Hightstown pulls away from Ewing
HIGHTSTOWN » Katherine Gazaleh realizes this Hightstown field hockey team might be a little short on experience, but the senior and her teammates are ready for the challenge.
The season opener for the Rams and Ewing started in sweltering heat and when it ended, Hightstown cooled off the relentless Blue Devils.
Hightstown scored three goals in a six-minute span in the first half to cruise to a 6-1 win in the Colonial Valley Conference contest played on the Rams’ Dave McIntire Field Tuesday.
“This was an awesome win,” said Gazaleh, who had a goal and two assists. “So many of us were nervous because we graduated our whole team from last year. This was some peoples first varsity game and it makes me even more excited than I was. So many just came out and played amazing and I’m so excited for this season.”
The Blue Devils (0-1) and Rams (1-0) were tied at 1-1 with 14:42 left in the first half as both team had some season-opening jitters.
“This is a completely new starting lineup,” said Hightstown coach Ed Larkin. “I took a little bit to get used to the varsity game. Once we settled in we played the way we were able to play.”
They settled in by scoring three goals to grab a 4-1 lead with 5:24 left in the half.
While the Rams put some distance between themselves and Ewing, the Blue Devils continued to battle and keep pressure on the cage.
“Absolutely, we are always going to play hard,” said Ewing coach Leslie Conant, who has just 15 players on the roster. “The kids have a good attitude about it and they know the numbers are low. This is a mentally tough team and that is going to help get us through it.”
The lone Ewing goal was scored by Jaycee Lowe.
One of the most impressive things for Hightstown was that six different players scored goals. Gazaleh, Danila Ferrel, Darlene Medrano, Catherine Bertrand, Myrka Gallegos and Rinky Shah all found the back of the cage.
“It was nice that I got my goal in,” said Gazaleh. “But I have to mention that our goals were scored by six different players and that is amazing. It shows how much of a good team we are and that we don’t have just that one star player.”
It was a collective effort as Maddy Schaefer stepped in the cage, Kelsey O’Neill played sound defense and Purvi Shakelly challenged every ball. Jessica Alexander joined Ferrel and Gazaleh with an assist.
“We were fighting back and forth and then we got the momentum,” said Larkin. “The third goal was the one that really pushed us over the edge. It got everyone not only believing in themselves but believing in each other.”
After taking the 4-1 halftime lead, the Rams added two goals with the final one coming at the 16:34 mark of the second half.
Both teams got some decent play in the cage as Ewing’s Monica Wang, who stepped in when the starting goalie went down with an injury, recorded nine saves.
Schaefer had eight saves for the Rams.
Ewing (0-1) Hightstown (1-0) 10—1 4 2 — 6
Goals: E: Lowe. H: D. Ferrel, Gazaleh, Medrano, Bertrand, Gallegos, Shah.; Assists: H: Gazaleh 2, D. Ferrel, Alexander.; Shots: E: 9, H: 15. Saves: E: Wang 9, H: Schaefer 8.