Eagles fly above Seahawks in field hockey

Sussex Academy field hockey is hoping to regroup and get back above the .500 mark after Smyrna shot down the Seahawks 8-2 Sept. 23.

“They were ready for everything wide,” coach Caitlyn Hardy said. “They knew what was coming at them and were very prepared.”

Smyrna’s Hutchison duo opened and closed the first-quarter scoring as Alexis Hutchison broke the ice early and Rylee banged on the boards in the closing seconds. Bree Moffett netted a tally in between to make it 3-0 Smyrna at the end of the first quarter. 

Cara Nacrelli expanded the Eagles’ lead in the second before Bailey Mears drove home a pass from Shea Danahy, putting the Seahawks within three, 4-1, with roughly 90 seconds to go in the first half. Moffett, however, scored her third point of the contest when she fired in a rocket on a penalty corner, giving Nyla Drobinski her second assist of the game and Smyrna a 5-1 edge at halftime.

Belief in the Seahawks’ effort was reignited when Danahy cracked open the scoring seal in the second half by converting a penalty stroke. Down 5-2, Sussex Academy tried producing a comeback, but the Smyrna defense refused to allow any good looks in front of the frame.  Both teams ended the game with seven penalty corners, but the Eagles outshot the Seahawks 16-6.

Three of those sixteen shots closed out the scoring for Smyrna. Nacrelli scored her brace off an assist from Kennedy Marks in response to Danahy’s goal, and a successful penalty stroke by McKenna Wilson in the closing seconds of the third quarter was followed by Rylee Hutchison’s second goal, scored in the fourth quarter. The last lamp-lighter gave Drobinski her third assist of the contest.

Sussex Academy goalie Kacie Rawlings had nine saves in the 8-2 loss.