Wildcats start fast in playoff victory
Arundel scores 3 goals in first 17 minutes to advance to 4A East Region final
One of the best ways to handle the pressure of a playoff game is to take an early lead. That’s exactly what the Arundel field hockey team did Monday.
The Wildcats scored three goals in the first 17 minutes on their way to a 4-2 victory over Severna Park on Monday in the Class 4A East Region Section I final.
Arundel (11-4) will play at two-time defending state champion South River on Wednesday in the region final. The Wildcats are shooting for their second region title. The school’s only other region title came back in 1983.
“It’s great having a good lead because you’re kind of more settled with the game and you feel more confident,” said Arundel’s Nikki Seven, who opened the scoring for the Wildcats just five minutes into the game. “It’s all about trusting your teammates, and once we established that lead it was like, ‘We can keep going. We got this.’ ”
Arundel increased the lead to 2-0 just two minutes later on a goal from Kathleen Bevan. After the Falcons cut into the lead six minutes later on a goal from Lila Slattery, the Wildcats restored the two-goal lead when Delaney Norr scored at the 13:20 mark of the first half.
The Wildcats took the 3-1 lead halftime and added to it when Lana Hamilton scored on a penalty stroke eight minutes into the second half.
“We told them today that they were more than capable of putting that number of goals on the board, and I’m glad they did,” Arundel coach Carrie Vosburg said. “That’s the one awesome thing about this team is it truly is a team effort. We’re not putting all our weight behind one player.”
One of the reasons the Wildcats were able to play with the lead for most of the game was the pay of goalie Tia Lysse, who finished with six saves. She made a diving stop to save a goal 10 minutes into the first half, then made a pair of tough saves early in the second half when the Falcons started to mount some pressure that resulted in several penalty corners.
“She’s been our rock all season,” Vosburg said. “She just comes out and does her job, and does it well.”
EmmaJeffries, Katie Keane and Caroline Keane each recorded assists for the Wildcats, who fell to South River, 4-3, on Oct. 13. The loss to the Seahawks came a day after Arundel upset one of the top teams in the area in Notre Dame Prep.
“This is what we were looking for,” Vosburg said. “I think it’s motivation because we were so close last time.”
Hunter Chadwick added a goal and Anna Grace Keller stopped seven shots for the Falcons (10-5-1).
“We’ve talked about the fact that we’re going to get scored on and that we have to just let that go and keep playing our game,” Severna Park coach Shannon Garden said. “I feel like we put the pressure on, especially in the second half. We just couldn’t finish, and some days it just goes like that.”