The clock struck half-past-five as the sun hovered just above the horizon. Richard Montgomery’s field hockey team lined the turf in two straight lines and held their sticks upwards to form a tunnel. Tonight was their Senior Night, and the team’s veterans would march through the channel before playing their last regular-season home game against the Northwood Gladiators.
RM recognized 8 seniors; Rosa Boehler, Emily Conway, Amy Gersten, Lizzie Kinnard, Sierra Longest, Ella Scarano, Ashley Weaver, and Ryan Westpfahl. Each girl was well-equipped for the night’s theme of Disney Princesses, as sashes, tiaras and flowers were provided.
The players took the field in high spirits as the first half began. The Rockets went to work quickly, prying the Gladiators of possession and taking the ball into the opponent’s circle. Scarano received a pass in front of the goal and quickly redirected it into the right corner of the backboard, bringing RM to a 1-0 lead barely a minute into the game.
After a break-away down the field moments later, the Rockets found themselves in scoring position once more. Conway sent the ball toward Weaver at the goal post, who tapped it in to stretch the lead. On the next possession, RM brought the ball back into their opponent’s territory, and a swift flick by Scarano let the Rockets pull away to 3-0. However, as recent games have proven, Scarano’s goals come in threes. She would score once more before the half.
The Rockets’ successes could be attributed to their excellent spacing and persistence in the circle. Moving up the field was facilitated by strong passes and the team’s relentless offense.
It was truly a collaborative effort by all. Longest and Gersten lead the defensive effort, either clearing the ball out wide toward the sidelines or driving the ball beyond the reach of Northwood’s wall. Boehler and Westpfahl used their speed and agility to dart back and forth across the field, each assisting their teammates whenever needed, as well as stopping the Gladiators’ early in their tracks with tight defense and block tackling. Kinnard cut left and right to get open for passes, and was paramount to RM’s ability to keep the ball up the field.
Northwood called a timeout with 9 minutes left before the break. While the Rockets spent time criticizing and suggesting in the huddle, they also took time to recognize that they were communicating with each other and playing well. It wasn’t long after returning to their positions before Conway, eager to join her fellow seniors in scoring, took matters into her own hands and executed an effortless reverse-sweep into the corner of the goal.
With all of her forwards now on the board, Head Coach Alie Brooks switched her players around to give other seniors a chance to score. Even while playing in different positions, the Rockets were able to shut out the Gladiators for the remainder of the second half. The final score was 7-0.
“This was one of our best games this season,” Boehler said. “The crowd really pumped us up.”
The Rockets hope to add to their 4-game winning streak as they enter the playoffs. Beating rival Walter Johnson 1-0 earlier this month gave the Rockets a higher seeding, allowing them to host their first home playoff game in years.
This Thursday, they face the Wootton Patriots in what is predicted to be a very competitive match-up.
Although the Patriots dominated RM 4-0 in their regular season game, the Rockets are seeking revenge after Wootton has knocked them out of the bracket the past two seasons.
“We know that we can beat them,” Coach Brooks said. “When we played them the first time, we had a bad game and our team chemistry was off. Now, we know what to expect.”
