ORANGE — Two weeks ago, Orange County’s field hockey team headed into its penultimate Jefferson District game at Monticello undefeated in league play and prepared to clinch a virtual tie for the District’s regular season crown.
The Mustangs, riding an emotional high on that fateful Friday Senior Day, defeated the Hornets. Orange would lose the following Monday at Western Albemarle, conceding its grasp of the District’s regular season title and scuffling into the postseason in poor form.
“We lost our swagger after those last few games,” Orange coach Trish Grabeel said. “But we had another chance to play again, to get some of that swagger back and play like we can.”
Luckily for the Hornets, the Jefferson District postseason—which they are hosting— provides a clean, and somewhat advantageous, slate. Orange took advantage of its second chance against Monticello, defeating the Mustangs 2-0 to clinch a berth into the District’s championship game.
After a scoreless first half that saw the teams consistently swap possession in the midfield, Orange assert itself in the second half. The Hornets enjoyed greater possession of the ball inside of the Mustangs’ circle in the second stanza, and their persistence paid off when they converted two of the five penalty corners they drew.
Senior All-State back Carrie Jacobs scored both of the corners, blasting both goals into the cage immediately off injections. The first goal, which came off a layoff from Kara Carter, came five minutes into the second half. The second goal came ten minutes from the end of the game.
“I heard it hit the post and I didn’t think it went in. I’m normally a pass-first player, so me stepping up and scoring was exciting,” Jacobs said.
“My heart sank, honestly. This game will help our confidence so much. I haven’t been great with corners this season, and it feels good. I was like, ‘I want to do that so bad again.’”
Overall, Orange edged Monticello 6-2 in shots and 11-2 in penalty corners. Monticello coach Katie Owens, who expected her team to play better considering her team’s big win two weeks ago, left the game equally puzzled in why her team lost grasp of the game.
“The team just didn’t show up to play tonight, the intensity wasn’t there,” Owens said. “It’s frustrating, because I know this team can play better. But Orange really came to play. We just didn’t defend well tonight. You have to execute the game plan to win tough games.”
Meanwhile, Grabeel was enthusiastic about her team’s performance and upcoming championship rematch against Western Albemarle.
“We got a little bit of our swagger back. We knew after the end of the season that we would have to change some things—such as starting a player who hasn’t seen starting minutes really, or moving Carrie back to her natural position [in the back line as cover],” Grabeel said.
“We’re looking forward to playing Western on Thursday—[the Warriors] pose a little bit of a different style, focusing on precision and possession compared to Monticello’s big-ball play—and hopefully we close strong. It’s for all the marbles from here on out. It’s about putting your best out here and getting ready for each and every game.”
