The Summit High School field hockey team conquered yet another game Thursday afternoon. Ultimately, Summit beat Millburn 1-0 after an eventful game.
The first half did not go as planned. Summit could not get a handle on the ball and was unable to score. Millburn goalie, Melanie Lustig, was like a brick wall in the goal with six saves, posing a large deterrent for Summit's offense.
"We maintained a positive attitude but we really need to work on moving the ball quickly up the field," said junior forward Jeannine Wagenbach. "We had a lot of trouble communicating and getting past their defense. Overall, our offense had some great shots on goal and our defense held strong."
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Summit's defense refused to let up though and Millburn was also unable to score. The two teams continued to go back and forth, up and down the field, both thirsty for a win.
"Millburn's offense posed a challenge for us; they came ready to play, managing to carry the ball up the wing, " said Taylor Kastenbaum, a junior defenseman on the Summit team.
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Just over three minutes into the second half, still scoreless, the whistle blew. Lightning was spotted and the rain delay went into effect as it began to pour. After an hour and a 10 minutes, uncertainty and the fear of a 0-0 tie filling the air, the game was finally called back on. The Hilltoppers brought themselves back into the mindset of the game and and set out determined to clinch the win in the remaining 27 minutes.
Only six minutes after resuming the game, the ball was lost in Lustig's pads due to an intense penalty corner. In such events, a penalty stroke is called. The field fell silent as Caroline Cordrey walked out to take the stroke. The only goal of the game, Cordrey sunk the ball deep into the left corner of the cage.
Although the field was almost underwater, the Hilltoppers only let Millburn take a shot once.
Summit will take a brief break over the weekend. On Tuesday, September 21, the Hilltoppers face Mount Saint Dominic at 4 p.m. on the Upper High School turf.
