HHS field hockey playing for C.J. Group III title

Trast scores winner in state opener

By: Sean Moylan
   You didn’t even need to look at a scoresheet or see the game.
   One look at Ellen Trast’s beaming post game smile told the whole story of the Hightstown High girls’ field hockey team’s 2-1 win over Northern Burlington in Monday’s Central Jersey Group III opener at Hightstown.
   Over the past two weeks, a now fully healthy Trast, who missed some time with an injury, has been doing more and more. And with 4:11 to go in regulation of Monday’s game, all she did was deliver the game-winning goal.
   When asked what she thought of her huge goal, Trast’s smile grew even broader and she said, "I liked it! It was pretty neat!"
   Actually it was pretty neat, because on the play the Rams were careful to work the ball to the left side where Trast and Jessica Haughton were ready to work their magic.
   "Jessica had a shot. It bounced off the goalie and I saw it coming and kind of just shot it in," said Trast.
   In recent games, Trast and Haughton, who scored Hightstown’s first goal in the opening half, have developed a unique chemistry with one another.
   "I like to copy what she does. I see what she does and I try to learn it. I look up to her," said Trast, who loves having the CVC’s best offensive player (Haughton) on her side.
   Hightstown Coach Julie Reisig Howarth, who has been aware of Trast’s stellar skills from the start of the season, commented, "She’s done a great job. I move her around and she adapts no matter what I do with her."
   The Northern game was not all a bed of rose for Hightstown. The Greyhounds opened the game with a relentless attack as they dominated the opening 10 minutes and scored the first goal. But in the middle of it all, Hightstown goalie Heidi Nicklaus, who made six saves, remained calm, and focused.
   "I’ve been pumped since last night (Sunday). We had a pasta party and then we dressed really nice for school today. I was in high heels half the day," said Nicklaus, who became like a superhero once she donned her goalie uniform.
   Yet even with great defense by Nicklaus and Claire Bacola and others, Hightstown still found itself behind 1-0. And when the Rams are behind the player they like to turn to is Haughton. At the 18:03 mark of the first half, Caitlin Fallon crossed a pass to Haughton, who redirected the ball right into the left side of the cage.
   "Caitlin tossed it in and I hit it in," said Haughton, who spends countless hours practicing knocking in deflections. After that play Haughton had several potential breakaways. But with all the recent rains, her own field became her worse enemy at times.
   "The field was really muddy and choppy so you couldn’t tell where the ball was going to go," noted Haughton.
   Although the Rams outshot the Greyhounds 16-7, NBC was able to get off 16 penalty corners in the contest. But Hightstown’s defense, once again led by Bacola, had an answer for all of them. Emily Ladd also had a tremendous game and Monika Mackow made some big time clears on the wing.
   "Our defense has really stepped up on corners, regardless of the fact that I substituted a lot. No matter who was in there they were scrappy enough to get it out," said Reisig Howarth. "The good thing is they (the defense) feels confident in their goalie so I think that makes them play a little more aggressive."
   For Nicklaus "J-Hau’s" first-half tally was a turning point. "After Jessica’s goal I knew that we could win. Once it was even again it was very reassuring. And once we got that second one with less than five minutes, we pretty much played keep away."
   As proud as she was of her 25th goal of the year, Haughton was even prouder of the win.
   "They beat us last year so we really wanted to win," said the Rams’ super senior. "Since I’ve been here we haven’t made the second round of the states so that was really cool."
   Although she’s only a 10th grader Trast also understood the magnitude of the game and this season.
   "It’s been a good year. At the beginning of the year we struggled then the team got together and played really well," Trast said.