Covenant’s field hockey team took it to St. Anne’s-Belfield early on Friday in the League of Independent Schools title game.
“I felt like Covenant came out and just laid it all on the line,” said STAB coach Mary Blake. “But I thought we dominated that second half.”
The Saints rode that second half dominance to a 4-1 victory over the Eagles, with Catherine Towers’ two goals leading the way. The Saints rolled after the break as the way the Saints were moving the ball improved.
“The passing was better,” Blake said. “When we got in the circle, we were aggressive instead of trying to play the pretty game in the circle.”
STAB also got goals from Lauren Gampper and Mady Brayman as the offense stayed as balanced as it has been of late for the Saints who’ve got better during every outing. The squad’s improvement has been a pleasant surprise for Blake, the school’s girls lacrosse coach who took over as the hockey coach at nearly the last minute before the season started.
“It really has been exciting,” Blake said. “Just to watch them from where we started to where we are now — we haven’t seen many teams that are passing and controlling the ball the way we are.”
Towers has been a key part of that improvement, emerging as one of the area’s best. She was one of five STAB players honored as All-LIS after the match.
“I’m just thankful that I get her another season (during lacrosse),” Blake said. “She gives 110 percent and she is the same way in practice — what you see on the field is what I see in practice.”
The other STAB players who earned All-LIS were Brayman, sophomore Morgan Woodrow, junior Lauren Gampper and senior Sarah Fracasso-Franacis. Covenant’s Sadie Bryant, Megan Frey and Olivia Gathright also earned All-LIS nods.
Frey scored Covenant’s lone goal in the game.
Both teams advance to the VISAA playoffs, with time and place TBA, though both appear to be going on the road.
