Field hockey advances to south sectional semis

The Canton High field hockey team, the defending south sectional champions and a perennial Division 2 powerhouse, moved to within two wins of a fourth consecutive crown after edging past No. 4 Old Rochester 1-0 on the road in the quarterfinals on Monday.

Junior Katie Kelleher (Mike Barucci photo)

The victory came just two days after the Bulldogs, seeded fifth out of 21 teams, took down No. 12 Dedham in a thrilling first-round matchup that went into double overtime. In both games, Canton played stellar team defense and outplayed its opponent offensively — an obvious recipe for success that the Bulldogs were hoping to duplicate against top-seeded Apponequet in yesterday’s semifinal game.

“The girls really seem to be peaking right now,” noted assistant coach Dee Moritz, who has stepped in to lead the team over the past two games.

Moritz was not sure whether head coach Fior Griffin — who became the mother of a new baby girl on Friday — would be back on the sidelines this postseason; however, she knows that Griffin is rooting from afar and is proud of the team’s effort and clutch play.

Moritz said the Bulldogs have been playing with a tremendous amount of confidence as of late, and that was evident in the opening-round win on Saturday as the team held its ground against a talented and physical Dedham squad.

Canton nearly pulled out the victory in regulation, taking a 1-0 lead into the final minutes of the second half before Dedham scored with three minutes to go to send the game into overtime. But the hosts limited Dedham’s chances in the first seven-on-seven overtime period and went on to clinch the victory in the second overtime thanks to Mary McNeil’s game-winning score.

Junior Katie Kelleher also came up big in the win, scoring the team’s first goal, while goalkeeper Emily Buckley made a few “sprawling saves” and had a strong overall performance.

Monday’s quarterfinal game at Old Rochester proved to be another hard-fought battle, with neither team generating many scoring opportunities or penalty corners. Senior captain Meghan McKenna scored the lone goal of the game on a penalty stroke in the first half, while the Canton defense clamped down in the second half to preserve the lead.

The Bulldogs were even forced to play shorthanded for a 15-minute stretch after incurring two separate personal fouls, yet they still managed to hold Old Rochester scoreless.

“I can’t say enough about our team defense — the girls were amazing,” noted Moritz. “They have really jelled as a unit and are playing with great poise and patience. It’s really been fun to see the progression of the defense throughout the season.”

Moritz said the squad was confident heading into its semifinal game at Apponequet on Wednesday, and if the Bulldogs could pull off the upset, then they would find themselves back in the sectional finals for the fourth straight season and the seventh time since 2004.

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Posted by Jay Turner on Nov 7 2012. Filed under High School, Sports. Both comments and pings are currently closed.