The varsity field hockey team earned a thrilling 5-2 win at home against rivals St. John’s on Sept. 11.
On this sweltering day, The Falcons, who are the South Preparatory Conference runnerup of the 2024 season, battled to redeem themselves against the Mavericks, the reigning SPC champions, who edged them out, 2-0, in last year’s championship game.
The team had a few goals going into today’s matchup.
“Our main focus is moving the ball quickly and making sure we’re creating passing options. When we play with pace and awareness, it opens up opportunities and keeps us in control,” Assistant Coach Whitney Chappell said.
The packed crowd from both sides brought playoff-level energy to the early-season matchup, with cheers fueling the rivalry from the opening whistle to the final buzzer.
Within the first few minutes, Falcons sophomore Nina Piazza dribbled along the right sideline, passing a St. John’s defender. Piazza passed the ball to senior Grace Essalih at the stroke mark. As the goalie lunged toward her, she skillfully scored a finesse shot into the corner.
“Our girls came out strong from the start, but the real momentum shift happened after that first goal. You could feel the energy rise immediately,” coach Chappell said.
However, St. John’s quickly responded in minutes, shooting a power shot past Kinkaid’s goalie.
With two minutes left in the first quarter, Essalih and Piazza started double-teaming a St. John’s midfielder on the right sideline. They won back possession and Piazza began dribbling up the baseline. Junior Blair Strachan immediately sprinted toward the stroke mark.
“Nina and I made eye contact. That’s how I knew it was coming my way,” Blair Strachan said.
The St. John’s goalie turned right to attack Piazza, leaving the left side of the goal completely open.”
Blair Strachan cut in front of her defender and quickly pushed the ball into the open left corner for Kinkaid’s second goal of the game.
Later in the quarter, Kinkaid received a penalty corner. The coaches called out the play from the sidelines, and the ball was supposed to go to senior Jackie O’Donnell.
“It’s our signature corner, and we do it all the time; it works very well,” O’Donnell said. The offense passed the ball around and O’Donnell lifted it over the goalie and scored, bringing the score to 3-1.
This game got heated in the second half, when St. John’s received two green cards within three minutes, putting St. John’s in a severe disadvantage after two players were sent out at once.
After Kinkaid took a significant lead, the referee made an arguable call, leading to the Mavericks getting a penalty and inching closer to the Falcons’ lead.
Piazza, a constant force in Kinkaid’s offense, took control. With 20 seconds remaining in the third quarter, she delivered a reverse shot that found the top right corner of the net, adding another highlight to her already impressive game of assists.
“During that moment, I didn’t have much time to do anything with the ball, but I had enough space to shoot,” Piazza said. “So as soon as I got the ball I received it and immediately brought my stick and shoulder back, rotated and hit it as best I could.”
Kinkaid carried momentum into the fourth quarter.
Freshman Catherine Hanna sent a pass to Essalih after a hard fought battle with a St. John’s midfielder. Essalih was in the circle with only the goalie in her way.
“The goalie came out to tackle me, but I pulled around her and put the ball in the back of the cage,” Essalih said.
The Falcons’ defense should not go unmentioned.
“We worked ourselves tightly together to stop them from scoring. When we came up with the ball, we turned it into an offensive opportunity,” freshman Harper Strachan said.
With their bond growing stronger each match and their sights set firmly on the SPC crown, the Falcons showed what they’re capable of.
“Experiences like these push us in competition, but they also help us step back, learn, and come back united and stronger, ” coach Chappell said.
