Pawling field hockey has a great week at home
By John M. Benson
September 18, 2007
Coach June Lagan has the Pawling field hockey Tigers playing as a team, supporting one another in spirit and in play, and this team can flat out play field hockey. Lagan is assisted by former Tiger stars Sam Turner and Katie Phillips.
The players are Becky McKinney, Alex Petti, Ariana Hamner, Sarah Apple, Caitlin Reynolds, Claire Olson, Tara Smith, Elena Herrera, Callen Maguire, Jen Rabe, Monique Lamond, Nora Johnston, Marisa Kaplan and Emily Coursen.
Pawling had a terrific week at home, defeating North Salem 1-0 on a goal by Jen Rabe on September 17, and after being pretty much dominated by Bronxville for one half on September 18, the Tigers had the incredible character and confidence in one another to re-group at halftime and tie the game at 2-2 on goals by Claire Olson and Alex Petti.
Playing North Salem, it was Pawling that dominated, but the Tigers were suffering from an old malady, the inability to finish it off with goals when they are in the circle for most of a game.
At about the mid-point of the second half, Petti took the corner hit looking around the circle at Maguire, Apple, Hamner and Rabe. The ball actually ended up outside the circle, where Johnston stopped it and passed down to Maguire low on the left side. Maguire drew the keeper, and sent a pass to the far side, where Rabe was waiting at the post to one-time it in for the game-winning goal.
McKinney and her defense, aided by the midfielders and forwards coming back to assist, kept a very good North Salem team scoreless and preserved the victory.
Bronxville took the game to Pawling for much of the first half, but the tenacious Tigers fought off the Bronco attack and held the visitors scoreless until the final minutes of the half. Bronxville managed the one goal in the final minute to take the 1-0 lead into the halftime break.
Coach Lagan must have given the Tigers a pep talk or a proper scolding at halftime, but whatever it was, her team came out in the second half and took the game to Bronxville. Pawling got the goals from Olson and Petti to out-score the Broncos 2-1 in that second half and tie it for a final score of 2-2. |
