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Attack Early: Aggressivness sparks Albemarle hockey past Western

Albemarle’s field hockey team has a winning formula that’s pretty simple — get on the board early. 

 

“Before every game we usually get the ‘I want a goal in the first five minutes and then we’ll hit subs, just push it as hard as you can’ (from coach Brittany McElheny),” said Albemarle’s Josie Martin. “The earlier the goal, the happier we are.”

 

The Patriots’ aggressiveness out of the gate has shown in the last few games and Tuesday night Courtney Hughlett put Albemarle up early and Albemarle rode that early momentum to a 4-1 victory over Western Albemarle. 

 

Hughlett tacked on another goal in the second half from way outside off a Jordyn Solak assist. That goal was a marked contrast from most of the Patriots’ goals which aren’t pretty — they’re not highlight reel stuff.

 

“But they’re so scrappy, it’s so much fun to watch,” Martin said. “Even on the side, getting a break, I love watching this team play.”

 

Caroline Hughlett and Liz Yow scored the other two goals in that scrappy fashion, with Hughlett tipping the ball around the keeper for Yow’s goal while she finished her own in a mad scramble in front of the goal late in the second quarter. 

 

The offense’s work provides a spark for the Patriots’ midfield that has done a top notch job of keeping the ball in the offensive zone of late, which creates a lot of opportunities to score. Martin plays a big role as a right midfielder, preventing runs coming up the left side from advancing up the field. 

 

“We have gotten so aggressive as the season progresses,” Martin said. “Maggie Lynn has been incredible being on every side of the field — even though she’s supposed to be in the middle, she’s everywhere. I think we’ve done a really good job of controlling the ball and we’ve worked on swinging the ball and it has really helped.”

 

The Warriors, meanwhile, got on the board late with a Sophie Lanahan goal and performed well despite coming off a recent COVID-19 contact tracing pause that temporarily shut down the Western season. They returned Monday with a hard fought 1-0 victory over Monticello, then played well despite the Albemarle win. 

 

“I’m really proud of our girls because we had our 14 day pause and then we had Monticello Monday which was pretty emotional and then we had to come back to play these guys,” said Western coach Mia Fields. “I thought the girls stepped up for not having any practice, to not have any conditioning. They never quit, it was a good team effort.”

 

The Warriors managed the pause as well as they possibly could, using technology to stay connected. 

 

“They understood that this could always be a possibility but they stayed connected to each other,” Fields said. “They constantly chatted with each other and they’re excited to get going.”

 

Albemarle will host Fluvanna County Wednesday night while the Warriors will travel to Fluvanna Thursday before they play games next week on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. 

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