Covenant’s Jenna Clark knows she’s not supposed to shoot that way. Not the modified, behind-the-hip scoop shot.
“We weren’t supposed to do it, but it happened,” Clark said. “It was a lucky shot — you’ve got to do what feels right.”
Her coach, however, has a little more lenient interpretation.
“It’s a modified shovel shot and I’m from the era of the shovel shot so I don’t complain when it goes in,” said Covenant coach Tara Hohenshelt. “If it goes in, it was a brilliant idea.”
On Saturday she had every reason to be happy with that shot as Clark scored with it to ice a 13-11 victory over Foxcroft to win the VISAA Division 2 girls lacrosse title.
Clark notched the gamewinner just minutes earlier on a more traditional shot, but the scoop sealed the first girls lacrosse title in school history for the Eagles with just 14 players on the roster for the title game
“I am beyond thrilled,” Hohenshelt said. “I’m just really excited that our coaching staff was able to get our players to reach their potential and the players bought in. That combination will enable a smaller squad like to achieve some bigger things like that.”
Clark only got the chance to take the lead and seal it with her two goals (she had five on the day) because Sadie Bryant went on an incredible tear midway through the second half. With Covenant down a goal at the break and down 10-8 with a little more than 15 minutes left to play, Bryant got into a groove.
“She’s our team’s workhorse,” Hohenshelt said. “I really think our players know their roles. Bryant is our workhorse on both ends of the field, she always comes up with the ground balls.”
She scored with 14:49 left to make it 10-9, and then just a few minutes later, scored back-to-back goals in under 30 seconds to tie it up at 11-11.
“That was the turning point for us,” said senior Rachel Rapp. “That was the momentum shift.”
Bryant, who usually expends most of energy as the Eagles’ lead defender, stepped up in a big way with Foxcroft trying to lock up Charlotte Delaney.
“We tried to make their slides longer and force her to drop off, but (her defender) definitely did a great job, she stuck with me,” Delaney said.
The Eagles just kept winning draws during her run, with Rapp taking the lead.
“We were able to get the draw and we got the ground balls. They were getting more of those in the first half and we sort of picked up the intensity there,” Rapp said.
That opened the door for Clark to close out Foxcroft for the victory as the Eagles finished on a four-goal run.
“We had the momentum (after the final goal). We’d worked hard all season and we did what we came here to do,” Clark said. “It was great.”
