FREDERICK, Md. – With a second half surge and escaping all man-down scenarios, the field hockey team bleeds blue in the win over the Roanoke Maroons 3-2 in shootout fashion at Thomas Athletic Field on Wednesday night.
Inside the Box Score
Grace Guy (Mechanicsville, Md./Chopticon) made four saves and left with a clean sheet in OT and beyond.
Kate Haufe (Severna Park, Md./Severna Park) scores the Blazers first goal, her sixth of the season to give her sole possession of 4
th place all-time in goals.
Madeline Moreno's (Mansfield, N.J./Warren Hills Regional) goal was her second goal of the season.
How it Happened
In the first quarter, the Blazers fired bullets left and right of the goal, even an attempt that slapped off the post but kept at bay from the first score.
With the clean play and pressure at goal, Hood had plans to jump on a team that historically had their number.
The Maroons were left without a corner until inside the five-minute mark, Guy saving both pokes by the attack to pass her first test of the day.
The half would end with 14 shots, two Blazer cards and 0-0 tie entering the half.
It would be Roanoke who would break the draw on a penalty corner attempt. A relay from outside the arc and from two other teammates before the shot trickled slowly past the line to the surprise of the Blazer defense.
The response would be high-powered shots by the Blazers, deflecting off defenders sticks and dangerously flying by the goal. It would end up being Haufe on clean-up duty to break the tie as multiple shots were blocked before one would look to head out of play but the senior punched it in for her seventh of the season.
Later, Moreno sent a screamer towards goal that could've put a hole in the keeper's pad, but nonetheless kept flight until it hit the back of goal and put the Blazers in pink in the lead.
Late in regulation, things got dangerous on a penalty corner for Roanoke and a cluster formed within feet of the goal with sticks flying. Even with their best strikes, between the presence of Guy and the body block of Moreno the rally was denied. Unfortunately, shortly after the save an infraction gave Roanoke a penalty stroke and they put the defibrillator on the game.
Quickly into the extra period, it looked like Hood had their backs against the wall with the overtime 6-on-6 that made a Maroon penalty corner a 6-on-4 in favor of the visitors. With no hesitation, a Hood defender went full speed to put her body in front of the open attacker and now the Blue & Grey could breathe with the ball rolling into Narnia behind goal at Thomas Athletic.
Again, the air became thick as a green card on the Blazer defense left them man down and on the hunt to kill the penalty. With just seconds remaining in the man-down scenario, a one-on-one shot by the Maroons was stopped by a last-second dive by Guy to force a second overtime.
To up the ante, a Blazers yellow card with less than five minutes left in the second overtime left the home squad down a player for the remainder of the clock. Moreno was the hero of the period outpacing a sea of tired bodies and now was sent into shootout.
With Roanoke up first, Guy smothered their first two attempts and on the second blocked a second chance shot to prevent the heart breaker.
Haufe started for Hood, going horizontal and beat the goalie to the edge with her shot bending right into the inside of the right-side of the goal.
Ellie Dainton (Mays Landing, NJ./Saint Joseph Academy) would utilize a spin move to put the goalie on her belly and leave the goal open for business and a 2-0 shootout lead.
Guy would man the post for what would be Roanoke's final attempt – a block, a kick and a shot wide was the result to turn off the field lights and put the Blazers in the win column in the game of the year for Hood.
For the Opponent
Danielle Crabtree and Corrine Orlando both scored.
Chloe Miller made 10 saves in the effort.
Notes
The Blazers put 31 shots up on the evening, none after regulation.
Hood improves to 5-5, their second win in the series against the Maroons.
Up Next
A dance with Hood alum and head coach Hannah Armstrong of Delaware Valley will take place on the road Saturday with a start time of 4 p.m.. The team will then start conference play on the road against Eastern the following Tuesday.
