WC East scores two unanswered goals to top Oxford 4-2
OXFORD—Coming into Tuesday’s cross divisional field hockey game between West Chester East and Oxford on the Hornets’ grass field, both teams were all but assured a berth in the District 1, Class 2A playoffs, getting underway next week, and each was looking to possibly improve on its seed.
Though the Hornets (8-9, 1-4 league) tied the game at two apiece just into the third period, the Vikings (11-5-1, 4-3) closed out with a pair of unanswered goals to grab the 4-2 road victory.
“We struggled a bit on grass,” said Vikings’ coach Jessica Rice. “Oxford did a nice job, making some nice touches and laying down some really nice tackles, but I think we improved with each quarter and started to figure out our passing game.”
The way the Vikings started, it sure didn’t look like the grass field was going to pose any problems. Just 1:10 had ticked off the clock when Kathryn Palmer scored an unassisted goal for a 1-0 Vikings lead.
East kept the pressure up, and was mostly in control over the next few minutes. But the Hornets, buoyed by their defense, began to make it a much more evenly played game, and began to mount some offensive pressure of their own, resulting in a few corner tries. Neither team would score for the remainder of the period.
With 8:20 left in the second period, the Vikings forced a penalty corner, and made it count. Ava Carnavale put the ball in play on the insert, sending it up to Carey Werley at the top of the circle. Werley, a back brought in for her powerful stroke on offensive corners, slammed it home for a 2-0 Vikings’ lead.
“Any opportunity for any of us to score is the best thing we can ask for,” said Werley. “I just come down and work my hardest and try to chip in on offense.”
Unshaken, the Hornets worked their way back into the game, notching a goal from Riley Peery just before the end of the half, and another, this one from Mackenzie Clark seven minutes into the third period to tie the game at 2-2.
“That’s kind of their thing all season,” said Oxford coach Karly Herb. “We’ve had low numbers and injuries, so we’ve had to play from behind quite a bit. But this team is all fight. They never feel they are out of a game while there is time on the clock. They just work on doing the little things right, and when that starts to happen, they pull themselves back in it.”
That was the last time the Hornets would find the back of the cage, though. East, meanwhile, picked up the go ahead goal late in the third, when Tyler Rice scored, with an assist from Anna Argonish, and tacked on an insurance score on a goal from Ana Capelli, assisted by Palmer midway through the fourth.
“This game was really back and forth for a while,” said Rice. “But we felt like we were in control the whole time. My goal just seemed to give us the spark we needed to close out the game the way we needed.”
With the win, the Vikings moved up to the No. 5 slot in the District 1, Class 2A rankings. Only Haverford, a likely qualifier in 3A, remains on the schedule.
“We’ll be happy at six, we’d be happy at five,” said Rice. “We have one tough game left against Haverford remaining. With a win there, maybe even step up some more. It’s exciting. This team is so much fun to work with. The senior leadership has been incredible. We have the best record we’ve had since I’ve been here, and we all want to see how far we can go.”
WC East 1 1 1 1—4
Oxford 0 1 1 0—2
Goals:
WC East—Palmer, Werley, Rice, Capelli
Oxford—Clark, Peery
Goalie Saves—Whitcomb (WCE) 3, Madarasz (WCE) 2, Boone (OX) 1, Zetune (OX) 4
