Blazers battle bulldogs until bitter end

SEPT 24, BLAZER STADIUM---
In a game that extended to double overtime, Blair's field hockey team tied Churchill High School 0-0. The tie was the first this season, bringing the Blazers' record to 2-3-1.

Blair and Churchill both attacked their opponent's territories with a cooperative offense, but for their efforts, neither team scored.
Both teams were evenly matched right from the start of the game. The Blazers tenaciously attacked Churchill's goal but could never finish the job. Churchill also attempted to score but failed to penetrate an impeccable defense displayed by senior Carly Vieira, junior Mckenzie Robinson and junior goalie Anna Benfield.

Vieira became a spark of intensity for the Blazers. By hustling for the ball, cheering and skillfully moving past the offense, Vieira fueled Blair's persistence. However, Vieira received a yellow card and was benched for five minutes in overtime.

Miller said Vieira's absence put a damper on the team. "I thought I had six major players out there," she said. "You take one out and it messes up everything."

Senior attack Leah Cowdrey narrowly missed an opportune goal in the last minutes of double overtime. As Cowdrey advanced toward Churchill's goal, the opposing goalie ran from her post to challenge Cowdrey's shot. Just as Cowdrey hit the ball toward the goal, the Churchill defenders and goalie regained their composure and blocked the shot.

Senior defender Sophie Strike described the frustrating event as she watched from the field. "I thought Leah made the goal," Strike said. "All of a sudden, I saw her get back to her goal post and keep the ball from getting in."

n the first six games of the season, Blair's level of play has varied. Miller, who has coached Blair's field hockey team for seven years, said that the team is going through a developmental process. "I feel we need to grow as a team," she said. "Until we can do that, we're going to be inconsistent."
Miller believes that unity is the central focus for the team. "We're still learning to work as a team and not as individuals," she said, although she was quick to credit the team's attempt to "play cohesively together since the first game."

The Blazers take on Sherwood High School at home on Oct 10
at 7:00 p.m.