Field hockey trounces Oliver Ames in rematch

Needing a win to stay in contention for another Hockomock League title, the CHS field hockey team took on third-place Oliver Ames last week and did not disappoint, pouncing on the Tigers for three quick goals en route to an easy 5-0 victory.

Junior Kellie Stigas (Mike Barucci photo)

For head coach Fior Griffin, it was just the kind of complete performance that she had been hoping to see from her squad, and it came at just the right time as the Bulldogs (8-1-4) gear up for what will hopefully be another lengthy run in the Division 2 state tournament.

“I have been talking all season about playing well for 60 minutes, and I think they definitely did that this time,” said Griffin. “Overall, it was a really good game, and the girls felt good about it too.”

After settling for a 2-2 tie in their last meeting with the Tigers, the Bulldogs decided to make scoring the point of emphasis in the rematch — and the strategy paid off as the hosts jumped out to a 3-0 lead after just 12 minutes of play.

The Bulldogs then continued to dominate possession, and while they did not score again until after halftime, they remained in attack mode and finished the first half with 10 penalty corners and 11 shots on net.

Junior Kellie Stigas was the offensive star for Canton, finishing with two goals and two assists, while senior captain Meghan McKenna added a pair of goals. Sophomore forward Mary McNeil also scored in the victory, and junior Alex Dillon chipped in with an assist.

Defensively, the team got a boost from the return of Casey Considine from injury, and the defense as a whole seemed much improved, particularly in front of the net, according to Griffin.

The coach also praised the performance of sophomore Jackie Martin, who has been steady all season and is one of the team’s most versatile players.

The Bulldogs’ second game last week, scheduled for Friday at home, was postponed due to rain and will be made up this week. The girls were also due to host Foxboro on Tuesday and will close out the regular season with back-to-back away games today at Stoughton and Saturday at nonleague Westwood.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Oct 25 2012. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.