KJS United advances to state co-op hockey championship

KJS United will play for a second straight state title.

Braydon Sisco totaled two goals and an assist, Eddie Brown and Cormac Gibbons each added a goal and an assist and Michael Pandiscia also scored to power the Kinnelon/Jefferson/Sparta tri-op squad to a 5-0 victory over Mount Olive/Hopatcong/Hackettstown in the NJSIAA North Jersey Public Co-Op Tournament final on Thursday night at Codey Arena in West Orange.

Stefan Filewicz recorded his first shutout of the season with a 13-save effort.

KJS United (15-7-2), ranked No. 14 in the state, was slated to play North Hunterdon/Voorhees for the overall Co-Op Championship on Monday, March 9 at The Prudential Center in Newark at 7:45 p.m.

A year ago, KJS United defeated Marlboro/Holmdel, 4-3, for the state Co-Op title.

In its semifinal victory over Paramus/Mahwah/Lyndhurst on March 2, at Skylands Ice World in Stockholm, KJS United was led by Sisco’s three goals and two assists, Brown’s two goals and one assist and Maximo Rodriguez’s three assists.

Filewicz anchored the defense with 18 saves.

Against West Milford/Pequannock/Pompton Lakes in the sectional quarterfinal round, Sisco, a junior forward, scored a hat trick and reached the 100-goal milestone for his career.

Sisco now has 37 goals and 24 assists this season with Brown (24 goals, 42 assists), Gibbons (18 goals, 10 assists), Rodriguez (11 goals, 15 assists), Cody Sutton (seven goals, 14 assists) and Pandiscia (six goals, 12 assists) rounding out the top six scorers.

Sparta Girls Basketball

Brooke Shust had a team-high seven points, along with seven rebounds but third-seeded Sparta bowed to sixth-seeded Old Tappan in the quarterfinal round of the NJSIAA North Jersey, Section 1, Group 3 Tournament on Monday, March 2 in Sparta.

In its 46-39 first round victory over Morris Knolls on Feb. 27, Sparta was led by sophomore Kaelyn Sabanosh’s career-high points.

Kayla Barreau added nine points and seven rebounds, Shust totaled six points, 10 rebounds, five assists and two blocks and Moira Sweeney collected six points, four rebounds, five steals and two assists to aid the win.

The Lady Spartans, under head coach Patrick McCarney, went 19-8 overall this season and won the NJAC National Division championship with an 11-1 record.

Pope John Girls Basketball

The third-seeded Lady Lions came up just short in a 55-51 loss to sixth-seeded Pingry in the quarterfinal round of the NJSIAA North Jersey, Non-Public A Tournament on Monday, March 2, in Sparta.

Mia Washington led all scorers with 21 points for Pope John with Natalija Novkovic adding 13 points, nine rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks and Rose Kraus also netting 13 points with three steals, two rebounds, two assists and one block.

Novkovic, a sophomore, matched her career-high with 17 points in Pope John’s first round 71-33 victory over St. Elizabeth on Feb. 26 at home.

Washington, forward/guard, ended her senior season with 509 points and her stellar career with 1,685 points. She was named the MVP of the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex Tournament as a sophomore and this season as Sparta claimed the tri-county crown each season.

Sparta finished this season with a 19-6 record, which included an 8-2 mark and NJAC American Division co-championship, under head coach Peter Torres.