Allentown High School is off to a 1-2 start to the 2018 field hockey season.
The Redbirds played in low-scoring affairs in their first two games, losing to Hopewell Valley Central High School, 3-1, on Sept. 12 and beating Lawrence High School, 3-1, on Sept. 14.
Their defense and goalkeeping were stellar. But their offense was having some trouble getting going. That continued in West Long Branch on Sept. 15 at Shore Regional High School, a perennial state power.
Allentown had trouble moving the ball onto Shore Regional’s side of the field, and got outshot by the Blue Devils 42-4. Even though the Redbirds lost 11-0, goalkeeper Jordan Watson made 26 saves.
Watson is in her first season as a varsity starter, so her effort was encouraging. She also stopped nine shots in the Redbirds’ win over Lawrence.
Coach Mary Ellen McCarthy’s team is solid on that side of the field, for sure. The question is offense. The Redbirds vouched for an aggressive, balanced approach in the preseason.
“In the past we relied on three or four girls,” said Allentown senior Anna Lasalle in August. “This year we’re trying to use everybody on the field equally. That will help, especially with transitioning from defense to offense.”
“We need to use our midfield as a second offensive line,” added Allentown senior Carly Delaney, also in August. “The more girls we have in the cage, the more goals we’ll score.”
“It’s a mindset,” added Allentown senior Brielle Uher at the time. “Even the defense, the job is to think defensively, but they want to push the whole team up and start the rush.”
Allentown just has not been able to control the ball enough to “start the rush.” Senior Kennedy Munster has been Allentown’s most productive offensive player, scoring three of the team’s four goals. Junior Morgan Vaccaro had two assists in Allentown’s win over Lawrence.
So, some players have shown flashes. But the Redbirds, with seven new starters, are still figuring things out. The loss to a good Shore Regional team will help in the long run.
“We did not play what we’re capable of but we have some things to work on. We’ll definitely take this as a learning experience and move forward with it,” said Allentown assistant coach Lauren Salge. “Moving to the ball more and keeping it on their side would be better. We’ll work on stronger passes and working as one unit.”
Allentown actually improved a lot in the second half at Shore Regional, which is when they created all four of their shots.
“In the second half it was only 2-0 (Shore Regional),” said Allentown assistant coach Tess Kozlowski. “It was a very different game played on our part. They were improving with their communication upfield.”
“It’s a good challenge which will set the tone for the rest of the season,” added Salge. “The things we learned today we will take into other games.”
