Albemarle field hockey went undefeated in the regular season including posting an 11-0 mark in the Jefferson District. But the Patriots every year step into a challenging region that forces them to take their game up a notch right away.
Albemarle met that challenge Thursday night, beating Riverbend 2-0 in the Region 5D quarterfinals. The victory puts the Patriots one win away from a state tournament berth.
“It was a great team win to start off postseason,” said Albemarle coach Brittany McElheny. “Our girls definitely stayed poised throughout the game and kept the intensity and fire going for the whole game.”
Sydney Alexander got the Patriots on the board first off a Maggie Lynn assist in the first half. Then Courtney Hughlett scored in the third quarter to extend the lead to a more comfortable 2-0.
Riverbend didn’t have a single shot on goal.
The Patriots advance to the Region 5D semifinals where they’ll face Independence at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
