PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lexi Dendis came into her senior season knowing her role would be a little different than it had been over the previous years of her Hunterdon Central career.
In her previous two seasons, Dendis was an excellent secondary scoring option and the player to help set things up for the outstanding Reagan Schubach, who graduated as Hunterdon Central’s all-time leading scorer with an astounding 100 career goals.
Dendis led the team in assists as a junior with 10 while also adding 11 goals. With Schubach gone, the void was left for somebody to take charge of the offensive attack. The talented Dendis was surely up to the task.
She completed her Hunterdon Central career with 20 goals in her senior season to go along with six assists while leading the Red Devils to a 16-4-2 record and a berth in both the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex and North 2, Group 4 finals.
Dendis is the Hunterdon County Democrat girls soccer Player of the Year for 2023.
“We came into the season knowing we lost more than half of our starting line,” Dendis said. “That starting line helped Reagan so much with being able to score so many goals. I knew that I would have to step it up. I have a great team to be able to work with that helped me to become such a top goal scorer.”
Dendis started off the season playing midfield before Hunterdon Central head coach Coron Short moved her back up to forward to provide even more of a scoring spark. The Red Devils did not start off the year inside the NJ.com Top 20, which provided motivation for a team that has become used to being ranked as one of the best in the state.
Hunterdon Central finished the year ranked No. 13 in the state and reached as high as No. 3 during the season.
“I’m so proud of this team,” Dendis said. “We came into the year with NJ.com not having us ranked at all and throughout the season we moved up to being as high as the third spot. I’m proud of how we were able to work hard and we were determined to compete against top level teams.”
“The chemistry on this team is great. We’ve been playing together for three years now, so the chemistry on this team really helped us win these big games. We’re all such good friends outside of soccer.”
Getting to learn from Schubach -- and current Rutgers All-American Emily Mason during her freshman year -- really helped Dendis for when she would be the one her teammates would look up to. More than anything, they helped Dendis become a leader.
“I’ve played with some very talented girls over the years like Emily Mason and Reagan Schubach,” Dendis said. “They really pushed me to be better. They pushed me out of my comfort zone in order to make me a better player and how to step into a leadership role.”
Dendis started playing club soccer at the age of five and played up a year with her sister every year until eighth grade. Once she moved down to play with girls her own age, Dendis realized just how much talent she had.
Playing college soccer became a goal for her, and Dendis will begin to live that out next year playing for Middle Tennessee State University.
“I loved it immediately,” Dendis said. “The coaching staff made me feel like home and the team was very welcoming. The soccer is great and very competitive. I’m excited to be a part of this team next year. It’s in the Nashville area, so who doesn’t love Nashville?
Kaitlyn Brewi (1) of Shore passes the ball against North Hunterdon during the girls soccer game at Iron Peak Sports & Events in Hillsborough, NJ on Saturday, September 23, 2023.Tom Horak | For NJ Advance Media
ALL-AREA TEAM
Kaitlyn Brewi, North Hunterdon, Sr.
The North Hunterdon senior goalie set a career-high with 153 saves this season to finish her career with 377 total saves. She recorded 10 shutouts on the season with her biggest one coming against Summit in the North 2, Group 3 finals as the Lions advanced to the sectional final on penalty kicks after the teams played to a scoreless tie.
Lexi Dendis, Hunterdon Central, Sr.
The Hunterdon Democrat Player of the Year starred for Hunterdon Central with 20 goals and six assists as a senior. She helped lead the Red Devils to the North 2, Group 4 final and the HWS final. She scored all four goals for her team in the sectional semifinals against Bayonne and also had five other games with at least two goals.
Sarah Erb, Hunterdon Central, Jr.
Erb was a leader of a Hunterdon Central defense that was stingy all season. The Red Devils only allowed 13 goals in 22 games this year.
Lauren Facinelli (9) of Hunterdon Central battles with Reese Reimann (9) of Bridgewater-Raritan for the ball during the girls soccer game between Bridgewater-Raritan and Hunterdon Central at Bridgewater-Raritan High School in Bridgewater, NJ on Monday, October 16, 2023.Mile Djordjiovski | For NJ Advance Media
Lauren Facinelli, Hunterdon Central, So.
Facinelli played a major role for a Hunterdon Central defense that was dominant all season. The Red Devils recorded 11 shutouts on the year.
Abigail Godown, Delaware Valley, Jr.
Godown was the leading scorer on the season for the Terriers as she finished with 10 goals. She recorded multi-goal efforts in three games on the year. The team reached the Hunterdon/Warren/Sussex quartefinals before falling to Hunterdon Central, then earned a berth in the sectional playoffs, where it lost to Wall, the Central Group 2 champ and state group finalist.
Kate Johnson, Voorhees, So.
Johnson was the maestro of the Voorhees attack and finished with an area-best 17 assists. She dished out four assists in a win over Gill St. Bernard’s on Sep. 28 and also scored six goals on the season.
Ella Ortiz (13) of Voorhees celebrates with Devin Sutch (16) and Ella Ortiz (13) after scoring a goal against Delaware Valley during the girls soccer game at Voorhees High School on Thursday, September 21, 2023.Tom Horak | For NJ Advance Media
Ella Ortiz, Voorhees, So.
Ortiz followed up a terrific freshman campaign with an even better sophomore season. She tallied 34 goals and nine assists in leading Voorhees to a 14-6 record. Ortiz was integral in a 3-1 win over Vernon with two goals to help lead the Vikings to the HWS semifinals. She scored at least three goals in a game six times.
Lila Parente, Hunterdon Central, Jr.
The junior midfielder led the Red Devils with 10 assists on the season and also tallied six goals. Parente had either a goal or an assist in 14 different games for Hunterdon Central.
Zoey Pipher (12) of North Hunterdon sends the ball down field against Shore during the girls soccer game at Iron Peak Sports & Events in Hillsborough, NJ on Saturday, September 23, 2023.Tom Horak | For NJ Advance Media
Zoey Pipher, North Hunterdon, Sr.
Pipher was a consistent source of offensive production as a senior. She finished the year with 15 goals and nine assists as it was the first year of her career reaching the double-digit goal plateau. Her best game came in a 4-3 win over Immaculata on Oct. 21 in which she had two goals and two assists. She helped the Lions reach the finals in North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3.
Lucy Sklar, North Hunterdon, So.
Skylar was the top player in the back for the Lions on the season and was the leader of the defense. North Hunterdon recorded nine shutouts on the year as her team posted a 14-6-3 record and advanced to the North Jersey, Section 2, Group 3 final before falling to Chatham.
Devin Sutch, Voorhees, Sr.
Sutch combined to form a dynamic duo offensively with Ella Ortiz for Voorhees. She poured in 19 goals this season and also added eight assists. She started off the season on a hot streak with eight goals in her first five games.
Matt Bove can be reached at hssports@njadvancemedia.com.
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