Harding to lead field hockey team

Kaitlyn Harding has had an exceptional start to her career and will look to continue that this fall for the Newton High School field hockey team.

Harding, a junior forward, had 18 goals as a freshman and followed that with a 29-goal, five-assist effort last year for the Braves, who went 9-6-2.

Harding scored more than one goal nine times a year ago, registered at least one goal in 14 of her team’s 17 games and accounted for 62 percent of Newton’s offense.

The Braves, under the direction of head coach Ashley Tashjian, return senior Mashara Edwards (one goal, two assists); juniors Allyson Maffia (one goal, four starts), Caitlyn Neill (two goals, two assists), Emma Trout (one goal, seven assists) and Jaclyn Vena (nine goals, 10 assists); and sophomore Meadow D’Annibale (five goals, one assist).

The team is scheduled to open its season at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 5 at home against Lenape Valley. Newton will play at Kittatinny at 4 p.m. Monday, Sept. 9 and at Hackettstown at 4 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11.

Here’s a look at other Newton sports teams’ upcoming schedules:

Boys soccer

The Braves, who will open their season Wednesday, Sept. 4 at home against Vernon, are slated to play host to Dover at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 7.

Newton went 9-9-2 last fall, reaching the quarterfinal rounds of the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex and New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) North Jersey, Section 1, Group 2 tournaments under head coach Brian Martin.

Junior goalie Jack Boffa (three shutouts, 101 saves) returns as do seniors Shaun Blasak (one goal, two assists) and Nate Logan (one assist); junior Riley Flemming (two goals); and sophomore Zac Huffman (two goals, two assists).

Girls soccer

Newton is slated to play at Kittatinny at 10 a.m. Sept. 7 before playing host to Jefferson at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10.

Seniors Emma Eigner (one goal, two assists), Sahara Pereira (two goals, three assists) and Ione Smith (one goal); juniors Bella Deleon (one goal), Madalyn Nolan (three goals, two assists), Caitlyn Pokrywa (three goals, four assists) and Cera Steinwand (one goal); and sophomores Cassie Corby (two goals), Avery Eigner (four goals, two assists) and Carrigan Walsh (one goal) all return from last year’s 7-10-1 squad.

Girls tennis

Newton, which was 7-5 last fall, is scheduled to play at High Point at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 6 before playing host to Hopatcong at 4 p.m. Sept. 9.

Seniors Samantha Sutton, Kirsten Ehrnberg and Abby Biederman and juniors Micaela Schlesner and Sinead Kerrick return for this season.

Cross country

The Newton cross country team will compete at an invitational at 4 p.m. Sept. 10 at Kittatinny.