Eustace gets date with Eastern in TofC

If form holds, Bishop Eustace's sensational season in field hockey would end the way it began: with a loss to powerful Eastern.

If not, the Crusaders would spring one of the biggest upsets in the recent history of the sport.

Third-seeded Bishop Eustace (20-3) will play second-seeded Eastern (25-0) in the semifinals of the Tournament of Champions at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Hunterdon Central.

Top-seeded Oak Knoll (25-0) will face fourth-seeded Freehold Borough (22-2) in the other semifinal at 6 p.m.

"We're the team that worked for this," Bishop Eustace senior Moira Penza said after the Crusaders' 2-1 victory over West Essex in Sunday's Group 2 state championship game at Toms River East. "This team has worked since preseason to get this far."

Bishop Eustace, which has won 15 in a row, is making its first appearance in the five-year-old T of C.

Eastern, which captured its 12th consecutive Group 4 state title with a 2-0 victory over Bridgewater-Raritan on Sunday, has won three of the first four Tournament of Champions events, including the last two.

"This is the fun part," Eastern coach Danyle Heilig said of advancing to the T of C.

Eastern beat Bishop Eustace, 4-0, in the season opener for both teams on Sept. 11. Eastern has lost just two games to New Jersey opponents since 1999.

The T of C title game will be at 11 a.m. Sunday at The College of New Jersey.