Shift in strategy propels New Kent to 3-1 field hockey win

New Kent’s Emily Montecalvo (7) maneuvers around a Bruton defender to dribble the ball down the field.

Robb Johnson photo

“I was impressed with our energy and speed, especially with the way we started and were moving out there tonight.”

Those words came from an elated Lady Trojans head coach Matt Duckworth as New Kent defeated the visiting Bruton Lady Panthers 3-1 in the Sept. 13 field hockey contest.

Both teams failed to convert penalty corners early in the contest. But while the Lady Panthers’ offense was stifled by the fast play defense of the hosts, New Kent’s pressure kept the visitors on the defensive side of the field for most of the first half. Despite five scoring attempts, it wasn’t until Lady Trojan senior Peyton Slater’s score halfway through the opening stanza bestowed a 1-0 lead. That advantage held up until the intermission break.

Two minutes into the second half, New Kent’s Abbie Clarke converted a penalty corner to up the hosts’ lead. Bruton countered six minutes later, as Alyssa Arbelli-Smith capitalized on a penalty corner to cut the lead in half (2-1). The guests attempted to find another score, but New Kent’s Karsyn Justice scored on another penalty corner for the host, creating the final margin in the contest.

After the contest, Duckworth reflected on his team’s performance and the improvement seen over the past few weeks.

“We simply switched things up in terms of strategy,” the victorious head coach said. “We used deception on our opponent and didn’t allow them to stop our goals.

“We need to make sure that we are sacrificing and going all in on the offensive side of the ball like we did tonight,” Duckworth added. “We must for other teams to play to our strengths and we just need to keep scoring.”

New Kent ups its record to 3-4 overall and 1-1 in the Bay Rivers District.