Most of the game was played at the midfield, as the two teams were gridlocked for much of the 60 minutes.
Sacopee Valley got on the board less than three minutes into the contest when Savanna Marlowe took a pass from across the field and delivered a strike to the right corner of the goal to give the Hawks the early 1-0 advantage.
The two teams battled for the next 20 minutes, splitting time of possession and time in their respective zones. Grace Sanborn managed to knock in another goal from a scum in front of the cage with just over five minutes remaining in the first half to extend the lead to 2-0 by the break.
OOB coach Shauna Tolley felt that her team needed to answer back fast, and also thought some of the Seagulls’ early struggles stemmed from opening day nerves.
“It definitely was (Sacopee Valley’s) timely scoring, it was also first game jitters, and it wasn’t scoring back quickly. When they score first you have to answer back,” said Tolley.
The Hawks gained the momentum early in the second half, and were able to pressure the OOB defense, forcing the Seagulls to at one point play 10 straight minutes in their own zone. The Seagulls defense and goaltending managed to hold off the Hawks attack, but Tolley hopes to see more efficiency moving forward.
“We have a great field but yes, the grass is thick … we should still be able to move the ball though. Our defense and goaltending made some good saves but I think we were a little bit fatigued and instead of bending our knees we were standing straight up,” said Tolley. “You have to bend your knees to play field hockey and you have to push with all your might.”
Frustration also began to set in as the game progressed for the Seagulls.
“You need to have fun, if you aren’t having fun then you aren’t going to win. You need to have a positive attitude,” said Tolley.
Issie Eldridge would cap off the afternoon with a goal for the Hawks with less than five minutes remaining to set the score at 3-0.
Sacopee Valley took home its first win of the season while OOB falls to 0-1 to begin the year.
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