Blazers fall to Bengals

Sept. 15, BLAZER FIELD–

The Blair field hockey team was defeated by the Blake Bengals 0-1 today in their first home match of the season, bringing their record to a dismal 0-3. The Blazers had several strong individual performances, but could not connect offensively and were unable get near the goal.

From the first draw, Blake took control of the game. Over and over, they drove deep into the Blair side of the field, but the Blazer defense, led by junior Claire Onley, was able to keep things under control. The match remained scoreless until late in the half, when a Bengal shot was blocked by senior goalkeeper Maura Druhan's outstretched foot. The rebound was grabbed by another Blake forward, who shot it into the corner of the cage before Druhan could get back to her feet.

In the second half, Blair's defense held strong but the offense was ineffective. The Bengals consistently beat Blair on transitions, allowing them to move the ball faster on offense and cover the Blazers closely on defense. However, they never broke through Blair's defense, and the game ended with Blair down only 0-1.

Coach Brook Franceschini attributed the loss to the Blazers' negative attitude and lack of teamwork. "They don't trust each other, they haven't gelled yet," she said after the game. "They're so used to losing that they think they can just wait until next time."

In preparation for next week's game, Franceschini plans to incorporate drills where the entire team has to work together, bringing the ball up the entire length of the field. "We need to put everything together," she said.

The team's next game is Tuesday Sept. 19 at Seneca Valley.