Ridgewood might have lost the battle on Tuesday, but they have the soldiers to win the war this season.
The Lady Maroons came close in a battle between two of the better teams in Bergen County, falling 40-36 to Ramapo on Tuesday. The loss dropped Ridgewood to 1-1 on the season after dominating season opener, a 59-21 victory over Hackensack last Friday.
Despite the loss, Ridgewood is well fortified this season to go far in the county tournament and also the state playoffs.
Last season, the Maroons lost to the eventual Bergen County champion, IHA, in the Round of 16, 53-43. There is also extra incentive for returning players after Fair Lawn ended the Lady Maroons season with a heartbreaking, 42-41 loss in the second round of the Group 4 North 1 state section. Ridgewood finished with a 14-11 record last season but should best that this season.
Head coach Meaghan Palmer has 11 returning players from last season's varsity squad, led by a pair of top seniors. Guard Meghan Roxas (5-feet-9-inches) and forward Kelci Smesko (5-11) were 3rd-Team All Bergen County and 1st-Team All Big North Freedom Division last season.
The combination of Smesko on the inside and Roxas on the outside makes for a deadly combo.
Roxas, one of the nation's best sharpshooters, will be playing at Temple University next season while Smesko, a double-double threat every night, will be playing lacrosse next year at Duke University.
The Lady Maroons also return junior guard Lauren Beausoleil, a was 2nd-Team All Big North Freedom selection in 2011-12, as well as senior guard Courtney Tarleton, an Honorable Mention All Big North Freedom.
The team is also expecting contributions from senior guard Mercedes Whitman and junior guard Maggie Carver, who chipped in 8 points in the loss to Ramapo on Tuesday.
Tarleton and Smesko led the Lady Maroons in offense against Ramapo with 12 points apiece while Roxas added 9 points to the Ridgewood effort.
In the win over Hackensack Smesko led with 15 points while Roxas added 10 as 10 Ridgewood players scored in the contest.
Boys basketball
Ridgewood evened its record at 1-1 on the season with a dominating performance at home against Ramapo, 84-60.
The Maroons controlled the game from start to finish, jumping out to a 16-6 lead at the end of the first quarter.
Four Maroons scored in double figures led by athletic senior Evan Bartlik, who had a game-high 27 points. Nick Simon added 15 while Anthony Balboa and Stefan Senguin contributed with 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Ice hockey
Ridgewood fell behind early and could not catch up to St. Joseph's of Metuchen in the Ice Vault Holiday Tournament in Wayne on Tuesday.
Before the first period was over the Maroons were down 4-1, but Ridgewood came storming back in the second period to tie the game at four. The loss dropped the Maroons to 2-2 on the season.
Nick Tucci led the Ridgewood scoring with a hat trick while Andrew Seiter and Alex Linton added a goal each for the Maroons. Ridgewood travels to Bayonne on Friday night at 7:15 p.m.
Swimming
Both the boys and girls teams swept Hackensack in a dual meet as both Maroons teams went over the century mark in points against the Comets.
The girls teams swept the relay races. Siobhan Goodman, Sara Davis and Becky Tanner were part of two of the three 1st place relay races. The Maroons won the 200 medley relay, 200 free relay and the 400 free relay. The Lady Maroons are looking to repeat last season's results after winning the Public a North 1 state title.
The boys squad also won two out of three relays. In the 200 free relay, Peter Westcott led the way to the victory. Westcott also won the 200 freestyle race. In the 400 free relay, Rob Safron, Jae Hilditch and Spencer Heraldi helped put Ridgewood by the Hackensack relay teams.
The boys team comes into the season after making the state tournament in 2010-2011, eventually losing to Montclair in the second roudn.
The Ridgewood boys are looking to return to the 2009-10 season where they made it to the Group A title game before losing to Bridgewater-Raritan.
The following is the Ridgewood girls basketball schedule for 2011-12
(Games at 7 p.m. unless noted)
Dec. 26 River Dell Holiday Tournament, TBA
Dec. 28 River Dell Holiday Tournament, TBA
Dec. 30 River Dell Holiday Tournament, TBA
Jan. 5 Teaneck
Jan. 7 at Montclair Kimberley, 11:30 a.m.
Jan. 10 at Immaculate Heart
Jan. 12 Bergen Tech
Jan. 13 Ridgefield Park
Jan. 15 at Pascack Valley, 1 p.m.
Jan. 17 at Paramus, 4 p.m.
Jan. 19 Northern Highlands
Jan. 24 at Hackensack
Jan. 26 Old Tappan
Jan. 31 Fair Lawn
Feb. 2 at Teaneck
Feb. 7 Immaculate Heart
Feb. 9 Paramus
Feb. 14 Demarest
Feb. 16 at Bergen Tech
