WILMINGTON — Archmere gave up a goal two minutes into its field hockey contest at Wilmington Charter on Sept. 15, but that was the only shot to get behind freshman goalie Hadleigh Shaw. The Auks tied the game late, then came through in the new overtime format for a 1-1 (3-0) victory over the Force.
Charter took control early, An early penalty corner led to the first goal. Off a restart, the ball ended up on the stick of Ivy Anderson at the top of the scoring circle, and her shot, screened by a bunch of bodies, found the cage at the 12:56 mark.
Both teams took turns in control over the next three-plus quarters, but Shaw and her counterpart, Force goalie Sophie Lavoie Boone, were equal to the task. Archmere had several penalty corners that did not result in goals, and Boone made a save with 10 seconds left in the first half.
The Force were just a few minutes from victory when Archmere finally broke through. The Auks earned a penalty corner with 2:45 to go in regulation, and the Force came up with a defensive save to stop one chance. On the rebound, however, Liliana Slijepcevic whacked the ball over a few bodies in front for the equalizer.
The teams played 10 minutes of overtime at seven on seven, with the defenses coming up big. Shaw made a diving stop about halfway through, and Charter had two penalty corners with no time left on the clock, but they could not capitalize.
The game moved to a shootout, which is new this season, with five players from each team taking turns going one-on-one with the goalies. Each shooter had eight seconds with which to work, and saves did not stop the clock.
Archmere took full advantage, but it wasn’t easy. Lauren Wenger led off, and after some dekes and a shot that Boone stopped, Wenger got around the prone goalie and hit the open net. Archmere’s next shooter, Slijepcevic, had a shot stopped before prevailing. Finally, Juliet Polsky (St. Anthony of Padua Parish) put the Auks ahead, 3-0, in the second overtime, with some perseverance. After having a shot roll to a stop in the grass, Polsky, laying on the ground to the right of the cage, reached out with her stick and knocked the ball in as Boone lunged from her own prone position.
Shaw, meanwhile, was perfect in the shootout. She stopped the first two Charter attempts, and after Polsky’s goal, she needed one more to clinch the victory, and she got it.
Charter finished with a 10-7 shot advantage, but the Auks earned nine penalty corners to seven for the Force. Shaw had nine saves. The Auks (1-1) visit Saint Mark’s on Thursday at 3:45 p.m.
For the Force, Boone finished with six saves. Charter fell to 1-2 and plays at Tatnall on Thursday at 4 p.m.
Photos by Mike Lang.
AJUDANZEUS SLOT