PEABODY ― The Bishop Fenwick Crusaders field hockey team didn’t have the best of starts, but at the final whistle they were the ones on top, defeating the Austin Prep Cougars 4-1 Monday afternoon at Donaldson Stadium.
Austin Prep put Bishop Fenwick under pressure from the start and ended up with a corner less than a minute into the match. The Cougars were able to get plenty of opportunities in the first quarter but were unable to convert.
Bishop Fenwick head coach Marybeth Mahoney was proud of the way the defense performed in the first half, as well as the entire game.
“I think Kailey (Silva) was really solid back there,” said Mahoney. “The support of people coming back to recover and help out (was important).”
The coach also said that the team did a good job of playing together on Monday evening.
“We came out a little bit flat to start, but later in the first quarter and throughout the rest of the game they picked up the intensity,” she said.
Sedona Lawson performed well throughout the game in net for the Crusaders, including a kick save in the first quarter that kept the game all square at 0-0.
Bishop Fenwick woke up after the dormant first quarter and, with 10 minutes left in the second quarter, Emma Perry found the back of the net to give the Crusaders a 1-0 lead. For the rest of the half, the Crusaders put the Cougars under pressure with Lily O’Neill making some great saves to keep Austin Prep in the game.
But before the end of the half, Bishop Fenwick struck again with Rayne Millett scoring her first goal of the match with two minutes left in the second quarter. That wasn’t the only time that the junior found the back of the net as Millett scored with the Crusaders on the advantage and gave Bishop Fenwick a 3-1 lead after senior Maeve Carey scored for the Cougars.
Mahoney said that Millett has been excellent for the Crusaders this season.
“She creates a lot of opportunities for us,” the head coach said. “She’s a strong ball carrier and even on the left side she does really well moving the ball and creating passing options and scoring opportunities.”
Soon after Millett’s second goal of the match, junior Zoe Elwell scored the final goal of Monday’s competition that gave Bishop Fenwick a 4-1 lead.
With the win, the Crusaders are now 12-2-3 this season.
