G-A field hockey stays on winning track
After weather washed away the previous week’s schedule, it was a clean sweep for the Greencastle-Antrim field hockey team last week. With three more wins the Blue Devils now boast a 6-0 record.
G-A (6-0, 2-0 MPC-Colonial) dominated Forbes Road from the start while getting its first competitive action on the new North Field turf. The team was especially efficient with the corner play as all four first half goals came that way. Tache Smothers and Sarah Gipe each scored and Brooke Strait punched in a pair as the Devils led 4-1 at the half. Gipe scored again early in the second half and Danae Timmons finished off another corner play for the Devils for the 6-2 final. Timmons was instrumental in the earlier goals as well with four assists to her credit. Sarah Gipe and Kortney Gipe each also had an assist.
“It was exciting to play again,” said G-A head coach Jen Everetts. “The team was ready to play and anxious to finally open the season at home.
“The team continues to move the ball well to create scoring opportunities.”
G-A dominated in shots, 16-9 and in corners 14-2. Emiley Maiorana made seven saves.
The Blue Devils rang up another six goals against Waynesboro in Colonial Division action. This time the defense pitched a shutout to go with it. Ashton Rockwell put in two goals and the Devils got one each from Smothers, Jenna Lehman, Sarah Gipe and Strait. Sarah Gipe added two assists and Smothers set up a goal also. The Devils held a 22-5 shot advantage and a 14-1 lead in penalty corners.
Northern proved the biggest challenge of the week. Despite a 3-0 lead by the Devils at the half, the Polar Bears didn’t back down. Instead they scored two unanswered goals in the second, making Smothers’ goal in the final 10 seconds of the first half stand as the game winner. Strait got the Devils on the board early in the game on a Sarah Gipe assist. Gipe set the table on a corner for the second goal put in by Kortney Gipe. Smothers also scored on a corner with Timmons recording the assist.
Everetts said, “Northern played a very aggressive game. It was evident very early in the second half that they were not giving up. They played a beautiful second half and caught us on our heels.”
Each team ended up with 17 shots on goal. G-A managed a six to five edge in corners. Maiorana made two saves.
G-A’s junior varsity field hockey team also stayed on the winning track last week with a 5-0 shutout of Forbes Road, a 6-0 blanking of Waynesboro and a 3-1 victory over Northern. Scoring against Forbes Road were Molly Nowell, Kara Timmons, Bret Morgan, Whitney Singhas and Moriah Woods. Morgan added two assists. Kaitlyn Burkett and Rachel Horenstein each had assists. Against Northern Timmons scored late in the first half on an Emily Strausner assist. Hannah Mooers chalked up two second half goals. Woods and May Burns (on a corner play) had the assists.