Working with early lead, NK topples Northampton, 4-2

Lady Trojan Clare Morris splits Northampton defenders Dylan Bennett (21) and Sarah Head as she drives toward the Yellow Jacket goal.

Alan Chamberlain photo

Building a three goal lead in the first half, New Kent’s Lady Trojans held off Northampton’s visiting Yellow Jackets the rest of the way en route to a 4-2 field hockey win.

Last Thursday’s outcome raised the hosts’ record to 8-6 and increased their chances of hosting a first round game in next week’s conference playoffs.

“We moved the ball very efficiently so it was just a matter of finding the right holes,” said Lady Trojan coach Matt Duckworth.

Just over three minutes into the contest, the hosts broke on top to stay behind Melanie McNew’s close range shot off a Liz Heath assist. Midway through the half, Caitlin McCaughan drilled the hosts’ second goal. Then with just under four minutes before the break, Taylor Bland hammered in the third score after taking a long pass from Clare Morris.

Northampton’s Adrianna Simpson, however, got the visitors on the scoreboard just before the first half expired.

“I think we got kind of tired and fell apart a little bit, but then we scrapped it out,” said Duckworth. “[The Yellow Jackets] were more physical than the first time we played them, and I think that caught us off guard.”

New Kent answered the Northampton score early in the second half as Heath maneuvered the ball for a high percentage shot past Yellow Jacket goalkeeper Katie Spady and a 4-1 lead. Simpson scored her second goal three minutes later to account for the final margin.

New Kent fired 11 shots to eight for the Yellow Jackets. New Kent keeper Megan Bland stopped two shots while Spady managed four saves.