SUMMIT, NJ — One of the best high school sports rivalries, not only in Union County but in all of New Jersey, continues Thursday, April 25, when Summit High School hosts parochial power Oak Knoll School of the Holy Child, in Summit, in girls lacrosse play.
Summit began the week ranked No. 1 in the state, while Oak Knoll had a ranking as high as No. 4 before falling at home to No. 2 Morristown High School by the score of 13-7 on Thursday, April 18.
Summit and Oak Knoll last clashed in May of 2023, when Oak Knoll defeated Summit in the Union County Tournament championship game for the third straight season. Summit last won the UCT in 2019, when the Hilltoppers defeated Oak Knoll in the final that spring.
Summit last beat Oak Knoll in a championship game in 2022, when the Hilltoppers prevailed in the final Tournament of Champions championship game, which was a tournament that used to feature the state champions.
Summit has won three of the last five meetings between the in-town powers, including regular season victories in 2022 and 2023.
Summit began the week with a 6-1 record and was to play at Mountain Lakes High School on Monday, April 22. The Hilltoppers scored in double-digits in all six victories.
Summit’s only loss was out-of-state – a 10-4 setback against Episcopal Academy in Newtown Square, Pa., on Saturday, April 6. The Hilltoppers beat a pretty good 4-1 Ridgewood High School team, 12-9, on Saturday, April 20, in Bergen County.
Senior midfielder Lindsay Thomas led the Hilltoppers in goals at the start of the week with 17. Fellow senior attack Anya Wardle paced the squad in points with 35, including a team-leading 28 assists and seven goals.
Tied for second on the team in goals scored with 15 were juniors Nell Ducey and Molly Davies. Second in assists was senior attackmen Kate Riley with 10. Senior midfielder Lauren Riley began the week with 14 goals.
Lauren Riley and Davies had three goals in the triumph against Ridgewood.
Senior goaltender Elizabeth Walsh began the week with 37 total saves.
Oak Knoll began the week at 6-2 heading into the game scheduled for Monday, April 22, at Montclair High School. Oak Knoll’s only other loss was also out of state and came at the hands of Sacred Heart High School from Waterbury, Conn., 11-8, on Saturday, April 6.
Five of Oak Knoll’s first six wins included double-digit goal scoring. Morristown began the week at 8-0 and was the highest-ranked undefeated team in the state.
Senior attack Sophia Loschert leads the Royals in scoring with 29 goals and 33 points. Tied for the lead in assists with eight are junior midfielder Beatrice Burton and sophomore attack Lauren Dietrich.
With 19 goals was junior attack Zoe Harmaty, while with 12 were sophomore midfielder Maris McGinty and Dietrich. Senior midfielder Carson Didden had 10. Senior goalie Grace Smith began the week with 53 saves.
Oak Knoll defeated Sacred Heart High School, Yonkers, N.Y., 7-5, at home on Saturday, April 20, with Loschert scoring three of the Royal goals and assisting on another.
Notes: The UCT will be seeded shortly.
Other Union County schools with winning records at the start of the week included Kent Place School, 6-2; Union Catholic High School, 5-1; Westfield High School, 5-3; Scotch Plains–Fanwood High School, 5-4; and Governor Livingston High School, 4-1.
UCT girls’ lacrosse championship game scores, sites
• 2023: Oak Knoll 11, Summit 9 – at Arthur L. Johnson High School’s Nolan Field
Summit was the top seed and Oak Knoll the second seed.
• 2022: Oak Knoll 9, Summit 6 – at Arthur L. Johnson’s Nolan Field
Summit was the top seed and Oak Knoll the second seed.
• 2021: Oak Knoll 11, Summit 5 – at Arthur L. Johnson’s Nolan Field
Oak Knoll was the top seed and Summit the second seed.
• 2020: No tournament because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 2019: Summit 11, Oak Knoll 10 – at Arthur L. Johnson’s Nolan Field
Oak Knoll was the top seed and Summit the second seed.
• 2018: Summit 10, Oak Knoll 8 – at Arthur L. Johnson’s Nolan Field
Summit was the top seed and Oak Knoll the second seed.
• 2017: Oak Knoll 10, Summit 9 – at Arthur L. Johnson’s Nolan Field
Oak Knoll was the second seed and Summit the top seed.
• 2016: Summit 16, Oak Knoll 11 – at Arthur L. Johnson’s Nolan Field
Summit was the top seed and Oak Knoll the second seed.
• 2015: Summit 10, Oak Knoll 8 – at Arthur L. Johnson’s Nolan Field
Summit was the second seed and Oak Knoll the top seed.
• 2014: Summit 12, Westfield 4 – at Arthur L. Johnson’s Nolan Field
Summit was the top seed and Westfield the third seed.
• 2013: Summit 10, Oak Knoll 9 – at Arthur L. Johnson’s Nolan Field
Summit was the top seed and Oak Knoll the second seed.
• 2012: Summit 17, Oak Knoll 7 – at Arthur L. Johnson’s Nolan Field
Summit was the top seed and Oak Knoll the second seed.
• 2011: Summit 16, Kent Place 12 – at Arthur L. Johnson’s Nolan Field
Summit was the top seed and Kent Place the second seed.
• 2010: Summit 15, Oak Knoll 12 – at Arthur L. Johnson’s Nolan Field
Summit was the third seed and Oak Knoll the top seed.
• 2009: Summit 11, Kent Place 6 – at Governor Livingston High School
Summit was the top seed and Kent Place the second seed.
• 2008: Kent Place 13, Summit 10 – at Kent Place’s Pat Conley Field
Kent Place was the top seed and Summit the second seed.
• 2007: Oak Knoll 20, Kent Place 13 – at Kent Place’s Pat Conley Field
Oak Knoll was the top seed and Kent Place the third seed.