SWAMPSCOTT— When it’s the final home game of the regular season, make it count.
That’s exactly what Swampscott’s field hockey team did at Blocksidge Field on Thursday, defeating Bishop Fenwick, 1-0, with a goal in the final minute. Sofia Robelo-Puch did the honors off a second-chance opportunity in front of the net.
“I thought there were parts of the game that we did really well in,” said Swampscott coach Courtney Russo. “I think we had good intensity.”
Robelo-Puch slotted home the golden goal, while other players caught Russo’s eyes as well.
“I thought Nola Conley played well today along with Megan Baran and Emma Reen. I think, offensively, we just needed to finish a little bit more and make the most out of some of those opportunities,” Russo said. “I think our corner unit did a good job to finish up and get off some good shots. We executed some good corners, so I thought that was good.”
Early on, both sides made some key defensive stops, while Virginia Cahill protected Fenwick’s net quite nicely in the first half. There were a few quality shots created by Baran (assist), but Swampscott couldn’t find the back of the net.
“I think we broke down in some basics and didn’t capitalize on a lot of opportunities,” Russo said. “We had a lot of time in our offensive zone and just didn’t do the little things that we needed to do to finish when we had those opportunities.”
The third quarter was a defensive battle once again, with Cahill and Swampscott’s Lilah Caplan (4 saves) each making a pair of saves.
Goaltending and defense were themes moving forward, but in the end, Swampscott was the only side to break through.
Despite the shutout loss, there were a couple of Crusaders who stood out, according to coach Marybeth Mahoney.
“I feel like Olivia Watson, Ashley Stickney, and Nicole Tinkham all worked really hard in the midfield,” Mahoney said. “It was Allyson Lehman, Bailey Chalmers, and Vivianna Fortin on defense. I feel like our defense really carried us today.”
Against a strong Swampscott offense, Mahoney acknowledged, “We were stuck in our defensive end a little too much.
“But when we were putting together good passing sequences, we were moving the ball well,” she said. “We just didn’t create enough opportunities for ourselves on the field today.”
