Florence field hockey eliminated from states

By: Sean Moylan Sports Writer
    After crushing a tough Audubon team, 4-2, last Thursday at home, the Florence Township Memorial High girls’ varsity field hockey team seemed ready to make a long playoff run in the NJSIAA Group I Central Jersey Tournament.
    Unfortunately, Moorestown Friends (seeded fourth) came out on fire and ran away with a 3-0 state tournament victory over Florence (seeded fifth) on Tuesday afternoon at Moorestown.
    “We didn’t play well. They played harder than us. They hustled to the ball,” said Florence girls’ varsity field hockey head coach Gina Smith, whose team usually is very physical and extremely hard working. “It was like we were in a twilight zone. It was weird.”
    The one member of the Flashes who is incapable of having a bad game, goalie Katie Dmitruck, stepped up once again and stopped 16 of 19 shots. Moorestown Friends had 14 penalty corners to just three by Florence. And the worst part is the Flashes weren’t able to get off a single shot on those three corners. Florence took just three shots the entire game.
    “Katie Dmitruck, she played really well and she came up with some huge, huge saves,” noted Smith. “The three goals that they scored (by Allie Friedman, Gabby Lestino and Chelsea Norton) we put her in that position and there was nothing she could do to stop them.”
    Smith already misses Dmitruck, who has been the Flashes’ starting goalie the past four years and will graduate this Spring. Tuesday was a weird day overall as heavy playoff favorites like Allentown and Robbinsville were upset in their respective state tournament games. However, Audubon, the team Florence had handled so easily last Thursday, defeated Riverside, 3-2, to move on the next round.
    But that’s not a knock on Audubon, it just shows how good the Flashes can be when they play their game.
    “Audubon was a good win,” said Smith. “When they are nervous like in the Moorestown Friends game, they don’t play well. But when they are relaxed like in the Audubon game, they play very well.”
    In the Audubon game, sophomore Sarah Muchowski and freshman Kristin Tully each fired in a pair of goals for the winners. Tully also set up one of Muchowski’s goals with a great pass. Dezarae Fillmyer and Katie Schreck picked up assists for the winning side as well. Florence connected on four of its 10 shots in the game. Meanwhile Dmitruck stopped 13 of 15 shots to post the victory.
    Florence was a very explosive offensive team this year when it played its game. And considering the fact that Schreck is the only real offensive threat who is graduating this Spring, Florence should score a lot of goals next year as well.
    Florence finished the season 11-6-1 and it actually earned a first round playoff bye before playing Tuesday’s state tournament contest on the road. And actually there was some question as to which club should have hosted Tuesday’s game.
    “We went into the tournament 10-5 and they (Moorestown Friends) were 9-4. So I thought we might the one to get a home playoff game, but they gave it to them,” noted Smith, whose team plays very well on its new field.
    Losing Dmitruck will hurt but is a young and talented Florence team which should be very good for years to come.