As far as field hockey goes, this was as close to trench warfare is it gets. Albemarle’s defense was unreal against a lightning quick Collegiate offense. Nothing gave in regulation nor in 15 minutes of 7-on-7 overtime. Even a best-of-five round one-versus-ones couldn’t decide the matter. No, not until the seventh round in one-versus-ones was a winner finally determined.
After Elizabeth Howell started the seventh round with a save, it set up the Cougars an opportunity to win the game. Taking her second shot in the one-versus-ones, Collegiate’s Caitlin Allocca converted to give her team a 1-0 win in overtime (4-3, 1v1).
“We really did fight hard and we had to — this was a great, great game,” said Cougars coach Karen Doxey. “It was even back and forth. First we had a bunch of (short) corners and then they did. This game was meant to go to overtime in my estimation, and I thought we should have won in the first overtime but couldn’t come up with it. We did in the end though and so again, just a great game.”
Allocca converted in the second round of one-versus-ones and in her second go-around she was patient and found the back of the cage when given the opening. Given Howell’s clutch stop to start the seventh round, the pressure was on, but not overbearing.
“There’s definitely not as much pressure when the shooter before you doesn’t score so my teammates set me up and got behind me to calm me down,” Allocca said. “Everyone played so hard and we had a good game, so did they. It was tough and I’m thankful we pulled out the win.”
Collegiate came on strong in the first half especially, drawing a string of four short corners in a five minute span but the Albemarle defense came up with one stop after another. Not long after that, the Patriots nearly got a goal from Lauren Hughlett but Howell was there for the stop. The Albemarle offense got its best opportunities in overtime when they had a pair of breakaways but those shots both went wide of the cage.
“That was the longest game of field hockey we’ve experienced in a long, long time,” said Patriots coach Brittany McElheny. “The girls left everything on the field. Unfortunately we had a lot of great shots that went untouched in overtime and it stings, but this might be a good thing for us. We’re not going to want to feel this way ever again, so hopefully we don’t.”
Albemarle had it’s back against the wall in one-versus-ones trailing 3-2 before Kat Bianchetto buried a shot after an initial Howell stop. That sent things into the sudden-death sixth round where Patriots goalkeeper and Logan Wood and Howell both came up with saves.
Wood came up with a save late in overtime to force one-versus-ones. The Patriots also went up against a pair of short corners and came out unharmed.
“We had a very strong game on defense in regulation and overtime, even after that,” McElheny said. “The goalies played great, the defense played great and the forwards did a great job of getting back.”
On the night, Howell had fives saves for Collegiate while Anne Claire Quindoza three in three of her own. Wood had five for Albemarle.
The Patriots (10-1) jump back into Jefferson District play as they travel to face Louisa County on Thursday. The Cougars get another big challenge from a strong public school as they head to face Tabb, also on Thursday.
