Lady Warriors push past Oscar Smith
Published 11:03 pm Thursday, September 11, 2014
A factor outside of the Nansemond River High School field hockey team and the host Oscar Smith High School team helped shape the Lady Warriors’ 2-0 victory on Wednesday evening.
“It was a little bit of a frustrating game,” NR coach Ali Mowry said, pointing to the playing field as the reason.
Nansemond River High School freshman forward Ashlyn Rogers advances toward the goal during practice on Thursday, following Wednesday’s win against Oscar Smith High School and in preparation for a big week ahead.
The grass, though dry, was fairly high from the recent rain, as it was not able to be cut before game time.
Mowry said she could tell what her players were still trying to do in terms of strategy, “it was just hard to execute.”
“We had our chances in the circle, we just weren’t finishing, and it was hard to drive the ball, it was hard to push the ball,” the coach said. While she added it was not the worst field she had been on as a player, she observed that the grass length “definitely slowed down the game a lot.”
Field hockey is a sport that can include a significant diversity in playing surfaces, including bumpy or long-grass fields and even artificial turf.
“I tell the girls all the time that they just have to adjust to the circumstances,” Mowry said.
The Lady Warriors were sluggish to start both halves, but they made the most of the last three minutes and 35 seconds of the first half. Senior forward/midfielder Desiree Patterson scored with that much time left, assisted by sophomore forward Ariana Samuel.
Exactly three minutes later, junior midfielder/forward Ashley Hiltabrand registered a goal with an assist from junior midfielder Claire Janek.
Listing some standouts from the contest, Mowry said, “I still think Desiree and Claire are really playing well. Desiree’s getting some finishing touches in the circle.”
The coach added she could cite a lot of girls across the board for having great performances.
“The effort is there, and that makes my job a lot easier, when they’re hustling,” she said.
Mowry said Oscar Smith controlled the game in the second half, but the Lady Warriors still ended up with about twice as many offensive penalty corners for the game.
Next week will be one of the most important of the season for Nansemond River (3-1, 0-0). The Lady Warriors host King’s Fork High School on Monday and Hickory High School on Wednesday and visit Lakeland High School on Thursday.
