Steinert gets first win in OT thriller on Senior Day
HAMILTON >> First goal, first win, first coach to make their team think they killed her.
When Kaylie Smith scored a golden goal 1:29 into overtime to give Steinert’s field hockey team a 2-1 win over visiting Hamilton West, Spartan coach Lorraine Heisler watched the initial celebration, then collapsed on her back and closed her eyes.
Medic!
Actually, more like meditation, as Heisler had just one thought going through her mind.
“Thank God,” the first-year coach said.
Not only was it Heisler’s first field hockey win, but it was the first victory of the season for Steinert (1-7).
“It is the best feeling in the world right now, I am literally on Cloud Nine,” Smith said. “Especially that it’s Senior Day, our first win against our rivals. Nothing is better than this.”
And Smith, a senior, provided air fare to Cloud 9 when she took a long pass from Ashley Goimbert, stickhandled in on a breakaway and shot it long side to start a wild celebration for the Spartans.
“The whole game we were so close to scoring,” Smith said. “In overtime I was just trying to stay calm and collective, not get too anxious because that’s when you make mistakes. When Ashley passed me the ball, I saw no defenders. I just thought, ‘Here it is, me and the goalie, stay calm, you can do this.’ I just brought it a little bit to one side and aimed for the side where she wasn’t and it worked out.”
Heisler felt her forward played it to perfection.
“She had an awesome run,” the coach said. “She saw the goalie really well, did what we asked her to do. She didn’t look at the goalie but looked at the open cage and shot that way.”
It was a heart-breaking loss for Hamilton (2-8-1), which is seeking its highest win total since 2015. Coach Kerryn Campbell, also in her first year, was classy in defeat.
“Steinert showed up,” Campbell said. “It was a great game. It’s always a good competition between us and Steinert. I expect nothing less. I personally love coaching against Lorraine (both are head lacrosse coaches). They put up a good fight, we put up a good fight, we just kind of got the short end of the stick today.
“I am happy for them. They clearly have been putting in the work to get to this place but it really hurts. We’ve had a good season, we’ve been playing very well. I’m very pleased with how the program has come along. I’m very happy with the girls I have and everybody has a positive attitude. Everybody works hard. With games like this it’s just heart-wrenching.”
Hamilton took a 1-0 lead 12 minutes into play when Dami Adigun scored out of a scramble inside the box. In any other game that would have been enough, but Steinert’s elusive first goal of the year came nearly seven minutes later when Logan Van Nosdall scored to tie it.
“That made us really confident,” Van Nosdall said. “It made us think we could really do this, we could win one. It felt really good. Everyone was like ‘OK, we’ve got this now, let’s just beat them.’”
The Spartans had several opportunities in the second half but couldn’t get a stick on the ball in close. Finally, Smith ended the agony.
“This is like, 10 times more effective and special,” Heisler said. “They’ve come out and played so hard against so many teams and haven’t seen the results, haven’t been able to put goals in. It’s like, one thing after another makes it extra special. On top of that, a senior scored the game-winning goal in overtime on Senior Day.
“There should be a high school movie made after this. ‘Miracle’ ain’t got nothing on this.”
Follow Rich Fisher on twitter @fish4scores
Hamilton (2-8-1) 1 0 0 – 1 101–2 Steinert (1-7) G: H-Adigun. S-Van Nosdall, Smith. A: H-Gauthier. S-Truelove, Goimbert. Shots: H-7, S-8. Saves: H-Courtney 6, S-Casale 6.