REVERE — Sometimes in field hockey, corners can make or break you.
The Revere field hockey team needed to pull off the perfect play in order to beat Saugus Wednesday at Revere High, and it did as Victoria Correia scored with no time left on the clock on a last-second corner to lead the Patriots over the Sachems, 1-0.
The Patriots earned a corner, their first offensive one of the game, as time expired in the second half. The rule is that the corner can be taken, but once the ball leaves the half-circle around the goal, the play is dead and the game is over. The final play was a frantic rush in front of the net, and Correia snuck a shot by the Saugus goalkeeper to lift the Patriots to the win.
“That was pretty crazy,” Revere first-year coach Brianna Scata said. “I honestly didn’t expect them to be able to pull off exactly what they needed to have happen in the last second of the game. It was do or die time, and they put in everything they had to put in to make it happen. It was absolutely amazing.
“It was an amazing feeling, they worked hard all game, and have improved from the last couple of games that we kind of have a tough time in, and they earned it.”
For the first 59 minutes and 59 seconds, it looked like anybody’s game. The teams were evenly-matched and while both squads had their opportunities, most of the action was confined to the middle of the field with frequent possession changes.
Saugus earned its first corner with 12:55 to play, but couldn’t get off a shot. Ashley Ponsand got a shot off for Saugus in the final seconds of the first half, but Revere goalie Chloe Giardano turned it away.
Saugus earned another corner early in the second half, but had no luck. Later, the Sachems’ Erin Rego took a shot that hit the post and bounced back in front of the net. The Sachems tried to put back the rebound, but Revere cleared it out. Later, Emma Howard’s shot was saved and Saugus earned a corner soon after, but again the Revere defense held steady.
“We need to work on putting the ball in the net, moving to the ball, cutting in front of the other team,” Saugus coach Barbara Guarente said. “We stand flat-footed and wait for the ball to come to us. We had our opportunities but we couldn’t put the ball in the net.”
Alessia Salzillo got a shot off for Saugus in the final minute, but it hit the side of the goal and bounced out. From there, Revere moved up the field quickly to set up the exciting final play.
“This was one of those games, I knew they could win this one, you can take this team and that’s what they did today,” Scata said. “They played hard and kept it even, kept the ball toward the middle of the field. They did what they needed to do in the last seconds of the game which was surprising but such a relief to pull that off.”
For Revere, this season has been a step in the right direction under Scata. The Patriots improved to 3-4-1 after winning — and scoring in — just one game last season.
“It’s definitely competitive this year and I’m proud of them, they’ve been working so hard,” Scata said.
Saugus, on the other hand, is in the midst of a rebuild after graduating 15 seniors in the spring, the major bulk of last year’s roster.
“They’ve been getting better, not where I want them to be yet,” Guarente said. “I think they have a lot more skill than most teams, but they get so down and can’t execute. Hopefully we can start putting something in.”
Revere looks to pull to .500 Monday against Everett, while Saugus will take on Wakefield on Friday.
