Nansemond-Suffolk’s defense held strong for more than a half of Tuesday afternoon’s field hockey match against Tidewater Conference foe Walsingham, but the visiting Lady Trojans scored twice in the last 20 minutes to take a 2-0 win over NSA.

NSA goalkeeper Mary Pedigo has been great for the Lady Saints all season and she made 16 saves on Tuesday. Walsingham converted on a penalty corner 10 minutes into the second half and put the match away with four minutes remaining, scoring to make it 2-0 on an end-to-end break down the field just after one of NSA’s best scoring chances of the game.

NSA and Walsingham each had chances in the first half. Forwards Brooke Starling and Kelsey White had the best attacks for the Lady Saints.

Walsingham possessed the ball better than the Lady Saints and when Walsingham moved the game into the NSA half of the field, it was tough for the Lady Saints to get the ball back into midfield and toward the Walsingham end.

Walsingham finished the half with an 8-5 advantage in shots and a 9-3 advantage in corners. NSA held Walsingham scoreless on all those corner chances though. Pedigo, with Sarah Simms, Emily Lewinski, Kelsey Blanks and Emma Salmon, were the five Lady Saints defending on each corner.

NSA came close to a 1-0 lead early in the second half. Four minutes into the half, Simms, White and Starling each had whacks at the ball in a flurry of action a few yards from the Walsingham goal line, but the ball didn’t find the cage.

A few minutes later, on Walsingham’s 10th corner of the match, Walsingham got on the board.

In the last 12 minutes, NSA built more and more pressure around the Walsingham arc. NSA had its only corner of the second half with six minutes to go and counting.

NSA (3-9-1, 0-3-0) hosts Hampton Roads on Tuesday in a TCIS match. NSA defeated HRA 3-1 on Oct. 1 in Newport News.