Blazers mauled by Jaguars

SEPT. 26, MONTGOMERY BLAIR—

Blair's field hockey suffered a 4-0 loss to the Northwest Jaguars today, dropping their record to 0-5. The Blazers came out of the gate sloppy and disorganized, allowing all four of the game's goals in the first 15 minutes. Although the team greatly improved after halftime, they were unable to score and ended up with their fourth goalless game of the season.

The Blazers played sluggishly in the first half and failed to properly defend players. The Jaguars played a fast-paced, aggressive game; consistently intercepted passes and beat Blair players to the ball. Northwest capitalized quickly on their advantages and scored the first goal in the third minute of the game, off a strong assist that connected with a Jaguar right in front of the goal. Northwest then stormed right back up the field to score again on a quick break just 30 seconds later, and once again before the seventh minute.

Under the frustrated screams of Coach Brook Franceschini, the Blazers buckled down and started playing better. The defense tightened up and began to clear the ball well, generating some opportunities on the offensive side of the field. However, the Jaguars were able to slip a shot past again and scored once more before the end of the half.

In the second half, Blair's play was vastly improved over that of the beginning of the game, but it didn't lead to any goals. They had several extended scoring opportunities and were able to keep the ball on Northwest's side of the field, but had a hard time finding each other inside the circle and taking shots.

The defense continued to improve over the half, with senior Jenny Jones doing an excellent job of clearing the ball and interrupting the Jaguar offense. The team played more urgently than they have in the past, and the Jaguars ceased to beat them to the ball every time.

Although they made a valiant effort, Blair was unable to score at all. They were plagued by slow transitions and recoveries, which allowed the Jaguars to clear the ball past the Blazer midfield and take fast breaks toward the goal.

Franceschini emphasized the advantage Northwest had in getting to the ball quickly, saying that "we're back to sprints tomorrow, not as much of the endurance stuff we've been doing." Despite the team's bad luck in scoring, she emphasized that "we're doing things right, just late." Franceschini said that the team must work on mental discipline and maintaining a positive attitude despite their poor record.

Blair's next game is away at Kennedy this Thursday at 3:30 p.m.