FIELD HOCKEY
By: Mike Molaro
Opening the season with a win is always at the top of a team’s "to do" list.
To accomplish that in overtime can set the tone for what may be an exciting year.
The Hopewell Valley Central High School field hockey squad felt that exhilaration last Saturday when junior forward Whitney Harding scored 5:55 into overtime to give the Lady Bulldogs a 2-1 triumph over Steinert.
Harding banged home the rebound off a shot from junior forward Allie McGranaghan after a nice save from Spartan goalie Kate Zeigler.
Senior goalie Rebecca Wood had eight saves in the HoVal nets while junior forward Lena Klett scored the first Lady Bulldog goal in the first half on an assist from sophomore forward Courtney Higgins.
For a young team trying to make its mark in the world of Mercer County field hockey, the victory over the Spartans was the important first step.
"It was a great game," HoVal head coach Jami Taranto said. "It was back-and-forth the entire game. I really liked the way our girls came back after Steinert scored first. We scored about four minutes later and that made it a new game. We didn’t get a chance to practice overtime in the preseason. Steinert is always a solid team. They were a little down last year but they’re back this year. This was a great way to open the season. You always want to start with a win."
Unfortunately for the Lady Bulldogs, they couldn’t keep the momentum going in a 2-1 setback to Notre Dame Tuesday at Mercer County Park.
McGranaghan scored the lone HoVal goal unassisted with about three minutes remaining in the game from the top corner of the circle and Wood was outstanding in goal.
"Notre Dame wanted it more than we did," added Taranto. "They scored within the first 15 seconds of the game. We scored late in the game but we didn’t give ourselves much time to try to tie things up. It was not our day all the way around. It’s one of those games that a team will have every so often. "Rebecca (Wood) did a great job for us. She had at least eight nice saves. At times I don’t know how she saw the ball. We didn’t mark very well."
Despite the setback, the Lady Bulldogs will build on the game and move forward.
"The game was definitely a learning experience for us," Taranto said. "Our girls faced Notre Dame in camp and they handled them pretty well. We may have taken Notre Dame too lightly. "You can’t overlook any opponent. That’s one of the things I told the girls after the game."
NOTES: HoVal hosts West Windsor-Plainsboro North this afternoon and visits WW-P South next Tuesday.

