The Nansemond River High School field hockey team improved its Conference 10 record to 3-0 on Monday with some help from a familiar name in a reversed role.

The victory came via a 6-0 final score against visiting Hampton High School.

The Lady Warriors eliminated their first-half sluggishness that was present on Thursday against Menchville High School, but they were not as sharp as they could have been on Monday, either.

“Instead of really finding a teammate out wide, they were just kind of cramming everything in the middle because we could,” NR coach Ali Mowry said.

The Lady Crabbers gave up three goals each half, though the Lady Warriors missed opportunities in front of the face of the goal.

“A game like today we were able to get away with that,” Mowry said. “If it comes down to that in a conference tournament game, we’re going to be in trouble.”

She noted the finishing failures are frustrating, but she is not trying to overemphasize the point with her players “because they’re frustrated, too, out there, with not scoring.”

Something that happened in the final minutes of game, however, brightened the day for everyone on Nansemond River’s side.

“I knew I wanted to get Cali (Valdivieso) in the goal and Alex (Wilde) in the field at some point in their senior year,” Mowry said, referring to one of her backs and her goalkeeper, respectively. She added she “thought this was the opportunity to go ahead and do it since we were up in the game.”

“Just trying to get Alex on the goal side of things since she’s always saving goals for us,” the coach continued.

When a timeout was called late in the second half with her team up 5-0, Wilde hurriedly climbed out of her heavy goalie gear and got ready to take the field.

“Never played field ‘til today,” she said after the game. “I’m tired, already. It was fun, though.”

She made the most of her opportunity, scoring a goal off senior midfielder Ashley Hiltabrand’s second assist of the game.

Mowry said she honestly expected Wilde to score.

“Every time I’ve put a goalie in the field, they’ve scored,” she said. “I started that a few years ago with Lindsey Hunter.”

On Sunday, Wilde prepared for her possible stint at forward with a teammate, sophomore forward Ashlyn Rogers.

“She showed me how to do deflections,” Wilde said. “We weren’t out here that long, and Ashlyn was like, ‘Just stand by the post, and just put your stick there.’ And I was like ‘OK,’ not knowing what I’m doing.”

Junior forward Ariana Samuel helped put Nansemond River in a situation where it could afford to play Wilde and Valdivieso out of position, recording a goal and three assists on Monday.

“Ariana had a good game,” Mowry said. “She’s just an unselfish player, really tries to set her teammates up with passes to get a good shot off.”

Samuel also came off the field to allow Wilde her opportunity.

Nansemond River (10-2, 3-0) hosts Kecoughtan High School on Wednesday.