BY: Sean Moylan Sports Writer
While neither side was fully content, the Florence Township Memorial High varsity field hockey squad and Bordentown treated their fans to a fantastic defensive display in a 0-0 tie at Bordentown this past Monday.
“When you have four or five corners in a row like we did you’d better finish but we didn’t,” said Florence head coach Gina Smith. “We just couldn’t finish but they (the Scotties) had shots too. We had corner after corner (11 in all).”
As usual, Florence’s great goalie Katie Dmitruck kept her club in the game with nine saves and posted her fifth shutout of the season while Bordentown’s goalie Ashley Adams made four saves to keep the Flashes off the scoreboard. Entering the contest both sides needed just one more win to qualify for the playoffs, which only added to the intensity. However, the playoff cutoff date is October 22nd so each team still has several more games to get that one victory it needs to qualify for the post season.
Last Friday Kristen Tully scored three goals to lead the Flashes to a 3-0 victory over Burlington City at Florence. But for over a half, it was a very tight game.
“In the first half we started out real slow. To look at that game we only played one good half,” remarked Smith, whose team scored all of its goals in the second stanza.
Two of Tully’s goals were set up by Sarah Muchowski assists. Tully’s other tally came off of a Dezarae Fillmyer pass.
“Tully was at the right place at the right time,” added Smith.
Dmitruck made four saves to record the shutout. Florence, meanwhile, had 10 shots on goal. While some field hockey teams keep their defenders back to protect their goalies, Florence trusts Dmitruck to make the big saves in the heat of battle.
“Katie ‘D’ really keeps us in a lot of games. Our girls are taught to stay on their marks and it’s Katie’s responsibility to stop any shots which get through,” said Smith, who has been very, very happy with Dmitruck’s play in goal over the last four years.
In a game that started on October 1 and the next day, Riverside won at Florence, 3-2. The game was suspended because of rain with the Rams holding a 1-0 halftime edge. However, despite goals by Katie Schreck and Muchowski, Florence’s workhorse, and a pair of assists by Fillmyer in the second half, Florence could not pull out a win.
However, Smith was pleased with Muchowski’s play in the contest and commented, “Muchowski is probably one of my most consistent players.”
Offensively, Florence is still trying to recapture some of the special intangibles Menissa Blackwell offered the team before she suffered an ACL injury, which will keep her on the bench for the remainder of the regular season. Yet at 6-2-1, Florence is in fairly good shape.
Florence was scheduled to have hosted Palmyra yesterday (Wednesday). Florence is scheduled to host New Egypt on Friday. Next Wednesday night, Florence is scheduled to play at Maple Shade.
Meanwhile Bordentown lost a 4-1 decision to Cinnaminson at Cinnaminson last Wednesday. Tracy Romberger scored Bordentown’s only goal on a Soozin Kang delivery. Adams made a pair of saves in the loss.
Despite a goal by Amber Warshany, Bordentown dropped a 2-1 overtime heart-breaker to a fantastic Delran team last Friday at Bordentown. Adams had 11 saves in the game.
Bordentown (7-4-1) was scheduled to have hosted Medford Tech yesterday (Wednesday). It is scheduled at Burlington City next Monday. Bordentown is scheduled to host Burlington Township next Tuesday.
NBC
From Burlington County to Mercer County, many varsity field hockey coaches will tell you that the all-around level of play has improved considerably this season. In fact, a talented team like Northern Burlington played some wonderful, tough field hockey this past week and still just posted a 1-1-1 record.
The Greyhounds’ most amazing performance of the week came on October 1 at Pemberton when Michelle Smith scored on penalty corner with no time remaining in overtime to lead NBC to a 2-1 over Pemberton.
And, in spite of its 3-7-1 record, NBC primary midfielders (Smith, Lauren Pigott and Rachel Pandl) are all having great seasons as well as junior attacker, Michelle Ghaul, who actually scored the Greyhounds’ first goal in the win over Pemberton.
“(On our first goal) Rachel (Pandl) hit the ball to Lauren (Pigott), who controlled it and passed it to Michelle Ghaul who drilled it in the cage,” said Joanne Hensch, the NBC head varsity field hockey coach.
Northern Burlington goalie Kaylin Bassett also played well in the Pemberton game and she kept Pemberton off the scoreboard in the second half and in the overtime session. But that win was a great all-
around team effort.
“We had such a high winning that game. The girls played an awesome game,” said Hensch.
Last Friday, Holy Cross beat NBC 2-0 in a game played in Delran. Although it played great defense, especially in the second half, the Greyhounds struggled at the offensive end against the Lancers.
“We played much better in the second half and they scored both of their goals in the first half,” said Hensch. “It was just that we had zero shots on goal and we rarely got it in past the 25.”
Bassett stopped a lot of Lancer shots just to keep it as tight as it was. But you can’t win without taking any shots.
Carli DiCioccio scored an unassisted goal off a corner to account for Northern’s only goal in this past Monday’s 1-1 tie against a good Cinnaminson team at Northern Burlington.
“We’re a good team, but we’re just not finishing,” said Hensch, who still has great enthusiasm and love for this team. “We had a good game versus Cinnaminson. They (The Greyhounds) had better stick work today (Monday)”
NBC took eight shots and held Cinnaminson to eight shots. Bassett made seven saves in goal. Defensively, there were many standouts.
“Rachel Pandl got the Hustle Award. Ashley Kendall got the Defensive Award and the Attack Award went to Dana Stefanoni,” said Hensch, who is working hard trying to find ways of generating more offense.
In professional sports many Hall of Fame head coaches will tell you that some their best coaching was done during years where they had mediocre records. This year Hensch is pulling out all stops searching for the right formations and she won’t rest until her team starts winning like it did last season.
Going into yesterday’s (Wednesday) scheduled home game versus Rancocas Valley NBC still had an outside shot at making the playoffs but it can’t afford any more losses. NBC is scheduled at Burlington Township on Friday and at Moorestown next Wednesday.

