FIELD HOCKEY: Erin Miles’ 2 goals send Dock Mennonite past Faith Christian
TOWAMENCIN – After delivering insertion passes on Dock Mennonite field hockey penalty corners, Erin Miles gets to the goalposts and prepares for a ball that heads towards the cage.
“I’m on that post so I’m always ready,” Miles said. I’m just trying to have my stick down, waiting for a rebound or just a pass.”
It was the right place to be twice in Wednesday afternoon’s Bicentennial Athletic League contest with visiting Faith Christian, pulling the Pioneers even in the second quarter then putting in the go-head goal in the third. Dock held off the Lions in the fourth before a late Eden Schrag strike sealed its 4-2 victory.
“We knew coming into this game that it was going to be tough,” said Miles, one of the Pioneers’ four senior captains. “The last time we won in overtime but it was really anyone’s game and we just knew from the start we really wanted to start strong and just be aggressive from the start.”
Dock Mennonite (13-3-0, 10-0-0 league) grabbed an early 1-0 lead as Paige Hinnershitz, who collected the OT winner in the Pioneers’ 4-3 victory at Faith Sept. 13, scored off a Schrag assist less than four minutes into Wednesday’s matchup.
Faith Christian (11-3-0, 9-2-0), however, tallied the next two goals to lead 2-1 at the end of the opening quarter – Amaly Klock knotting things at 4:33 while Cheyenne Greene sent a shot in at 1:40 to put the Lions ahead.
“In the first quarter we got out there really confident and I think when they first scored we start getting down,” Greene said. “But we still kept with it because we knew that it was just one goal and we can still get back and we weren’t going to give up.”
Miles made it 2-2 with 9:53 remaining in the first half, knocking a ball in at the left post after a corner. In the third, Miles capped a series of corners by again scoring at the left post at 5:04 in the quarter.
“I think that it just motivates us even more because we knew we were so close,” Miles said. “We thought about switching it up a little bit, moving to different sides but it was really working, our just pushes or sweeps just right on goal. We knew we were right there. We were just so close. We kept drawing those corners so we knew that we would eventually get it if we just kept pushing through.”
Dock goalkeeper Madison Afanador came through with key stops as Faith pushed to get back level in the fourth, sliding to deny a chance then posting a kick save on another. The margin stayed 3-2 until Schrag put the Pioneers up two with just 40 seconds left.
“It’s OK that we didn’t win today,” Greene said. “But we’ve tried and we’re going to keep working and we’re not going to give up.”
Faith Christian field hockey is only in its second year as the program, the Lions reaching the District 1-1A playoffs in their inaugural season in 2022, earning a first-round win over Villa Joseph Marie before falling to Dock in the semifinals.
“It’s definitely good because last year we played them I think three times – twice in the regular season, once in the playoffs – and each time they played us tougher and tougher,” Landis said. “So we knew this year after losing a lot of people we knew we just had to come together as a team and I think that’s what we did today.
“Every single player on this team played their role and played great. And we knew they were a good team so it motivates us even more to beat them.”
A third meeting this year could come again in the district semis with Dock ranked second in 1A and Faith third.
The Pioneers finish their regular season visiting Bristol 3:30 p.m. Monday then hosting Plumstead Christian 3:45 p.m. Wednesday. Faith Christian is home against Gwynedd Mercy 3:45 Friday before going on the road to face Delco Christian 3:45 p.m. Monday and Sacred Heart 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Dock went up 1-0 at 11:12 in the first quarter, Schrag delivered a pass from the left side to Hinnershitz, who slotted the ball inside the left post.
Klock found the back of the cage at 4:33 with a shot from the left side of the circle. Greene gave the Lions a 2-1 edge after a corner, the freshman driving into space and connecting on a shot that sailed in with 1:50 left in the quarter.
“I think it bounced over my stick and then the girl gave it to me,” Greene said. “I kind of V-pulled back and then I dribbled around and shot on my right foot.”
Miles posted her first goal of the afternoon at 9:53 in the second quarter, a ball Lydia Ehst sent in from the top of the circle on a corner finding its way to Miles, who put in at the left post.
“Lydia, she from the top, she did a sweep and hit it on goal and I’m pretty sure it hit off of Aubrey Clemmer’s stick and then it just bounced in front of me,” Miles said. “It was a little bouncy but I was able to just stop it and just hit it in the corner, right in.”
Miles’s second tally was similar to her first – at the left post on a corner. Hinnershitz got a touch on the ball to knock it behind the keeper with Miles at the right place to send it into the cage at 9:53 in the third.
“It was in a little crowd I think, I know I’m pretty sure it was Paige that got it and she was just able to cross it,” Miles said. “And I was right there just to get it right in but there was a lot of people right in front of the goal.”
