Athletic contests can often come down to the smallest of margins. One pivotal play, or perhaps even a lucky bounce is all that separates victory from defeat, leading to euphoria for one side and proving a crippling blow to the other. That was the case this past Friday, as the Hopkins women’s field hockey team narrowly edged Haverford 1-0 in front of their home crowd.
While both sides had numerous chances to capitalize and both experienced some close misses, the game ultimately came down to a sequence early in the first half that would prove decisive for the Lady Jays.
As the Lady Jays sent a corner screaming toward the Haverford goal, players on both sides began battling furiously for the ball. In the ensuing madness, a foul was ultimately charged, and standout defender Kiana Duncan was called to attempt a pivotal penalty shot.
Duncan, a junior originally from San Diego, Calif., ripped a shot that swerved hard to the left of Haverford goalkeeper Lindsey Lopes. Lopes was able to deflect the shot with her left pad, and it briefly appeared that disaster had been averted by the Haverford side. However, the ball landed and slowly began to trickle towards the goal line, ultimately crossing it with only inches to spare.
The goal proved to be the only breakthrough of the day for either side, as excellent defense and phenomenal goalkeeping reigned supreme for most of the evening.
While the Lady Jays were outshot 18-9 on the day and were additionally outcornered by a 15-8 margin, the Hopkins defense, led by junior goalkeeper Zoey Atabek, consistently made plays to stymie the Haverford attack. Atabek blocked 12 shots on the night, frequently reaching out and contorting her body in seemingly impossible angles to prevent shots from clearing the net.
The Lady Jays defense also deserves wide praise for their efforts, as they consistently cleared the ball well and managed to stifle all 15 Haverford corner attempts. With the victory, the Blue Jays improved to 6-7 on the season, while bringing their Centennial Conference record to 3-3. The Fords dropped to 5-8 with a Centennial record now standing at 1-5.
Duncan led all Hopkins performers with two shots on goal, while senior midfielder Lucy Woodrow also added two of her own for the Lady Jays.
The offensive attack for Haverford was paced by a multitude of capable attackers who relentlessly shot at the Jays for most of the night. Jen DiMaria tallied five shots on goal for the Fords, while Catherine Aronowitz and Brenna Boehman each added three of their own as well.
When asked to comment on the victory, Duncan was impressed with her team’s performance but obviously had her sights set on even greater achievements.
“Right now, we're just focused on making it to conference playoffs, and we're just moving forward game-by-game,” Duncan said. “A win tomorrow is the big thing right now for us obviously.”
The Lady Jays will take the field again on Saturday, Oct. 25 as they play host to Bryn Mawr.
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