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Oct. 2, 2021 — No. 7 Newtown Square Episcopal Academy (Pa.) 2, No. 8 Kingston Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) 1
FULL TIME That’s all for today; good day and good hockey
FULL TIME The result is what you might expect from two nationally-ranked sides, with plenty of back-and-forth action. Still some parts of the game that these teams are going to work on, but there’s no doubt that, when brackets come out for state tournament play in November, they will be favorites to win in their respective competitions
FULL TIME The final horn sounds with Episcopal Academy winning the game 2-1
59:40 Sem gets it into the attacking third, but an advancing call gives the ball to EA at the 16
58:20 EA PC Shot parried over the goal line and it will be Sem ball with under two minutes to try to level the scores!
57:50 EA PC Shot defensed, but with a foot; will rerack
56:20 Wyoming Seminary walks in and shoots, but Cilluffo parries it aside
55:55 Wow; Episcopal could have had a third, but can’t find the frame from about six yards
52:17 EA GOAL A free hit from a promising position is driven in by Mia Garber and the Churchwomen lead 2-1
48:30 SEM PC Knights run the shotgun and a wall pass off it, but it goes off a Sem foot
47:15 SEM PC Long shot generates a rebound, but the Knights are unable to cash in
45:53 A neat little slip backhand by EA finds net, but the umpires are waving it off after a consultation. Perhaps a foot in the buildup? Not 100 percent sure
45:00 The final term is under way
END THIRD Fun fact: both teams have their home grounds named for their legendary coaches. Wyoming Seminary’s turf is named for Karen Klassner, who is the sixth-winningest field hockey coach in National Federation history. Episcopal Academy’s field was rededicated this year for Gina Buggy, the 1984 Olympian who coached at the school for four decades
END THIRD With the horn, the teams huddle up tied at 1-1
43:30 SEM PC 1-Up tipped wide by the inserter; 16Y the result
43:24 SEM PC Off the Brooklyn side, ball is clubbed off the EA flyer, who is down with an injury
42:45 SEM PC Shot is saved; rebound fought for and off an EA foot; will re-rack
41:30 And here’s another deep chance for Wyoming Seminary; how did that not go in?
40:30 Both teams squandering chances thus far in the final third
40:00 And just like that, EA is on goal and the shot misses everything
39:00 Seminary jumps all over an EA turnover and the forward, on a poor angle, finds the side of the goal cage with the shot!
37:15 EA PC A hi-lo to the inserter is smartly cut out
35:30 EA PC 1-Up goes wide of cage
34:55 EA PC Ends with a Sem foot; will re-rack
33:55 Episcopal jumps all over a bad pass and unleashes a backhand, but the shot is saved!
33:00 EA PC Brooklyn corner is defensed and whistled down for danger
30:49 SEM GOAL Well, how about this? Wyoming Seminary takes advantage of a sliver of space and puts it over the line and we’re tied 1-1
30:00 The second half is under way
HALFTIME I’ll say this: Wyoming Seminary had perhaps three or four really good chances in that first half, but missed the cage. Episcopal was wise team to let the game come to them and they scored one of those goals that sometimes count double in team psychology because it changes the narrative for the halftime team talk
HALFTIME The horn goes with the Churchwomen holding a 1-0 lead
29:48 EA PC and GOAL Macy Szukics pounds the ball and it might have gone off Mia Garber’s stick. Regardless, it’s 1-0 Episcopal
28:20 A Sem through pass is whacked at and the ball goes over the end line; there was a teammate open at the other post had the ball been sent through with a bit more accuracy
25:35 SEM PC Option left and a cutting pass sends a player to the doorstep, but the ball goes inches wide!
25:00 SEM PC Option left into a double-team; will re-rack for a stick obstruction
20:35 EA PC The receiver is choosing to carry the ball and she is subsumed by the Wyoming Seminary defense
20:00 Not much going on except EA is applying a high line of pressure which has just yielded a juicy turnover
16:30 EA PC The Churchwomen go around the horn to the left, but an obstruction is called
15:00 The second quarter is now under way
END FIRST The horn sounds with the sides goalless. It has been a back-and-forth first quarter with no team exhibiting territorial dominance thus far
14:05 SEM PC Nice backhand shot, saved by EA goalie Gianna Cilluffo
12:50 Low shot by Wyoming Seminary just misses the goal frame
12:00 EA PC Option-right is tackled by the Blue Knights’ corner flyer
9:50 SEM PC Nice dodge from the 1-Up, but the shot zings wide!
8:40 Wyoming Seminary is able to float a player into the striking circle on the forehand, but she commits a stick obstruction
7:20 EA PC 1-Up is blasted wide
5:50 EA PC Option left is returned, but there’s no room and it is turned over because of obstruction
0:32 Episcopal Academy given all sorts of room on the left wing with an open shot, but the chance is whistled down for stick obstruction
0:00 The game is on
PREGAME Wyoming Seminary is in the white with blue kilts and numbers; Episcopal is in the all-navy with white numbers
PREGAME The teams are warming up under sunny skies, on the expanse of artificial grass behind the fieldhouse at Wyoming Seminary, temperature is about 66 degrees
PREGAME Sessa is the top prospect for the class of 2022 chiefly through her prowess in the international game. Currently, she is listed on the rosters of the U-22 outdoor national team, the senior indoor national team, and the senior outdoor national team. She was held out of last week’s games at the National High School Invitational in a move reminiscent of a pitch-count for a baseball pitcher. This tells me that she may be in the plans for the United States at December’s Junior World Cup in South Africa, February’s indoor World Cup in Belgium, and the restart of the USA’s participation in the FIH Pro League this spring
PREGAME EA has three major commitments in its senior class: Macy Szukics (Duke), Mia Garber (Boston College), and Ashley Sessa (North Carolina)
PREGAME Sem is led by junior forwards Ella Barbacci and Emma Watchilla. Barbacci is headed to North Carolina in a couple of years, Watchilla is committed to the University of Virginia
PREGAME Wyoming Seminary, which has made the last four PIAA Class A title matches, comes in this week off a 6-1 win over Honesdale (Pa.). Episcopal Academy, which has won the last two PAISAA championships, comes into today having beaten Springside-Chestnut Hill Academy (Pa.) 8-0.
PREGAME Wyoming Seminary is 7-0 this season; Episcopal Academy is 9-1
PREGAME Hello, and welcome to Klassner Field in Kingston, Pa. for this intersectional field hockey match featuring Newtown Square Episcopal Academy (Pa.) and the hosts from Wyoming Seminary.
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