By: Sean Moylan Sports Writer
The 2008 Bordentown Regional High field hockey team has developed a great recipe for success. The Scotties are beating most of the good teams they play by a goal or two and they’re clobbering all the average to below average clubs on their schedule.
“What we are trying to do is focus on one game at a time and do what we have to do to be successful,” said the Scotties coach Kim Fithen, whose club worked extra hard in the closing minutes of last Friday’s home game versus Holy Cross to secure a 3-2 victory.
With 4:22 left in the contest, Meaghan Tohill scored the game-
winning goal on a penalty stroke. However, several of the Scotties gave it all they had just to earn that penalty stroke.
“It was a very exciting last push of the game to get that penalty stroke. We kept pushing that ball and pushing that ball,” said Fithen, whose team was awarded the stroke when one of the Holy Cross players fell on the ball and covered it up for a moment just to get a breather.
Bordentown fell behind 1-0 in the first five minutes of the game. With seven minutes left in the half, Kathleen Timm took a rebound and fired in the first of her two goals on the day.
“Timm’s first goal was beautiful,” remarked Fithen. “She reverse-sticked it and shot it between their goalie’s legs.”
And after Holy Cross scored early in the second half, Timm answered with another goal to even the game up again at 2-2. Bordentown took one more shot than Holy Cross (10-9) and Scotties’ goalie Ashley Adams made seven saves to post the win.
The Scotties showed absolutely no letdown in their next game as they crushed Nottingham, 6-0, Saturday at Bordentown.
“With Nottingham I wasn’t sure how we’d come out because the Holy Cross game the day before was such an emotional game. I didn’t know if they’d come out on a low after the day before,” said Fithen.
Fithen got her answer very quickly when Timm raced up the field with the ball and delivered a beautiful cross to Tracy Romberger for a quick score.
“That goal kind of set the tone. Once we began to take control of the game it allowed me to let the girls work on the things that make us successful,” said Fithen.
Romberger finished the game with two goals and an assist. Ashley Jaekel scored twice off of corners while Kaitlin Moynihan and Kristen Lindner each scored a goal for Bordentown. Ashley Bronston assisted on one of the Scotties’ goals. Bordentown took an amazing 24 shots to just five shots by Nottingham. Scotties goalie Stephanie Talley set aside all five shots she faced to pick up the shutout win.
With Romberger and Bronston both sick and out the lineup and the field conditions at Maple Shade less than ideal, the Scotties were cautiously optimistic entering Monday’s game versus the Wildcats, in spite of their obvious edge in overall talent.
However, Lauren Hazlett (two goals), Timm (two goals) and Soozin Kang (goal and three assists) all stepped up and had monster games and Bordentown walked away with an easy 6-0 win over Maple Shade.
“At first I worried about the field conditions. It was very sloppy and very soft which impacts the speed of the game,” said Fithen, who has her club playing a more uptempo style this season.
Bordentown adjusted its game to the field and Fithen got a chance to get in a lot of subs by the second half. Lindner also scored a goal while Moynihan, Tohill and Amber Warshany each chipped in with an assist for the Scotties. Bordentown recorded 25 shots on goal and Talley needed to stop just three shots to post her second shutout in a row.
Kang was very instrumental in the Scotties getting great ball movement and Fithen commented on her young star, “Soozie has really started to develop into her role on this team as our center mid.”
When sophomore star center mid Lindsey Treptow entered this season injured and unable to play, the Scotties were very concerned about who would fill that open slot but Kang stepped up and did a good job. This season the Scotties are all stepping up and getting the job done at key times.
“We’ve progressed as a team, but we still have a lot of field hockey to play. It’s a good start but you have to put things into perspective. We’re nine games into our season and we have eight to play,” said Fithen, who has led this club to its best start in several years. “We have to stay healthy.”
Bordentown (7-2) was scheduled to have played Cinnaminson yesterday (Wednesday). Bordentown is scheduled to host Delran on Friday and Florence next Monday. Bordentown is scheduled to host Medford Tech next Wednesday.
NBC
After winning the Liberty Division last season and losing just a couple of key starters to graduation, the Northern Burlington County Regional High field hockey team’s 2-6 start this fall season has to be seen as a bit of an enigma for all concerned.
There are a few things that have contributed to the Greyhounds’ slow start that they’re very much aware of, however. After winning the conference last season they are now getting everyone’s “A” game this season as the days of “sneaking up” on opposing teams appear to be over. For whatever reason Northern Burlington attackers have yet to generate the kind of explosive offense which made the Greyhounds a much-feared unit last season. And this year NBC simply has had very little luck.
“The ball hasn’t bounced our way,” said NBC head coach Joanne Hensch.
Still NBC has exhibited flashes of brilliance in its wins and its losses this season. And when the Greyhounds hosted an over-matched Burlington Township Falcons’ squad on September 24, they pounded them, 7-0.
Carli DiCioccio, who also assisted on a goal, scored a pair of goals to lead a four-goal, first-half attack by the Greyhounds. Michelle Smith fired in a goal and assisted on two others. Dana Stefanoni posted a goal and had an assist. Lauren Pigott, Tara Flynn and Jess Kotelnicki also stroked goals for the winning side. NBC players took 20 shots. Meanwhile NBC goalie Kaylin Bassett stopped the only two shots that the Falcons took.
“I had six different people score for me which was nice,” said Hensch. “Pigott got the Hustle Award and Rachel Pandl got the Defensive Award. The girls were ready for a win. It was good for their confidence.”
The NBC players also gave an extraordinary effort in a 1-0 home loss to Moorestown last Friday.
“I thought we turned it around with the Moorestown game. Moorestown didn’t even score until the second half,” said Hensch, who was very satisfied with her club’s defense in the contest. Moreover Bassett appeared to enjoy playing in the rain as she made 13 saves for the Greyhounds.
“Our defense and Kaylin (Bassett) were amazing,” said Pandl, who has played some excellent field hockey herself as of late.
Unfortunately, the Greyhounds couldn’t get off a single shot on goal while the Quakers shot 14 times. Furthermore, Moorestown had 18 penalty corners while NBC had just two. It’s hard to win with those kind of offensive numbers regardless of how well one’s defense plays.
“In the Moorestown game the girls were fired up. I told them we had to get it in because when it rains it equalizes the game. The girls played well that day,” said Hensch.
On Monday, an always tough New Egypt team beat NBC, 2-1, at Northern Burlington.
“They were fighting for the ball better than we were,” said Hensch. “We’ve been playing a very defensive game. Our middies (Smith, Pigott and Pandl) are exhausted.”
Michelle Ghaul converted on a DiCioccio pass to score NBC’s only goal against New Egypt. In spite of the loss, Pigott got the Hustle Award. New Egypt had 13 corners while NBC had just two. Bassett made nine big saves just to keep it close.
“Bassett the last two games has been our Defensive Player of the Game. She is awesome,” said Hensch, whose senior goalie has been playing some of her finest field hockey of her career as of late.
NBC was scheduled to have played a game at Pemberton yesterday (Wednesday). Northern Burlington is scheduled at Holy Cross on Friday. Then next Monday NBC is scheduled to host Cinnaminson.
FLORENCE
While Florence Township Memorial High girls’ varsity field hockey head coach Gina Smith would like her Flashes to win all of their games, during the first month of the season she is nearly as concerned with how her club plays as she is with whether or not they win or not.
That is why Smith was more satisfied with her club’s 2-1 overtime loss at New Egypt on September 24 than its 5-1 home win over Maple Shade in the rain last Friday.
“Against New Egypt we played well. We lost in overtime with two minutes left to go. We thought they were given a corner but it was a free hit and they caught us on our heels,” said Smith of the Warriors’ game-winning goal by Kayla Soles in the extra-five minute session.
Florence actually led the contest 1-0 on a Katie Schreck tally, which was set up by an Emily Million pass. Florence’s senior star goalie Katie Dmitruck was amazing and set aside 10 of New Egypt’s 12 shots.
“Katie Dmitruck probably had her best game of the year versus New Egypt. We scored first and then they had a penalty stroke and Katie D saved it,” said Smith, whose team took just four shots in the contest.
Brandi Smith scored a second half goal for New Egypt to send the game into overtime. Florence’s defense played extremely well throughout the contest.
While Florence beat Maple Shade fairly easily in the rain last Friday, the Flashes did not possess their usual fire in that contest.
“We had absolutely no chemistry. Everyone wasn’t working well together like they had been,” noted Smith, who admitted the sloppy playing conditions may have had something to do with it.
Even so, Brittany Hiros had an excellent game and scored two goals and assisted on Florence’s first goal of the game by Emily Million. Kristin Tully also played well and scored a goal and had a pair of assists. Florence’s Brittany Logan fired in a goal and picked up an assist as well.
Statistically, Florence dominated Maple Shade, posting 15 shots on goal to Maple Shade’s seven. Florence also had a huge 15-4 advantage in penalty corners. Dmitruck had to make just six saves to pick up the win. Moreover, Smith was very pleased with the way Erin Stockhaus, a junior back, played in both of the Flashes’ games last week.
Smith is not surprised at all by her club’s strong 5-1 start because she knows what her players put into every game and every practice.
“We practice long and hard and a lot of times we’re the last team coming off the field at night,” said Smith, whose team is well on its way to clinching another playoff berth.
Florence was scheduled at Riverside yesterday (Wednesday). Florence is scheduled to host Burlington City on Friday. It is scheduled at Bordentown next Monday. And next Wednesday Florence is scheduled to play Palmyra.

