Second half goals propel Lady Trojans past Smithfield

Lady Trojan defender Maggie Stewart (right) reaches to take the ball away from Smithfield's Ashlyn Newberry.

Alan Chamberlain photo

Taking advantage of their second half corner opportunities, New Kent’s Lady Trojans broke a 1-1 halftime deadlock tonight (Monday) on the way to a 3-1 field hockey conquest of Smithfield’s visiting Packers.

Moments after play resumed following intermission, Lady Trojan Clare Morris put the hosts in front to stay, taking Maddie Collins’ corner inbounds pass and blasting a high shot past Packer goalkeeper Hunter Wilson. Then off another corner, Caitlin McCaughan tacked on an insurance goal just past the second half’s midpoint.

Next, New Kent’s defense turned back a series of Smithfield corners down the stretch to preserve the win.

“We made it kind of hard on ourselves at the end,” said New Kent head coach Matt Duckworth, who watched his team halt a three-game losing skid.

“We played around a little too much early on and tried to be a little too neat with the ball in the circle,” he said.

“We only had one first half corner because we weren’t putting enough pressure on them,” he said. “I moved Brittany LaPrade to defense in the second half to take advantage of her aggressiveness and we did a much better job of maintaining pressure.”

Still, the hosts jumped on top in the early going on a LaPrade goal set up by McCaughan. Taking the ball near the Packer goal, McCaughan drew three defenders, leaving LaPrade open for an easy shot past Wilson.

The Packers, however, answered moments later on one of their four first half corners. Skylar Hedgepeth placed a shot beyond Lady Trojan keeper Megan Bland, but nothing else would get past Bland for the remainder of the first half or Kindred Grey who took over in goal in the second.

New Kent had chances to regain the lead before the break, but Wilson stopped shots by McCaughan and Morris.

The outcome marked New Kent’s first victory in four tries over a team from the old Bay Rivers District and raised the Lady Trojans’ record to 6-3.

“I’m seeing improvement game to game,” said Duckworth.