SAUGUS — Pressure, pressure, pressure. That’s what the Peabody field hockey team was preaching Friday afternoon as it worked to notch a 2-0 win over Northeastern Conference foe Saugus on the road at Stackpole Field.
“I was telling the girls in the huddle the entire game, ‘just keep pushing and keep the pressure on, we’ll break through eventually,’” said Peabody coach Tawny Palmieri. “We played great as a team and we really rode the momentum from (Thursday) when we earned that tie with Beverly.”
Junior Jackie Scopa scored both goals in the victory for the Tanners, while seniors Elise Staunton and Dado Nasso each had one assist. Goalie Kylie Colella earned the shutout in net.
For Saugus, goalie Gabby Surette had 19 saves. Ally D’Eon, Kirby Dalton and Kylie Dalton all played well in the loss.
“I was very pleased with how we played tonight,” said Saugus coach Barbara Guarente. “All of the other teams are a few weeks ahead of us in terms of getting their seasons started, so for us to come out and compete the way we did was great to see.”
Friday was also a day for the Sachems to honor their group of nine seniors — Surette, D’Eon, Kirby Dalton, Kylie Dalton, Nadine Taboubi, Leah Ventre, Daniela Marquez, Katie Polanco and Salma Rahmouni — during their Senior Day celebration.
“These girls have all worked really hard in their time here,” said Guarente. “Some of them have been here for four years, some for three and some for only two or one year. But they’ve all come and made great contributions to the program, and we;re happy we could celebrate them.”
The score was knotted at 0-0 throughout most of the first half, but Scopa broke the deadlock after she took a pass from Nasso and buried a goal in the back of the net. The Tanners took a 1-0 lead into the halftime break.
Peabody grabbed an insurance goal late in the third quarter. Staunton took possession of the ball around midfield and sent a pass upfield to Scopa, who dribbled around two defenders and slipped a shot between Surette’s pads to put the Tanners up 2-0 and effectively seal the win.
Saugus (0-1) is hoping to continue to build up positive momentum as it moves through the rest of the season. The Sachems host Gloucester Tuesday (4).
“It would be great to keep the momentum going,” said Guarente. “We have a great group of girls who work hard, so we’re looking forward to the rest of the season.”
Peabody (1-2-1) is back in action Monday (4) against Marblehead.
“I think getting this first win is a big sigh of relief for the girls,” said Palmieri. “It showed them that all of our hard work in practice is starting to pay off, and it really bodes well for the future of our program. We’re just hoping to keep it going now.”
