YORK – York High’s field hockey team has been winning regularly this season, but lately it was struggling to put together a complete game.

Wednesday afternoon, however, the Wildcats played their best game in weeks.

The result was a 2-0 victory over Greely, one of York’s top rivals in Western Class B.

York won its ninth consecutive game — the last five by shutouts — by scoring a goal in each half and limiting the Rangers’ scoring chances.

“Today I was happy with how we played,” said Barb Marois, the former U.S. Olympic field hockey player who coaches the Wildcats. “We’ve had our little bits of ups and downs. We’re winning which, in some ways it’s good and in some ways not.

“But I think today we definitely got back on the right track.”

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York, ranked third in Western Class B, is now 11-1. Greely, ranked fourth coming into the game, had a four-game winning streak snapped to drop to 8-4.

It was a fairly evenly-matched game, if a little on the physical side. Twice in the first half, Greely was carded for pushing, the second time resulting in the loss of a player for five minutes.

“It was a very tough game to play in,” said York junior back Kelsey Elsemore, who seemed to be there to stop every Greely rush. “There was a lot of physical contact and a lot of calls to play through. But we really worked hard and we really battled. And I’m really proud of that.”

York dominated at times but was turned back continually by Greely goalie Emma Seymour. She finished with 13 saves, many of them point-blank, several off the stick of York sniper Cari Posternak.

But the Wildcats finally beat her with just 1:10 left in the first half. The Wildcats were awarded a penalty corner which Greely couldn’t clear during a scrum.

Shelby Spencer got the ball in the middle and passed quickly over to Taylor Simpson on the right. Her shot went in untouched and York led 1-0.

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Still, said Simpson, “It didn’t mean that much because we knew Greely could easy tie us.”

And the Rangers controlled much of the second half, but still could not beat York goalie Amanda Kasbohm. She was aided by a defense of Elsemore, Caroline Hird, Victoria Stocks and Haley Spencer that kept deflecting the ball away from Greely’s scorers before they could even get into the circle.

“We just worked really well together,” said Elsemore.

The Wildcats got a second goal, from Andrea Beaulieu with 5:20 remaining to get a cushion. The score again came off a corner that couldn’t be cleared, and Spencer again got the assist, finding an open Beaulieu at the left post.

“This is the type of game we’ve been waiting for,” said Spencer. “Everyone stepped up and we were helping each other all over the field.”

It was the Rangers’ second loss this season to York — the other being a 3-2 game Sept. 22.

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“We were very timid,” said Coach Kristina Lane-Prescott, of Greely’s first-half play. “Usually we’re very aggressive. But when you have calls like that, it makes the girls second-guess how they’re playing.”

But even when the Rangers settled down, they couldn’t get an offense going.

“It was more of a team game,” said York’s Marois. “We played well together today, supported each other off the ball.”

Staff Writer Mike Lowe can be contacted at 791-6422 or at: mlowe@pressherald.com

Twitter: MikeLowePPH

 


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