New Kent blanks Colonial Heights 3-0 on Senior Night

Lady Trojan Hannah Gilland (left) attempts to block a pass launched by Colonial Heights' Tamara Bowen.

Alan Chamberlain photo

For most of Wednesday night’s field hockey match, New Kent’s Lady Trojans held a narrow and far from safe 1-0 lead, thanks to a first half goal off the stick of Samantha Emana. But pair of late second half scores widened the margin, leading to a 3-0 shutout of Colonial Heights’ visiting Colonials.

Lady Trojan coach Matt Duckworth admitted to breathing easier after his team padded its lead on the way to capping a successful Senior Night celebration.

“Especially when they got pressure on us down low, but I thought we responded quite well,” he said.

Emana’s opening score with an assist from Maddie Collins occurred at the 21:24 mark of the first half. The hosts dominated the period, but could not extend their lead, despite a series of near misses on a flurry of shots as time wound down toward the break.

“Their goalie made a lot of great saves and they contested the middle,” Duckworth said. “We didn’t take advantage of our opportunities, but it’s nice to get the win.”

The Colonials missed a chance to tie 14 minutes from the end of regulation. Casey Ridpath drove the ball past defenders for an open shot from the right side, but the effort sailed wide left.

Duckworth called time out inside of 11 minutes to go in an attempt to slow the visitors’ momentum and settle his team. The ploy worked.

Just over two minutes later, Marley McCartney took a pass from Clenis Lloyd to punch in the hosts’ second goal. Then with less than a minute left, Peyton Slater tacked on the final score off an Emana assist.

“It was nice to see scoring from different girls tonight,” Duckworth said, pointing to McCartney and Slater who recorded their first goals of the season.

New Kent, now 4-10, managed 14 shots for the game. Lady Trojan keeper Kindred Grey stopped three Colonial Heights shots.