FIELD HOCKEY
By: Tim Falls
Scoring 30 seconds into the game, it looked the Hopewell Valley Central High School field hockey team would fare just as well as it did in the team’s previous game against Allentown.
The Bulldogs edged the Redbirds, 3-2, last Wednesday, but Allentown got its revenge with a 3-2 victory on Tuesday in the quarterfinals of the Mercer County Tournament.
Alex Walker scored for Hopewell in the first minute of play, but unlike the first match-up between these two teams, Allentown answered back and tied the game and then took a 2-1 lead.
"If we had come out with a one-two punch like we did last time, we might have put them away," said Hopewell coach Jami Taranto. "I did see us play with excitement, but I didn’t see the same persistence, passion and drive we had the first time we played them."
In the game last Wednesday, Whitney Harding, Lena Klett and Allie McGranaghan all scored in the first half as Hopewell took a 3-0 lead before Allentown attempted a come back with two goals in the second half.
In the Mercer tournament match-up, Walker scored a second goal to tie the game, but Allentown rallied for the win.
"With about eight minutes left they put one in," said Taranto . "We couldn’t come up with one, but we had many opportunities."
Hopewell matched well with the Redbirds, but Allentown learned from their loss to the Bulldogs and used that lesson to win in the Mercer County Tournament.
"They definitely changed their play," said Taranto . "They looked at the last game and saw what we did well and they changed their play to shut down those things in the second game."
Both teams were relatively even throughout the game. Allentown led in shots, 8-6, but both teams had nine penalty corners. In the first game, the Red Birds led in shots, 9-5.
Rebecca Wood made eight saves to keep Hopewell ahead. Wood had five saves in the loss.
The Bulldogs’ win over Allentown kept the Redbirds from clinching the Patriot Division of the Colonial Valley Conference. Hopewell has yet to face Robbinsville and a win over the Ravens should earn the Bulldogs a share of the division title.
Prior to facing Allentown in the Mercer County quarterfinals, the Bulldogs beat Notre Dame, 2-1, in overtime.
Klett scored in the first half with an assist from Grace Megaffin in the first half and Megaffin scored the game-winner in overtime with an assist from McGranaghan.
Wood had four saves as Hopewell led the Irish in shots, 20-5.
NOTE: The Bulldogs earned the seventh seed in the NJSIAA Central Jersey Group III Tournament and are scheduled to play second-seeded Delran on Tuesday. The winner advances to play the winner of a game between third-seeded Pt. Pleasant Boro and sixth-seeded Allentown. That means Hopewell could get another shot at the Redbirds.

