West Essex Field Hockey Remains
Class Of Essex & Group 2 Scene

NORTH CALDWELL- There is usually little drama on the Essex County field hockey scene when it comes to the annual dominance of West Essex; however, the Knights continue to seek out as strong an independent schedule as possible, which has certainly been the case once again this fall with a number of matches against national-level competition.

Veteran coach Jill Cosse’s second ranked Wessex stickers defeated Sacred Heart of Kentucky, 2-1, in the MAX Field Hockey Invitational played at The Proving Grounds in Conshohocken, Pa. on Sept. 18, a day before blowing past Staples (Conn.), 5-1, in the same exclusive showcase that involved 14 top teams.

There were also a 2-1 victory at Episcopal (Pa.) on Sept. 5, and a tough 5-0 setback to national power Notre Dame de Namur of Pennsylvania on Sept. 9.

In their first seven matches vs. New Jersey schools this fall the Knights had outscored opponents, 45-3, with four shutout victories.     

It all adds up to preparing for what could be another Group 2 state title and an almost sure ECT crown.

When it comes to the West Essex field hockey dynasty what’s certainly amazing in addition to countless victories is the fact that the Knight have had just two head coaches in 58 varsity seasons with the legendary Linda Alimi (1967-1996) and Cosse (1997-present) who is fourth on state's all-time wins list in the sport.

Now, Cosse is looking to guide the 2024 state ‘Team of the Year’ in nj.com to an eighth straight Group 2 state title along with continuing domination in the ECT where the North Caldwell regional school has won 19 of the 21 finals played since 2004.

The Lady Knights (10-1) have also won 23 state titles overall and they stand just one state crowns behind the state-leading total of perennial South Jersey power Eastern.

As far as coaching chronicles are concerneds, Cosse entered Saturday's (Oct. 3) scheduled match at Kingsway tied for third on New Jersey high schools' all-time victories list while trailing only Nancy Williams of Shore Regional (839-67-55 from 1971 to 2014) and Ann Marie Davies of Madison (632 wins from 1982-2018).

Cosse entered the weekend tied for third on that exclusive win list with Claudia McCarthy of Millville (610-238-21 from 1971-2020).

The Lady Knights’ longtime head mentor had previously surpassed her own, former high school coach Nancy Gross of Wall Township (576-217-22 from 1971-2017) in 2024.

Looking at the still-evolving 2026 season, West Essex posted its most significant in-state victoryto date when it edged No. 1 ranked Oak Knoll, 2-1, in overtime, on Wednesday, Sept. 30, in North Caldwell.

When it comes to taking a peek at the upcoming state tournament later in October, West Essex will look to repeat its annual success in the NJSIAA event. The Lady Knights defeated Point Pleasant Boro, 2-0, for both the 2025 and 2024 Group 2 state titles and have now defeated the Shore-based program four straight years in the overall Group 2 final.

All the while West Essex continues to face a great independent schedule each season. Just looking back two seasons, the lady Knights facedt eight nationally-ranked teams in 2024 and finished a highly-respectable 5-3 in those tests against elite-level opponents.

In posting the recent regular season win vs. Oak Knoll the Lady Knights of WE edged The Royal Knights who are guided by 21st-year coach Ali Good, who entered this season with 427 wins (90 % in terms of victories). She is another top-notch, veteran coach ready to lead her defending Non-Public state champs in what promises to continue to be another strong season for the Summit-based private school.  

West Essex returns a number of top players even after bidding adieu last June to Cosse’s very talented daughter, forward Adelaide Minnella, the Knights’ all-time leading scorer who is already impacting in her freshman season at Villanova University.

Top seniors on this season’s Wessex team include forward Julia Conforti, midfielder Alex Agostini, defender Julian Breslin and goalies Lizzy Kosoy and Katie Moran.

Juniors Delaney Farrell (midfielder) and Tessa Delvescovo (forward) and sophomore midfielder Abby Agostini are among the talented, young Knights ready to help the team pursue more titles in 2026.

Cosse, who was selected as the 2021 National Coach of the Year by USA Field Hockey, is also the winningest coach in Essex County where among the other veteran coaches returning for another season are Montclair Kimberley Academy’s Injoo Han (208 wins in 16 seasons entering recent action) and Caldwell’s Sarah Pallino, who has 139 wins now in the midst of her second season with the Chiefs after 12 seasons guiding the Millburn Millers.  

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