Mustangs face off against Ocean City’s Red Raiders
LINWOOD — The Mustang field hockey team finished last week with a 3-3-1 record. Head coach Erin Davis wants her team to improve with every game and to win their division.
“I think each game we’ve played, we’ve gotten better every quarter,” Davis said.
A lot of her players have been picking up their sticks in the offseason, which has been helping so far this season. She has a tight-knit group among all four grades.
“They just connect really well on the field, off the field. It’s been really fun,” she said.
She has five seniors — Addie Scanlon, Kennedy Connors, Lexi DeFeo, Evelyn Lowry and Adriana Marinelli.
“They have done a really nice job being leaders throughout the summer. They’re kind of a more quiet group vocally, but they lead by example. They each have a piece of the puzzle in terms of leadership,” Davis said. “They work really well together and have taken all the underclassmen under their wings. They’ve really created a nice vibe on the team.”
Leading the attack are Scanlon and Annaliese Farren, a junior. Sophomore Addie Winters is at right forward and “does a really nice job making some of those inside, outside give-and-goes to create scoring opportunities.
In the midfield are junior Addie Donovan at center, DeFeo and Connors. Davis said they have done well helping the offense and getting back on defense.
“They have really strong sticks in the backfield and have been doing a great job marking in our last couple games,” the coach said.
The Mustangs faced a tough opponent in Ocean City High School on Friday afternoon, falling 7-0 to the Red Raiders, but Davis saw positives in that game as well, especially with goalie Isabella Saad. The junior made 23 saves in the game that was played largely in Mainland’s end of the field.
Ocean City’s Casey Adamson scored twice in the game and the Red Raiders had individual goals from Stevie Wright, Amanda Kunze, Everlee Peak, Marley Dwyer and Lyla Clark to improve to 4-2 on the season.
“It was insane,” Davis said of Saad. “She had over 20 saves in the Ocean City game and over 11 saves in our game against Oakcrest earlier this week. She just passed 100 career saves. She has been doing such a great job back there, communicating, coming up with big stops.
“And she brings such a great energy and positivity to our team that trickles all the way up to our forward line,” Davis said.
On the back line in front of Saad are juniors Julianna Pattillo, Sophie Goff and Molly Bytheway. “They have really strong sticks in the backfield,” Davis said.
The coach gave a shout-out to her assistants — Taylor Klever, Sam Becker and Angela Robbins. “I wouldn’t be able to do this without them,” she said. “I mean, they basically handle everything. They’re the best assistants.”
Davis believes her team is capable not only of improving with every game, but can have a pretty strong postseason run.
The Mustangs play in the United Division. Their next home game is 4 p.m. Thursday against Atlantic City. They travel to Bridgeton Sept. 29 and are back home against Absegami on Oct. 1.
Ocean City, which is in the American Division, is at Middle Township at 4 p.m. today (Sept. 23) and then home at 4 p.m. Friday against Hammonton.
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
