The Nansemond River High School field hockey team’s home game against Hickory High School spanned two days due to a lightning delay on Wednesday, and the Lady Hawks led when play concluded on both days.

They took a 1-0 lead on Wednesday after four minutes and 16 seconds of play and finished the game on Thursday with the final score being 5-3.

“I thought we put up a good fight against them,” Lady Warriors coach Ali Mowry said. “That game wasn’t out of our reach today.”

The Lady Hawks made the score 2-0 with 16 minutes left in the first half, but Nansemond River closed the gap before halftime on a goal by sophomore Ashlyn Rogers, assisted by senior Jaclyn Mounie.

Just under seven minutes had expired in the second half when a goal by Rogers tied the game 2-2, with the assist coming from freshman Sarah Rhiel.

“Ashlyn Rogers had a great game today,” Mowry said. “Her intensity never dropped.”

The coach said she thinks the extra work Rogers has put in to enhance her shooting abilities paid off on Thursday; she scored her first goal via a reverse chip shot.

Following Rogers’ tying goal, Hickory went on a run, scoring with 21:10 to go in regulation, then again a little over four minutes later and once more about two minutes after that.

Mounie brought her team within two goals of the Lady Hawks by scoring with 12:10 remaining. The assist on the goal came from junior Ariana Samuel.

Pointing to some of the issues that held her team back, Mowry said, “We weren’t pressuring the ball quick enough. Our footwork was lacking, and we weren’t taking care of the ball when we did get possession.”

She praised senior Alex Wilde for a great game in goal, though. “For all the shots that were coming at her. I thought she held her own.”

Wilde finished with 10 saves.

Because of the Virginia High School League’s latest realignment, it is possible the Lady Warriors have not seen the last of the Lady Hawks. Their paths could cross in the postseason as both are part of Group 5A.

Nansemond River (3-1) hosts Western Branch High School on Wednesday, then visits Bethel High School on Thursday, which will be the Lady Warriors’ first conference game of the season.