Dialog reporter
WILMINGTON – Tower Hill celebrated Senior Night on Oct. 30 before its nonconference field hockey game against Archmere. Once the game started, however, it was a sophomore who gave the Hillers the lead they would never relinquish in a 4-1 triumph.
The game had a special feel even before it started. Not only did Tower Hill recognize its 12 seniors, it also honored the Auks eight. Temporary lights were brought in for the occasion, making it the first night game ever at the school’s Richardson Field. And the Hillers were determined to maintain their perfect record.
They took possession early and rarely gave up the ball, and they applied the pressure repeatedly. Isabelle Pilson fed Natalie Hobbs two minutes in, and Hobbs tipped the ball just wide. Hobbs then sent a shot off the crossbar a minute and change later. Auks keeper Mady McDougal kept the game scoreless with numerous saves, including one from in close on a shot by Taylor Stenz.
McDougal had another save as the game passed the 10-minute mark, but the Hillers cashed in on a restart. Sophomore Emma Peddrick corraled a loose ball off the stick of Allison Smith in front of the cage and sent it in with 19:40 to go in the half.
The surge continued, and Stenz picked up her goal with 12:01 to go. She collected a crossing pass from Pilson that skipped past a teammate and drilled it through traffic to make it 2-0, which was the score at the half.
It didn’t take long for the Hillers to extend the lead. This time, Laura Taschner one-timed a shot home off a Peddrick pass with 28:34 remaining.
Archmere was able to get some offense going in the second half, and it paid off with 16:03 to go. Lauren Ross found the ball after a scramble in front of the Hillers’ cage, and she deposited it. The assist went to Caroline Donovan. Any momentum, however, was snuffed out in quick fashion, as Pilson scored after smacking a crossing pass from Taschner just 30 seconds later.
Tower had 11 penalty corners to the Auks’ two and outshot the visitors, 25-2. McDougal was credited with 17 saves. The Auks (11-3-1) had a 10-game unbeaten streak (9-0-1) snapped. This was their final game of the regular season; they will await their Division II state tournament seeding, which will be announced later this week.
Julia Quinlan had one save in the victory. Tower Hill remained undefeated at 14-0 and wraps up the regular season Thursday at 3 p.m. at Wilmington Friends. The Hillers will be one of the top seeds in the Division II tourney.
