While St. Anne’s-Belfield knocked on the door a good bit during the first half, it’s season opener at home against Monticello started out as a battle of attrition. But once freshman Annie Cory put one in early in the second half, the Saints offense set up shop, dominating the time of possession and cutting off the Mustangs outlet passes. As it outshot the visitors 21-3, STAB tacked on two more goals for good measure to cruise to a 3-0 victory in coach Mary Blake’s first time at the helm in 15 years.
“I told them at half time that we created a lot of opportunities and that at some point we’re going capitalize,” Blake said. “I felt like we had so many opportunities but hockey’s one of those games where you can shoot 23 times and never score a goal. But we just kept increasing the opportunities (in the second half).”
The Saints went late into the summer unsure of who would be running the show, but Blake stepped up and took the reigns. Also the girls lacrosse coach, STAB’s won a handful of state titles under her guidance and on Thursday, the Saints made sure her return to the sideline was memorable.
“I coached (field hockey) for my first 13 years here so it’s been fun to get back into it,” Blake said. “I’ve been coaching middle school and been on the state committee as well, but it was nice to get back and kind of coincidental that the group that are seniors here I started with in seventh grade. So I started with them and now I get to see them finish their high school careers.”
Despite outshooting Monticello 10-1 in the first half, STAB had nothing to show for it going into the break. That changed though on a great pass from Kaitlyn Reese to Cory who broke the scoreless tie just four minutes into the second half.
“I was really in awe,” Cory said. “Kaitlyn passed it and I turned and my momentum just put it into the goal. It was such a relief, so nice and the greatest feeling ever. And especially since I’m a freshman and it’s my first game. That’s so exciting.”
Just over ten minutes later Maddy Brayman took advantage of a broken play in front of the cage and used her backhand to tuck in some much wanted insurance. That forced Monticello to take a timeout and try and regroup.
“We need to establish more leadership, and it doesn’t have to come from just the seniors,” said Mustangs coach Katie Owens. “We need to work more as a unit and communicate as a team, support each other as a team. Once we start cycling through more consistently, we’re going to find our game. We’re going to be good this year, I believe that in my heart and I saw it Saturday (against Kettle Run). We’re just inconsistent in a lot of ways and when you don’t play consistently you don’t win and you don’t score.”
While the Mustangs had a spark that was missing before for the last 15 minutes of play, only two shots and a short corner were generated and on the other end, Towers put a bow of the game with 7:31 to go on another scramble in front of the goal.
Monticello (1-2) travel to Faquier on Thursday at 5 p.m.
The Saints (1-0) host North Cross on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.
