The Lady Crimsons faced a 2-0 loss to the Kentucky Country Day (KCD) Bearcats in field hockey on Thursday.
First half
At the start of the game, the Lady Crimsons lacked energy on the field.
“We played hard and picked it up in the second half, but we came out super flat in the first half, and KCD wanted it more.” Assistant coach for the Crimsons, Hannah Kingsbury, said.
The Crimsons knew that it was time to get serious when the Bearcats got their first goal from a quick breakaway down the field with 18:37 left in the first half.
The Bearcats and the Crimsons continued to fight with one another throughout the first half, each getting multiple corners, breakaways and goal opportunities.
“We knew it was going to be a battle.” Head coach for the Bearcats, Amy Elliott, said. “Manual is a great team. They’re well-coached, and they got some great kids on the team with tons of talent. We just knew we had to set up and be first [to the ball].”
Second half
The Lady Crimsons got to start with the ball in the second half and made their way into the Bearcats’ 25-yard line.
Brooke Bollinger (#27, 11) and Rachel Wheatley (#8, 12) both received green cards from the referees, requiring Manual to guard down the field with only nine field players for two minutes.
During this two-minute period, the Bearcats were awarded a corner, only for Manual defense to stop the ball and carry it up the field in a fast break away.
Both of the teams were unable to execute on corner plays throughout the hour-long game.
It was not until the end of the game when KCD managed to get the ball down the field and draw a foul in the circle, ending the final seconds with a corner play.
After game time had ended, the Crimsons were unable to stop the KCD shot: the Bearcats won the game 2-0.
“I think we knew it was going to be a tough game before we started,” Captain Meredith Wickenheiser (#11, 12) said. “We didn’t bring it in the first half, and that’s what ultimately, I think, set the tone for the second half.”
“I think we definitely should have brought it more from the beginning,” Cates Doyle (#13, 11) said. “I think in the second half we stepped up and passed more and were moving [the ball] down the field better. We just need to work on breakaways and knock out their offensive attacks.”
The Lady Crimsons will travel to the Collegiate on Tuesday to play the Amazons. The game will begin at 5:30 p.m.
