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Eight teams and 56 games mark field hockey play day

Only coaches comprehend what’s going on
August 30, 2016

The Cape varsity hockey team played seven 25-minute games Aug. 27, 17 days before the Tuesday, Sept. 13 home opener against Smyrna.

The eight teams at play day which included Wooten, Tower Hill, South River, Padua, Delmar, Pocomoke and Chesapeake, combined for 56 games, each team with an average game day roster of 20. That’s 16 players and parents and families – it was a happening – but the big question is, “Exactly what happened?”

Only the coaches understood their rotations, emphases, things to look for and players to look at in the scrimmage. Anyone outside of that inner cadre could not possibly have a clue.

The Vikings rotated players like tires in a NASCAR race, playing 26 in combination throughout the morning.

“There are streaks associated with the Cape program, and we carry a target throughout the season,” said coach Kate Austin. “We don’t worry about that stuff on a Saturday play day. In fact, we’re not here to win. We are here to compete and learn.”

Tower Hill and Cape played to a 1-1 tie in game two, and, later, on the Bermuda field in game 5, the Vikings lost to Delmar 2-0, but kept Division I prospects Annie Judge and Alia Marshall off the field for reasons unknown.

Delmar, a top threat to thwart Cape’s bid for a sixth straight state championship, will play the Vikings at Champions Stadium Thursday, Sept. 29.

“We have scored a lot of goals the last four seasons, but Saturday over seven games we only scored four, and that concerns me,” Austin said. “We will now focus on combinations and see what players work best together.”

Cape’s record under the four years of Austin is 74-1-1, the loss and tie coming to Maryland state champion Severna Park, a team the Vikings have beaten the last two years.

The year before Austin, coach Nicole Hughes led the Vikings to a state title and 19-0 record for a five-year mark of 92-1-1.

“Honestly, all I care about is how the 2016 team is playing in November,” Austin said.

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