MARPLE TWP. – Cardinal O’Hara made Archbishop Carroll sweat Wednesday afternoon.
For three quarters, anyway.
Then the Patriots reminded the Lions why they’re the five-time reigning Catholic League champs.
Junior Sophie McClelland scored the go-ahead goal in the fourth quarter, freshman Jill Nieczpiel added an insurance tally late in regulation, and Carroll defeated O’Hara, 4-2, in a rematch of last year’s Catholic League final.
The Patriots and Lions entered the day tied atop the Catholic League standings at 4-0, so this one carried more weight than your average Wednesday afternoon field hockey game. Carroll bested O’Hara in last year’s league championship game and is vying for its sixth straight league title.
McClelland was happy to play a small part in Wednesday’s outcome.
“It’s a really big game,” she said. “It’s obviously our biggest PCL game, and it means a lot to us to win. We knew they were going to be one of the best teams that we have to face. Probably going to be the biggest competition so far this year. We were just all excited because it was the biggest game for us “
The game didn’t start like it was headed toward a four-goal afternoon. The first quarter was scoreless, with both defenses making life difficult around the circle.
Archbishop Carroll’s Cassie Keelan clears a ball out of the defensive zone against Cardinal O’Hara Wednesday afternoon. The Patriot’s went on to a 4-2 victory. (PETE BANNAN/MediaNews Group)
O’Hara defensive midfielder Catie Doogan applied pressure that helped create a clean chance for speedy Kylie Donnelly, but the opportunity fizzled. The Lions nearly fired the opening salvo with about 1:20 left in the quarter when Ava Mainardi got a couple of whacks at a loose ball in front of the cage, but Carroll defender Harper Syron had other plans. Syron, who was outstanding throughout the afternoon, made a huge defensive save to keep the game scoreless. Behind her, senior goalie Fiona Conboy, who recently recorded her 500th career save, was ready for anything thay came her way.
The second quarter was a totally different vibe as yhree goals arrived in a span of 2:07. Carroll struck first with 11:22 left when Taylor Schwarz found the ball amid a crowded scrum in front of the cage. Schwarz got the final touch and punched it past O’Hara goalie Aubrey Rivet, with Charlotte Simpson earning the assist.
O’Hara barely had time to process that before answering. Sammy Hippert worked through traffic in front and slipped a shot past Conboy just 42 seconds later. Raquel Connelly assisted, and suddenly it was 1-1.
Carroll didn’t exactly enjoy the tie for long. Senior Cassie Keenan took off on a nice run and finished the chance with 9:29 left, putting the Patriots back in front, 2-1. That held through halftime.
Carroll came out looking for some breathing room in the third quarter. Morgan Wood, the team’s most explosive player, had a few opportunities in open space that led to nothing. The Patriots generated two corner opportunities during the first three minutes, but couldn’t cash either one in.
O’Hara had chances, too. Mainardi got a steal and raced toward the cage but couldn’t get a shot away. Later, with the Lions threatening again, Syron came up with another important defensive play, stealing the ball and clearing it away.
O’Hara finally pulled even with 6:10 left in the third. The Lions earned their first corner of the second half, and Sophia Gosseaux redirected the opportunity past Conboy off an assist from Molly Favazzoi.
Carroll nearly reclaimed the lead before the quarter ended when Wood, scary good in open space, broke loose for a strong run. Her effort resulted in an untimed corner, but O’Hara’s defense held.
Cardinal O’Hara’s Catie Doogan tries to dribble past Archbishop Carroll’s Morgan Wood Wednesday afternoon. The Patriot’s went on to a 4-2 victory. (PETE BANNAN/MediaNews Group)
Going into the final stanza, Carroll remained poised.
“We just thought that we wanted it more. It would be tough, but we all believed we would win,” McClelland said. “We needed to do whatever it would take to get this win. This was for first place in the PCL and we just knew we had to pull it out.”
Wood created another dangerous run early in the fourth, but Rivet turned her away. Donnelly answered for O’Hara with a nifty dribbling sequence deep in Carroll territory, but her shot clipped the leg of an O’Hara teammate and went out of play.
Carroll maintained pressure on the other end. Sophomore Shea Grant created a big turnover with 9:20 left, stopping an O’Hara attack before it could develop. Then, with 7:22 remaining, Carroll found the back of the net. Nieczpiel set up McClelland for the go-ahead goal. McClelland found herself on the left side of the cage, got her stick on the ball and buried it.
With two minutes remaining, Nieczpiel found the ball amid another wild scramble in front of the cage and knocked it home, giving Carroll a two-goal cushion and putting the game firmly in its hands.
Conboy finished with six saves, while Rivet kept O’Hara within striking distance for most of the afternoon, stopping 10 shots.
O’Hara made them work for it, but Carroll left with bragging rights …again. But it sure wouldn’t be a surprise to see the teams meet again in November, right?
“We probably will,” McClelland said.