A blend of veterans and underclassmen ignited the offense for Ocean City, which ensured its return to the NJSIAA South Jersey Group 3 field hockey final by trouncing Hammonton, 7-1, yesterday in a semifinal match.

Senior Colleen Slaughter totaled two goals and two assists, sophomores Lauren Price and Liz Cruz each scored twice, and junior Jenn Staab added a goal and assist for the top-seeded Red Raiders (19-1).

Alyssa Paradiso put No. 4 seed Hammonton (12-7-1) on the board in the second half, when she snuck a shot past Ocean City netminder Natalie Hunter (four saves).

Tuesday's sectional championship will be a rematch of last season's title game between the Red Raiders and Kingsway, which the Red Raiders won, 1-0.

Central Jersey Group 4. Senior forward Hannah Moir's unassisted goal with 5 minutes, 26 seconds left in overtime lifted fourth-seeded Lenape over No. 9 seed Steinert, 1-0, in a semifinal played at Shawnee.

Denise Thompson came up big in goal, stopping four shots, in recording the shutout for the Indians (11-6-3).

Lenape, which last won a sectional crown in 2003, will travel to No. 3 seed Freehold Township for Tuesday's championship match.

South Jersey Group 4. The top two seeds took a tumble in the semifinals, as fifth-seeded Washington Township eliminated No. 1 Southern Regional, 5-0, and perennial champion Eastern - seeded third - rolled to a 10-0 win at No. 2 seed Clearview.

Lindsay Hatch scored twice while Sarah Jackson, Laura Rose, and Caitlyn Taulane added a goal apiece for Washington Township (17-2). The Minutemaids' last trip to the final was in 2007, when they suffered an 8-0 loss to Eastern.

Kelsey Mitchell turned in a brilliant five-goal performance and Melanie Dawson recorded a hat trick in Eastern's romp at Clearview (18-4).

The Vikings (21-2), who have outscored three playoff opponents 30-0, are gunning for their 11th consecutive state title.

The sectional final is set for Tuesday at Eastern, which won both regular-season meetings with the Minutemaids, 5-0 and 2-1.

Central Jersey Group 3. Moorestown (15-3) will head to top-seeded Wall Township for the sectional title match on Tuesday.

The second-seeded Quakers secured their spot with a 3-0 win over Northern Burlington on Friday. The Crimson Knights qualified yesterday, when they shut down No. 4 seed Jackson Liberty, 4-0.