Field Hockey: Pawling 3, Pleasantville 2

Tigers earn important league win at home over Panthers

Hamner, Petti and Rabe score goals for Pawling

Visit the Photo Gallery

By John M. Benson
October 6, 2007

Next Games: Pawling plays at the prestigious Brewster Field Hockey Tounrament this Friday and Saturday, October 12 & 13.

Ariana Hamner, Alex Petti and Jen Rabe scored goals for Pawling last Saturday, October 6, as the Tigers earned the very important 3-2 league win at home over Pleasantville.

“The girls played very well, and this was a very good league win for us,” said coach June Lagan after the game. “We were a little sluggish in the beginning, even during warm-ups, and Homecoming takes some of the life out of them, I think. We had moments of greatness and moments of temporary lapses, but we’ll take it. We are 3-1 in league with one win over Pleasantville two over North Salem, and the tie at home against Dover. This league win over Pleasantville is very big for us, because they were 7-2 coming into this game, and I knew it would be a tough one.

“Becky once again played a beautiful game for us in goal. She had some beautiful saves where the Pleasantville girls were wide open and shooting at her. Fortunately, she kept her calm and was able to play solid in there.”

Pawling and Pleasantville are both very athletic and very skilled, making this league rivalry an exciting match every time they take the field against one another.

Pawling scored at 28 minutes in, with just two minutes left in the first half. Pleasantville had a corner hit, but Hamner raced out and took it away at the top of the circle and dribbled quickly up the field. She passed ahead to Maguire, who advanced further up the middle, and passed outside to Petti. Petti drove with a sure hand about 40 yards all the way up the left side, advanced past the defender and turned the corner, and fired the ball into the circle in front of the keeper. The entire front line and most of the midfielders converged on the attack right in front of the goal and Hamner forced it in amid the frenzy for the 1-0 lead.

The field is very dry from the lack of rain, and it is playing very much like turf. Petti, Hamner, Apple, Rabe and Maguire are taking advantage of the hard surface and advancing long distances either by passing or carrying, and putting constant pressure on the Pleasantville mids, defenders and keeper.

Just two minutes into the second half, Pleasantville scored to even it up at 1-1.

Petti scored just minutes later for Pawling off of the penalty corner to make it 2-1. Petti set up to make the pass in, looking at Nora Johnston, Ariana Hamner, Sarah Apple and Jen Rabe around the circle, with Claire Olson and Callen Maguire backing up the circle. Petti passed in to Hamner at the top of the circle, who passed hard inside. They all converged on the goal, with Petti scoring on the assist from Apple. 

Jen Rabe scored what turned out to be the game-winning goal about mid-way through the second half. With Pawling on the attack, Rabe shot from the right side and sent the rocket past the keeper for the goal. That made it 3-1 in Pawling’s favor.

Lagan likes this Tiger team, and said, “We are so hot and cold, though, and if we would be on all the time, I think we would be pretty unstoppable. I moved people around today again. I moved Callen back to defense for a while, I took Elena and moved her outside for a while and put Emily on the opposite side. I put Caitlin in the center down there because I knew that their #4 was good, so I knew I needed to put pressure on her, and Caitlin was the right person to put there. I knew Reynolds would do the job down there and she did.

“Pleasantville is an outstanding field hockey, and I think what our kids did was persevere, and when they had gotten the ball across the 25, we were able to put pressure on their goalie. She went down quite a few times in the first half. I think on our forwards we have good foot speed, it is just a matter of having everybody else support them. On the flip side, everybody getting back is key.

“We scored three goals against a very good team, so I am pleased with that. We moved the ball very well in there and that is what helped us.

“Everybody played well, and everybody on this team makes an important contribution. Marisa Kaplan played a different spot again. She is a very coachable kid, and she did exactly what I asked her to do. She stopped it and brought it out wide and released it, so she did exactly what she is supposed to do. It was a very good game for her, and for everybody.

“If we can continue to improve and develop through the season, we will be a good team, and that is what I hope, that they peak at the right time at the end of the season. The camaraderie is very good on this team, and camaraderie leads to winning, and winning contributes to the camaraderie, so I think these girls enjoy one another and are having a good time. It is important to me that they have fun, but I also think the fun comes out of working hard and playing well and competing at a high level.”