Lone NK goal almost equal to win over powerful Tabb

Lady Trojan Taylor Williams hoists the ball and is mobbed by teammates after scoring against Tabb.

Alan Chamberlain photo

As Taylor Williams retrieved the ball from the Tabb goal, her New Kent Lady Trojan teammates rushed to her side, touching off a wild celebration that could match or exceed any victory celebration.

And even though New Kent trailed the powerhouse Tigers 7-0 when Williams scored, her goal represented a field hockey breakthrough for the hosts.

“Taylor really came through. That’s the first goal we’ve scored against Tabb that I can remember,” Lady Trojan coach Matt Duckworth said after the Sept. 26 clash ended with Tabb on top 8-1, dropping his team to 5-4 on the season.

Williams scored off the Lady Trojans’ first and only penalty corner of the night, coming with just over 16 minutes left in the second half. Moments earlier, she had driven the ball into Tabb territory before being upended by the Tiger goalkeeper.

Tabb, however, controlled the contest, scoring less that one minute into the match and then adding a flurry of five more goals over a 17-minute span of the first half. The Tigers’ Melissa Progar registered a hat trick, helping the visitors mount a 6-0 advantage at the break.

“You have to play to [Tabb’s] speed, which kills us,” said Duckworth. “But we came out with a lot of energy and got that goal, so I was pleased.”