Blazers narrowly beat Einstein

SEPT 10, BLAZER STADIUM—

In an evenly matched game that remained scoreless for most of the first and second halves, the Blair field hockey team was able to put a successful shot on goal in the last minutes of the game to beat Einstein 1-0.

The ball was in Blazer territory for the first five minutes of the half, testing the defensive skills of the team. Senior co-captain and goalie Anna Benfield stayed cool in the goal as she helped the team with positioning and blocked an early goal attempt by Einstein. Senior defensive players Emily Savner, Catt Edgely, and Leah Passman, along with junior defender Alexa Gabriel were able to repeatedly stop the Einstein offense and drive the ball up the field to the offensive players.

Coach Amy Miller attributed much of the Blazers' success tonight to the strong defense. "Our crossing was great and the girls did a great job of getting the ball up the field," Miller said.

Due to the defensive success of the Blazers, the game was played mainly in the midfield with the more aggressive Blazers coming out of most one-on-one situations victorious. However, the offense was unable to capitalize on the hard work of the midfield, taking poor shots on goal or losing the ball to the Einstein defense. With just under four minutes to go in the second half, the Blazer offense stepped up as junior offender Julia Penn scored off of an assist from Gabriel on a corner.

The win tonight put the Blazer record at 1-1 after their disappointing loss to Damascus on September 8. According to Miller tonight's game was more representative of the Blazer's ability then Monday night's performance and she was pleased with the outcome. "The girls played well. It's still the beginning of the season. There were some good parts to the game, and some areas that still need work," said Miller. "But it's nice to come out of the first home game with a win."

The field hockey team next plays Seneca Valley on Monday September 15 at 7 PM in the Blair Stadium.