Lady Eagles win two games in overtime

By John E. Powers, Sports Writer
   The South Hunterdon Regional High School field hockey team has found an edge in numbers.
   That’s not usually the case with the Eagles, who frequently find themselves outmanned because of a lack of players.
   But the Eagles are finding a knack in overtime when teams have to go to seven players apiece.
   Last week, the Eagles won two overtime games to improve their record to 12-6-1. South knocked off North Warren 1-0 on Senior Day as senior co-captain Stef Davis scored, then beat Hackettstown 3-2 in overtime when senior Brittney Shurts scored on an assist from Kayla Ribsam.
   The fifth-seed Eagles were scheduled to play at fourth-seeded Pingry in a North I-II state tournament playoff game Tuesday in Bernards.
   Field hockey is a game of 11 per side, but when overtime comes, both sides cut it down to a seven-on-seven.
   ”When we go into overtime, we’re so used to playing seven-on-seven, which we always do in practice because we don’t have enough kids,” Davis said. ““We really know to spread out along the field and work well like that. We’ve heard people say that they’ve never met a team that plays so well seven-on-seven.”
   Davis took a pass from Brittney Ennis and beat North Warren goalie Kelsey Murray. North Warren beat South Hunterdon on a penalty stroke earlier in the season.
   ”It was pretty incredible,” said Davis of her overtime winner. “The game was a little rough. We just had a lot of drama going on, but it was pretty cool. It was Senior Day, and it was an unbelievable shot. It went through the goalie’s legs. I was very lucky.”
   Shurts, who shares the team lead with Ribsam with 14 goals, said the team is confident when it goes into extra time.
   She proved it against Hackettstown, taking a pass right in front of the Hackettstown goalie and burying the shot.
   ”We’ve avenged all of our losses; it’s absolutely amazing,” Shurts said. “We’re mentally there. In the beginning of the season, we had to adjust to playing, and now we have it down. We know what to do and where to put the ball.”
   Brittany Ennis and Ribsam had the other goals with Shurts assisting on both. Keeper Leslie Salsbury had 15 saves, and freshman Kelly Albanir had a defensive save.
   ”We’re definitely an overtime team,” Shurts said.
   And when it’s state tournament time, it means unusually tight games, something the Eagles have experienced.
   ”I’m pretty confident,” Shurts said. “I think we keep our minds it we should be able to pull it off (beat Pingry).”