The Nansemond River High School field hockey team shut out host King’s Fork High School 6-0 in a cross-city showdown on Wednesday evening. But that did not necessarily mean the Lady Warriors’ coach was happy or that the Lady Bulldogs’ coach was upset.

NR coach Ali Mowry did not question her players’ effort, but she was displeased by their lack of intensity.

“They should be out here wanting to play every day,” she said on Thursday. “That was missing yesterday. I know it was a 6-0 win, and a win is a win, but I just want them out here every day ready to play the game and play it the right way.”

She noted the Lady Warriors played it the right way in a 4-1 victory over visiting Great Bridge High School on Monday.

“That was a great day,” she said. “They either have to match that or do better now.”

Though Wednesday’s game was King’s Fork’s second 6-0 loss of the week, Lady Bulldogs coach Darcy Pinchbeck continued to see progress in her girls’ play.

“Every game, they are getting better, and I feel like that was one of our best games,” she said. “We still definitely have to improve, but as long as they are getting better each game and each practice, then I’m happy with that.”

She said she believes her team can do well the remainder of the season.

Nansemond River sophomore forward Ashlyn Rogers used two of her three goals on Wednesday to give her team a 2-0 lead less than 10 minutes into the game.

Junior forward Ariana Samuel made it 3-0 before halftime arrived and then assisted on a goal by senior midfielder/forward Jaclyn Mounie 1:21 into the second half.

Mowry got after her players about their intensity level during the break.

“They did start the second half better; intensity and passing was stronger,” she said.

Benefiting from her second assist of the game from freshman midfielder Sarah Rhiel, Rogers later completed her hat trick to make it 5-0.

Praising Rogers’s play on the day, Mowry said, “Her shooting was on, and (she was) crossing the ball really well.”

Junior back Mackenzie Roach scored the final goal of the game on a penalty corner.

The Lady Warriors earned 11 offensive penalty corners, while King’s Fork had two.

The game could have been more lopsided still, and Pinchbeck was particularly pleased by the play of the Lady Bulldogs new goalkeeper.

“I really am happy with Hannah O’Neal stepping up as a team player and becoming goalie, because she really has tremendously helped out,” the coach said. “I think that she is going to be a key player this year.”

O’Neal, a junior, recorded a significant number of saves between Wednesday’s game and Monday’s 6-0 loss to visiting Grassfield High School.

On Monday, Nansemond River (7-1) visits Grassfield, while King’s Fork (0-7) hosts Oscar Smith High School.