Western Albemarle’s Kira Repich likes to scrap it out near the goal. Just like during lacrosse season where she was one of Warriors’ top scoring options, it’s clear she has a nose for finding the back of the net.
“That’s sort of her bread and butter, she’s aggressive,” said Western coach Milo Oakland. “You get in front of goal and all of the sudden you can get a little more physical, she uses her body really well and isn’t afraid of anything. She’s been doing this in practice and it’s great to see her do it in a game”
Covenant’s Maddy Fagan also has the ability to score in bunches. The junior is an offensive-minded midfielder who packs a serious punch when she takes a shot.
Thursday evening those two players’ knack for goal scoring led to a deadlock between two of the area’s top field hockey programs as they each scored twice and the Eagles and Warriors tied 2-2.
Covenant had to get the job done without the services of Lizzy Shim, who was injured near the end of the Charlottesville game last week. That certainly had an impact on how things worked for Covenant, though a certain amount of familiarity between Fagan and newcomer Ivy Allen helped give the Eagles a boost.
“Ivy and I play really well together because we play club together but I think with Lizzy (out) we’re kind of missing a defensive piece in the middle,” Fagan said. “I think we were just missing that, I think we all need to recover more on defense as a whole.”
Shim is slated to return to action soon, but while she is out, the Eagles are learning a lot about themselves without her in the lineup.
“I’m just glad the girls didn’t dwell on that and that they played an awesome game without her,” said Covenant coach Annie Gumbs. “It’ll be really nice to get her back.”
In the meantime, Covenant keeper Santia McLaughlin and the Eagles’ defense made a string of strong plays to help hold the Warriors’ counterattack at bay most of the evening.
“Santia, this is just her second year, but she’s not afraid of anything, she’s a phenomenal player,” Gumbs said.
Fagan put the Eagles up 1-0 midway through the first half before Repich equalized for Western less than five minutes later. The Warriors pressured Covenant with a solid counterattack much of the game, taking advantage on rare opportunities when the Eagles turned the ball over.
“We play a low amount in the back and Western did a really good job with their counters,” Gumbs said. “When they countered us and had fast breaks we had trouble figuring out how to pick up marks. Some of those goals happened because of that.”
The chance to counter only happened rarely for the Warriors because even without Shim anchoring things in the middle, Covenant is particularly adept at taking care of the ball and maintaining possession while also creating chances.
“They’re so good at driving the ball, they know what they’re doing and they got their stick on everything defensively,” Oakland said. “That’s a great recipe for success. You have to play a certain style when you’re out here and we’re really just trying to match what they’re doing.”
Repich’s second goal came on another unsettled situation with 5:56 to play after Fagan put Covenant up 2-1 with under 20 minutes left in the game. Repich knows her skill set well and tries to take advantage of it every time she gets a chance.
“On corners I run to goalie’s pads because I like to get on top of the goalie,” Repich said.
The tie was a big improvement for the Warriors after they absorbed a 7-1 loss to powerhouse James Monroe in their first matchup. Western returns defender Hannah Weyher but Audrey Russell and Dorothy Park have stepped in on the wings. The tough early schedule should also pay dividends for the Warriors down the road.
“I think it’s helping us look farther, to the postseason and prepare for even harder teams,” Repich said.
