It’s hard to hold on to a lead against a challenging opponent. It’s hard to find that balance between staying aggressive enough while also milking the clock.
“Sometimes when we have to settle the ball down a little bit and start being patient on attack we struggle,” said St. Anne’s-Belfield senior Annie Cory. “We get frantic, we make turnovers.”
The Saints took a major step forward in that department Friday when they shook off a rough stretch in the second half to hold on and beat Collegiate 13-9 for a crucial LIS victory.
STAB built a 10-3 lead before halftime against the Cougars, a solid margin for a rivalry game that has come down to a single goal in most of the two squads’ meetings over the last few years. Earlier this season, STAB fell 10-9 to the Cougars in Richmond.
“It’s always a great game when we can come out on top and I think the lead definitely helped us because they’re a fighting team,” Cory said. “They’re going to come back no matter what, just as we would if we were down 10-3 at the half.”
With that seven-goal advantage, STAB looked to be in good position to milk the clock and close the game out. But a series of turnovers during the middle of the second half prompted a timeout by STAB coach Mary Blake and a quick turnaround in the Saints’ ability to take care of the ball.
“(Blake) got us in the mentality of ‘don’t let up, keep giving 100 percent and be smart with the ball’,” said STAB junior McKenzie Maurer.
The Saints managed to stop the bleeding there, and with a late goal from Catherine Carden, closed the door on Collegiate’s rally attempt.
Maurer and Cory each finished with four goals on the afternoon for the Saints while Caroline DiGiacomo notched a hat trick. Maddie Hunter and Carden rounded out the scoring as STAB’s offense continues to evolve into a more dynamic, dangerous group as the year wears on.
“It’s awesome, everyone is a threat on the field, there’s not just one player,” said Maurer who also had an assist.
The Saints were also strong on the draw, with Cory snagging four while Carden, Hunter and Maurer grabbed three each.
A big reason STAB built that first half lead was because Brittany Schoeb was a wall in the cage, posting nine saves before the break and 13 for the entire game. In the first half Schoeb stopped more than 60 percent of the Cougars’ shots.
“It is so nice to have her back there,” Cory said. “It really turns the tables and gets our attack going as well.”
STAB faces another big test next week against Trinity Episcopal as the Saints continue to try and position themselves as the top squad in the LIS.
