Wildcats tough on any turf
In its only game not on artificial turf, Arundel rules
Coach Carrie Vosburg’s message to her players before Arundel’s field hockey game at Glenelg on Tuesday was different than any she likely will give all season.
“At the end of the day, I told them it didn’t have to look pretty,” she said. “We just needed to get the win.”
Vosburg’s team scored early and shut out the Gladiators in a 3-0 victory.
The reason Vosburg’s mentality changed, she said, was due to the game being played on Bermuda grass instead of artificial turf. It is the only game the Wildcats will play on Bermuda all season, Vosburg said.
With artificial turf fields becoming the norm on high school campuses, field hockey games are more often being played on those turf fields, where the play is faster, rather than on the slower Bermuda surfaces.
“Since we were playing on not the best surface, we just wanted to get the job done, get it over with and get out of here,” Vosburg said. “I would never book a game to be played on this surface. This is what I played on when I was in high school. … That’s Howard County, but whatever.”
Junior Nikki Seven, who had a goal and an assist, said the players were prepared for a “slower game” on the Bermuda.
“I think we had to be mentally tough,” she said. “We have really good stick skills, so playing on such a slow turf we had to adjust some of the skills we could use.”
Arundel (3-0-1) got on the scoreboard less than four minutes into the game. Lana Hamilton fired a pass to Seven, who found the back of the cage on the set corner play.
“Just having the momentum in the game and getting that first goal gives us a little relief,” Seven said. “I wish we would’ve gotten a little more on the board to relax, but it was really nice having the first goal of the game.”
Neither team scored for the next 45 minutes, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Arundel peppered Glenelg goalie Sammie Anderson, who totaled 14 saves, with 24 shots in the game, while the Gladiators attempted 16. In fact, Glenelg controlled possession for a 10-minute period in the first half and the first 10 minutes of the second half. Mount Hebron 2, No. 10 Severna Park 1: Mia Holland scored the game-winner assisted by Esha Shah at the 16:15 mark of the second half to lift the Vikings (3-2) over the Falcons (2-2). The game was tied 1-1 in the first half.
Northeast 5, Hammond 0: Hannah Fox made eight saves and the visiting Eagles (3-1) shut out the Bears (1-1). Northeast has won its last three games.
Boys soccer
No. 9 Eastern Tech 2, Harford Tech 1: Gionvanni Costagliola gave the host Mavericks (4-0) a 2-0 lead with 35 minutes left to play and hung on to beat the Cobras (4-2).
Eastern Tech took a 1-0 lead off an own goal by Harford Tech.
Howard 2, Reservoir 1: The host Lions (4-2, 3-0 Howard) took 16 shots and a 2-0 lead in the first 60 minutes and outlasted the Gators (1-3-1, 1-1-1).
“We’ve been a Jekyll and Hyde team all season, even tonight,” said Lions coach Nils Schroder. “That’s the best soccer we’ve played for the longest we played.”
Howard played its first five games this spring using a 4-4-2 formation but changed to a 4-3-3 and reaped the benefits early on. A long ball sent into the box found the head of Ryan Hartlove, who flicked it perfectly to a wide-open Colin Harlin. Harlin left no doubts and hammered a right-footed shot past Gators goalkeeper Aaron Klein in the 5th minute. Havre de Grace 9, Joppatowne 0: Jaida George made eight saves and Takara Gibson had one save as the host Warriors (1-1) shut out the Mariners (0-2).
Roland Park 3, Dulaney 1: Georgia Szoke scored twice to lead the Reds (3-2) over the host Lions (2-3). Sammy White had the lone goal for Dulaney.
No. 2 Spalding 3, Hereford 2: Spalding had its undefeated record put to the test, with visiting Hereford battling back from an early two-goal deficit to tie the score in the second half.
But with the game hanging in the balance, freshman Sophie Thibeault delivered.
Thibeault scored the decisive goal with 7:57 remaining, securing a 3-2 victory for Spalding (5-0) over the Bulls (2-3-1).