Red-hot Irish draw with Merion Mercy, then go to tape

RADNOR >> Sometime Monday night, Quinn Maguire turned on her computer, went to the Hudl website and watched the replay of Notre Dame’s 2-2 nonleague overtime draw with Merion Mercy earlier that afternoon at Burns Field.
It wasn’t by choice. Watching the replay of every game is required viewing for every member of the Notre Dame field hockey team.
Head coach Adele Williams uploads the video from each game so the players can see what they did right and what they did wrong. And Williams knows who’s watching.
“I can see if they watch the whole thing or if they’re just on for four minutes,” Williams said.
While watching the replay of a game you just played may be annoying to some, the players like it.
“It’s helpful because it’s hard to understand everything the coaches say without actually seeing it,” Maguire said. “You can only think back to what you did. The video gives you an idea of what you could have done better and it helps you improve for the next game.”
The Irish (7-2-1 overall, 3-0 Inter-Ac) do not have to wait long to put those lessons to practical use. Notre Dame visits Germantown Academy (7-3, 2-1) in a key league showdown Tuesday, so there was little time for to lament the draw with the Golden Bears (8-1-1) that turned a six-game winning streak into a seven-game unbeaten streak.
Notre Dame had to fight back from a pair of one-goal deficits to earn the tie. Merion Mercy struck first when Caroline Stellar scored an unassisted goal with 22:26 left in the first half. The Golden Bears maintained that 1-0 lead until Lauren Curran converted a pass from Maguire with 3:01 remaining in the first half.
Kelsey Farkas put Merion Mercy on top for a second time when she put home a pass from Stellar less than five minutes into the second half. The Golden Bears would maintain that 2-1 advantage until Colleen Kearney successfully converted a penalty stroke with 12:44 to play in regulation.
And that’s the way it ended thanks to some outstanding play by both defenses, especially the goalies. Kearny not only scored the tying goal, but kept the deadlock intact when she swatted the potential game-winner out of harm’s way in overtime. Goalie Katie Liebeskind made seven saves for the Irish, although it seemed like a lot more.
“She did a great job,” Williams said of Liebeskind. “She pulled off some really good saves.”
Bedrossian was just as good, especially in overtime. She made 11 saves, including one on a blast by Maguire in the extra session that came shortly after Cami Osborne cranked a shot off the post. As good as Bedrossian was, though, the defense in front of her was even more impressive.
Alexandria LaVelle plucked a shot out of midair that was destined for the back of the cage with roughly three minutes left in regulation. The Golden Bears also successfully fought off 22 penalty corners.
“I think we could have played better than we did,” Williams said. “I think we were flat. They beat us to every ball, so I’ll take the tie, but knowing what my girls can down and how they’ve been playing, I’m a little disappointed that we didn’t get the win.”
The Irish have been on an impressive roll after a 1-2 start. Not only did Notre Dame win its next six games, including a 3-1 triumph over two-time defending Inter-Ac and PAISAA champ Episcopal Academy last Friday, but did so in convincing fashion. The Irish posted two shutouts during the streak and outscored opponents, 33-6.
Quinn attributed the winning streak to better team play.

Osborne had a different view.

“Our saying for the year is, ‘Our time,’ and once we started writing that on our right wrist, we started playing better,” Osborne said.

Each player has the letters OT with a heart written in ink on their right wrist. It keeps the team motivated, Osborne said.
For everything else, the Irish turn to the video.
“It’s a good tool,” Williams said. “They can see for themselves what the coaches were talking about and what they could have done better. It’s very useful. They’ll watch the tape of this game and they’ll be ready for the next game. I have no doubt about that because they’re fighters.”
In the Bicentennial League:
Delco Christian 5, Bristol 0 >> Ava Berzinsky was a one-person show for the Knights (3-6, 3-5) with five goals. Berzinsky scored three times in the first half and twice more in the second half.
Goalies Merritt Campbell and Rachel Yeung teamed up in the cage for Bristol. Yeung had the only save for DC.
In nonleague action:
Sacred Heart 3, Plumstead Christian 1 >> Bella Chan collected two goals and one assist to pace the Lions (3-6).
Chan scored twice and fed Emily Franz had the other goal to stake Sacred Heart to a 3-0 halftime lead. Goalie Colleen Vissar got the win.