<b>Heartbreak Ending to a Great Field Hockey Season</b>
Don't let the score fool you. This was a much better game than the score indicates. The Lady Mustangs played with heart and passion. After a few early game jitters (that almost cost us a goal in the opening minute!) the team settled down to play some tough field hockey against a very fast, skilled, athletic turf team.
As always, Fallon was our initial spark. At the 22:30 mark, her individual hustle led to our first penalty corner. Although Chapman would get off a good shot, it was just wide of the net, and that would be our burden for the day. We outshot Holderness 7 to 2 in the first half but could not score. We would also have three penalty corners to Holderness' zero.
The game went end to end; Burdis had two good runs through the midfield. Holderness excelled at stick to stick passing and did a good job reading and intercepting our passing, but we still managed to get big through balls to fiesty Steele-Norton who had several incredible fast break attempts. She was also marked by the best defender on the field, a player, for once, as fast as she was. Even so, Steele-Norton was dangerous and caused the Holderness keeper to exert all her skills to snuff her.
Small on defense would make a great save, stopping a Holderness fast break at 13:12. At 12:57 we got our second corner and Burdis would pass to Steele-Norton who got off a great shot, but was again denied by the excellent keeper. At 10:24, Holderness scored their first goal as the right inner dribbled in, dodged two defenders and whipped off a shot from the right. Millbrook almost answered right back as wing Anthony made a great run down the right resulting in a dangerous scrum in front of goal, but again, we were denied.
The second half started on a strong note as Millbrook earned several corners in a row but just couldn't find the fluid sequencing necessary to go from injection to goal. Chapman got off two shots but again, just wide of net and out of reach of wings on post. Simply unlucky. Fallon, Whalen and Merrill worked relentlessly to push balls up field and our defense, although under tremendous pressure, held off charge after charge. Most importantly, the trio of Lavitt, Fracchia and Small didn't foul.
It wasn't until 13:06 that Holderness finally earned their first corner, and it went badly for us. The right wing was able to tip in the shot from the top, to make the score 2-0, and a few minutes later, on their second corner, scored again, to pretty much take the game out of Millbrook's reach. However, the lady Mustangs pressed right to the end and still managed to get off several shots, but they simply weren't dropping for us. Some games are like that. I was impressed with the girls' courage and never-quit attitude. It has been Clarkie's and my pleasure to coach these wonderful, fun, nutty, talented, tough scholar-athletes.
Back
As always, Fallon was our initial spark. At the 22:30 mark, her individual hustle led to our first penalty corner. Although Chapman would get off a good shot, it was just wide of the net, and that would be our burden for the day. We outshot Holderness 7 to 2 in the first half but could not score. We would also have three penalty corners to Holderness' zero.
The game went end to end; Burdis had two good runs through the midfield. Holderness excelled at stick to stick passing and did a good job reading and intercepting our passing, but we still managed to get big through balls to fiesty Steele-Norton who had several incredible fast break attempts. She was also marked by the best defender on the field, a player, for once, as fast as she was. Even so, Steele-Norton was dangerous and caused the Holderness keeper to exert all her skills to snuff her.
Small on defense would make a great save, stopping a Holderness fast break at 13:12. At 12:57 we got our second corner and Burdis would pass to Steele-Norton who got off a great shot, but was again denied by the excellent keeper. At 10:24, Holderness scored their first goal as the right inner dribbled in, dodged two defenders and whipped off a shot from the right. Millbrook almost answered right back as wing Anthony made a great run down the right resulting in a dangerous scrum in front of goal, but again, we were denied.
The second half started on a strong note as Millbrook earned several corners in a row but just couldn't find the fluid sequencing necessary to go from injection to goal. Chapman got off two shots but again, just wide of net and out of reach of wings on post. Simply unlucky. Fallon, Whalen and Merrill worked relentlessly to push balls up field and our defense, although under tremendous pressure, held off charge after charge. Most importantly, the trio of Lavitt, Fracchia and Small didn't foul.
It wasn't until 13:06 that Holderness finally earned their first corner, and it went badly for us. The right wing was able to tip in the shot from the top, to make the score 2-0, and a few minutes later, on their second corner, scored again, to pretty much take the game out of Millbrook's reach. However, the lady Mustangs pressed right to the end and still managed to get off several shots, but they simply weren't dropping for us. Some games are like that. I was impressed with the girls' courage and never-quit attitude. It has been Clarkie's and my pleasure to coach these wonderful, fun, nutty, talented, tough scholar-athletes.
