Keyport field hockey team brings life back to program
Girls enjoy winning
season, trip to
state playoffs
It was a milestone season for the Keyport High School field hockey team. For the first time since the team was re-established in 1991, the Red Raiders had a winning record. The team also qualified for the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group I playoffs and the Shore Conference Tournament.
Overall, Keyport went 10-6-2, a vast improvement from last fall’s 4-11-3 mark. Coach Sal Principe credited his team’s seniors, many of whom have been in the program for four years, for the turnaround.
"This means a lot to the program," the coach said. "After we lost the Central Jersey Group I semifinal game, the girls were upset. I told them that they may not be champions in Group I, but they’re certainly champions for what they’ve done for this program. They earned respect."
In addition, the coach changed his team’s on-field look this autumn. In years past, Keyport played a 3-3-3-1, with the stopper back in front of the net.
This time around, the Red Raiders went with a 3-2-3-2 look, similar to that employed by Monmouth University, West Long Branch.
It worked well. During the season, Keyport downed St. Rose in one game and fought to a draw in another, and scored wins against Henry Hudson. Both St. Rose and Henry Hudson defeated the Red Raiders twice last season.
"Sometimes you can see the true character of a team when things don’t go well, and these girls have been through that during the last couple of seasons," Principe