterfinal round, and some county tournament champions have already seen their season come to an end. Scroll through below to see all the top results from Monday's games.

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Nick Scalera | For NJ Advance Media

Millers upset the H/W/S county champs

10-Millburn 4, 7-North Hunterdon 1

North Hunterdon entered the state tournament with the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex county championship, its first tournament title since 2008. But in the first round of the state tournament,  the Lions fell to a Millburn team that couldn't get out of the Essex County Tournament first round. Carly Bernstein scored twice for the Millers, which also got scores from Chloe Zegas and Melissa Gates.

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Al Amrhein | For NJ Advance Media

Williamstown wins in PKs against Egg Harbor

10-Williamstown 1, 7-Egg Harbor 1 (3-2 PK win)

While Williamstown was the lower seed, the Braves and Egg Harbor looked evenly matched on paper with both teams notching impressive wins while battling near the top of their respective conferences. Lauren Ebner (Egg Harbor) and Natalie Pantalone (Williamstown) provided the two regulation scores before Williamstown took a slim 3-2 shootout win.

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John Munson | For NJ Advance Media

North Plainfield turns it on for tournament, upsets Spotswood

11-North Plainfield 1, 7-Spotswood 0

North Plainfield was given the 11th seed after a regular season that included just five wins, while dropping lopsided contests to Non-Public B powers Gill St. Bernard's and Rutgers Prep and getting swept in two games by a South Hunterdon team that's the 12th seed in Central Jersey, Group 1. And in a close, 1-0 game it wasn't even star forward Ashley Atubi adding to her team-leading 29 goals, but Shaniya O'Neal scoring off an assist from Anne Joseph.

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MUST SEE: Bold predictions, upset alerts and a travelers guide to the girls soccer state playoffs

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Larry Murphy | For NJ Advance Media

Freshman helps Lawrence win first state tournament game in 17 years

7-Lawrence 1, 10-Nottingham 0

Lawrence hadn't won a state tournament game in 17 years. So while Lawrence was the higher seed, it was still a big deal when freshman Kendra Dempsey put Lawrence ahead 10 minutes into the game, and that held up to push Lawrence to the quarterfinal round.

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Keith Muccilli | For NJ Advance Media

Hightstown continues hot streak with win over Sayreville

12-Hightstown 6, 5-Sayreville 2

It would've been easy to overlook Hightstown heading into the state tournament. The Rams won three games during the regular season, barely making any noise all season, but something changed down the stretch. First Hightstown tied Lawrence, then it pulled off a huge upset by knocking off Notre Dame in the Mercer County Tournament before playing defending champion Hopewell Valley to a close, 1-0 decision. If that didn't grab people's attention, a 6-2 win behind Johaira Perez's hat trick should.

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John Munson | For NJ Advance Media

Franklin on receiving end of upset in PK win

11-Hillsborough 0, 6-Frankin 0 (5-4 PK win)

Franklin pulled off the big upset in the Somerset County Tournament, taking down fourth-seeded Somerville off a free kick in a 1-0 win in overtime. But in the state tournament they were on the receiving end with a three-win Hillsborough team tying Franklin for the second time in as many meetings, and then prevailing in penalty kicks.

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Manalapan survives with PK win over Monroe

10-Manalapan 1, 7-Monroe 1 (4-2 PK win)

Manalapan might've been the lower seed but this was a pretty evenly matched game going in. The Braves battled in a division with Freehold Township and Colts Neck and still came away with nine wins, while Monroe was in the best division in the GMC and earned 11 wins. And while Ariella Kaplan (Manalapan) and Alexa Fedak (Monroe) each scored as part of a 100-minute tie, it was Manalapan that advanced after PKs.

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Matt Smith | For NJ Advance Media

Big North rivals Cliffside and West Milford need PKs to decide winner

9-Cliffside Park 1, 8-West Milford 1 (Cliffside Park PK win)

Izabela Hasandjekic (Cliffside Park) Katherine Choma (West Milford) each scored in a game that was upset by seeding only. Both Big North teams looked closely matched on paper, and a penalty kick win shows how accurate that thought was.

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Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media

Sparta pulls off minor upset against H/W/S rival Newton

9-Sparta 2, 8-Newton 1

Newton pulled off the big upset of the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament by knocking off top-seeded Kittatinny in a lopsided, 4-1 decision, but after losing to North Hunterdon in PKs in the final, Newton couldn't make it out of the state tournament first round with conference rival Sparta emerging with the 2-1 win thanks to goals from Anya Helmer and Bailey Kellenberger.

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Steve Hockstein | For NJ Advance Media

Montville shows off Morris County's depth by knocking off PCT co-champion

11-Montville 1, 6-Wayne Hills 0

Wayne Hills won a share of the Passaic County Tournament title over the weekend when it tied top seed and defending champion Lakeland. But it only made it through the first 80 minutes of the state tournament before Montville sent it home with an overtime score from Dani Vito even with Montville sitting below .500 for the season. But the Mustangs had battled in a tough Morris County and showed with wins over Sparta and Hanover Park that they could hang with a team like Wayne Hills.

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Chris Monroe | For NJ Advance Media

Ridgewood wins anticipated first-round meeting with Morristown

9-Ridgewood 2, 8-Morristown 1

This looked like one of the closest pairings of the first round with both Morristown and Ridgewood just a tier below the elite teams in their respective counties. On Monday it was scores from Payton Angus and Delaney Bessel that helped Ridgewood pull out the 2-1 overtime win.

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Whippany Park avenges last season's tournament exit

12-Whippany Park 2, 5-Belvidere 1

Oh how sweet it is. Last year Whippany Park was one of a handful of teams that could challenge Shore for the Group 1 title, but a young Belvidere team squeaked by with a 1-0 win. This year Whippany Park was the low seed with nothing to lose, and they made Belvidere pay with goals from Ashley Coppola and Devon MacArthur to win in regulation.

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MUST SEE: Unsung heroes: 50 girls soccer players who may steal the show in the state tourney

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Michael Dempsey | For NJ Advance Media

Secaucus takes advantage of down year in Hudson County

13-Secaucus 2, 4-Hoboken 1

It wasn't a great day for Hudson County which had two of its top teams upset by much lower seeds in the opening round. Hoboken made the HCT semifinals but lost to a Secaucus team that was seeded 13th after earning five of its six regular season wins against New Milford, Harrison and Ridgefield. The win also sets up the only quarterfinal pairing between double-digit seeds with 12th-seeded Whippany Park its quarterfinal opponent.

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Dayton makes statement about its seed with win

10-Dayton 1, 7-Dunnellen 0

Dayton was probably underseeded heading into this matchup, putting together nine wins despite battling in a tough Union County, while Dunnellen had an 8-6 record in the lowest division in the GMC conference. Junior Hannah Quinones scored off a header from junior Carina Servello in the 73rd minute to help Dayton advance.

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Caldwell Athletics

Leanna Rebimbas' return could have Caldwell on unexpected run

9-Caldwell 5, 8-Hackettstown 3

Leanna Rebimbas was unstoppable this season but didn't play in the month of October. She quickly showed she's back at it in her first game back with a hat trick to help Caldwell advance past Hackettstown and into the quarterfinals.

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Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media

Cranford proves its tough out even as 11th seed

11-Cranford 2, 6-Hopewell Valley 1

Hopewell Valley is the defending sectional champion was the 2016 Mercer County Tournament champion, but after several key losses due to graduation the Bulldogs took a step back this year. They also got unlucky drawing an underseeded Craford team that earned a Top-4 seed in the Union County Tournament and beat Oak Knoll, Pingry and Metuchen during the regular season, while playing close games with Scotch Plains-Fanwood, Union, Westfield and Morris Knolls.

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Tough Essex County schedule pays off for Columbia in state tournament

9-Columbia 3, 8-Elizabeth 1

Columbia beat Cranford, Montclair Kimberley, Livingston, Chatham and tied West Orange, so it's not too surprising it pulled off a two-goal win against Elizabeth even if it was the lower seed. Katherine Meyer shined with two goals.

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Joe Warner | For NJ Advance Media

Pitman shows its late season run is no fluke

10-Pitman 4, 7-Clayton 1

Pitman came into the tournament on a hot streak, having won six of its last eight games with a 5-2 win over Clayton the start of that streak. Chances are, a higher seeded Clayton was not too happy to have to play them again 17 days later. And if they weren't nervous heading in, Annie Sanker made sure they never got comfortable by scoring three times.

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David Gard | For NJ Advance Media

West Deptford makes statement with shutout win

9-West Deptford 4, 8-Pemberton 0

It looked like an evenly matched game on paper with both teams putting together solid records in weak divisions, and dropping lopsided games against the toughest opponents on its schedule. But West Deptford proved without a doubt it was the better team despite the lower seed with Amber Downs, Mel Hires, Mackenzie Jupin and Devin Sullivan all scoring in the shutout win.

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Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media

Randolph's late run continues with win over HCT champ

11-Randolph 2, 6-Kearny 1

Kearny has owned Hudson County in recent years and even this year it earned some lopsided wins in the HCT to emerge with another title and a high seed in the state tournament. But none of that seemed to matter to a Randolph team that had been climbing up the ranks in Morris County. The Rams went 4-1-1 in its last six games with the one loss a one-goal game against Roxbury.

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@DodgerAthletics

Madison completes upset with offensive explosion

11-Madison 4, 6-Rutherford 2

Rutherford was no pushover. The Bulldogs won 11 games and kept things close against NJIC leading Glen Rock, but Madison didn't keep things close after battling through a schedule that included close games with Mountain Lakes, Park Ridge and Morris Catholic. Nikki Cilenti scored twice and Sophia Haralampoudis and Leah Rutland each had a goal in the win.

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MUST SEE: Player of the Year watchlist

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Parsippany Athletics

Challenging schedule has Parsippany looking like dangerous 10th seed

10-Parsippany 4, 7-Becton 0

Becton's 12-3 record was impressive coming in but its schedule was nowhere near as challenging as what Parsippany wen through this season, and the Red Hawks proved that with a dominant performance behind two goals from Luisa Barone.

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Was New Milford under-seeded?

10-New Milford 3, 7-Hasbrouck Heights 1

Even though New Milford was the lower seed, there was little doubt heading into this one that it was the better team. The Knights were third in a much tough division than Hasbrouck Heights and on Monday two goals from Kaylee Babasade powered a three-goal first half to lead New Milford to the first round win.

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Scott Faytok | For NJ Advance Media

Ewing makes statement for Mercer County with win over Gov. Livingston

10-Ewing 4, 7-Gov. Livingston 2

Ewing had won five games all year and sat at the bottom of the Colonial Valley Conference, Patriot Division entering tournament play against a Gov. Livingston team that had managed to battle with some of Union County's best. But Jamie Irvin and Ewing weren't intimidated, scoring four goals to advance to the quarterfinal round.

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PHOTOS: Jamie Ervin leads Ewing girls soccer to opening round win over Gov. Livingston

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Saed Hindash | For NJ Advance Media

Pope John pulls off upset behind Camryn Stoner's score

This game was as close as the seeding indicates with Pope John playing tough in the NJAC conference and Mount St. Dominic doing the same in Essex County, but a first-half goal from Camryn Stoner proved the difference to help lower-seeded Pope John advance.

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Andrew Mills | For NJ Advance Media

Holy Angels at peace in elimination games

10-Holy Angels 5, 7-Kent Place 3

It's been a tough year for Holy Angels, but as it proved in the Bergen County Tournament, it knows how to turn it on in elimination games. The Angels pulled off one of the biggest upsets then when it took down ninth-seeded Old Tappan as the 24th seed, and proved its mettle again with a win over seventh-seeded Kent Place.

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Immaculata pulls off major upset for fourth win of the season

10-Immaculata 1, 7-Bishop Ahr 0

Immaculata only won three games heading into the tournament while suffering some lopsided losses, but against a nine-win Bishop Ahr team, a first-half goal by Teri Jackson held up to secure the first-round upset.

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George McNish | For NJ Advance Media

No. 1 seeds live up to the billing

Top seeds from around the state lived up to their billing on Monday in the opening round of that state tournament, with all 11 of the No. 1 teams that played taking home decisive wins. Top-seeded Glen Ridge was one of those top teams that advanced as it continued its strong season with a 13-0 win in the first round of the North 2, Group 1 playoffs. It was an eye-catching result, but 16th-seeded Bound Brook told NJ Advance Media that there was no bad blood afterward. No. 1 seeds scored 6.4 goals on average on Monday.

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More girls soccer news on NJ.com

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Evan Slavit may be reached at eslavit@njschoolsports.com. Follow him on Twitter @EvanSlavitHS. Like NJ.com HS sports on Facebook.

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