Ocean City takes early lead, but can’t hang on in 6-1 loss to nation’s top-ranked team

By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Publisher VOORHEES – The Ocean City field hockey players were thinking maybe – just maybe – they could shock the world on Tuesday afternoon after junior Maria Farnan scored in the sixth minute to give the Red Raiders a 1-0 lead over host Eastern Regional, the No. 1 team in the nation. Unfortunately there were 54 minutes remaining. And when you are a playing a team that hasn’t lost since the Tournament of Champions final in 2010, 54 minutes can seem like a lifetime. Eastern tied the game at 1 with just less than 20 minutes remaining in the first half, the first of six unanswered goals as the Vikings (19-0) held off the determined Red Raiders (18-1) to score a 6-1 victory in a matchup of two South Jersey field hockey powers at McAleer Stadium. Eastern Regional, in the last decade and a half, has become the premier field hockey program in the United States. Under coach Danyle Heilig the Vikings have won 15 straight group titles, have five Tournament of Champions trophies and have been the top-ranked team in the nation six times since 1998. Heilig has more than 350 wins while coaching at Eastern against just eight losses and two ties. Ocean City coach Cory Terry said she was happy with the early goal, but knew her team had a long way to go before even thinking about pulling out an improbable upset. Ocean City’s Kelly Hanna, left, and Eastern’s Madison Morano fight for control of a loose ball during the Vikings’ 6-1 win over the Red Raiders. “I think so highly of Danyle and Eastern and their program. We picked them up in a scrimmage and a game because they are the best. Not just the best in the state, but the best in the country, and I feel like our girls … I don’t think 6-1 tells the tale of the game completely just because I thought that we were hustling, we were creating. I thought it was a much more even game than 6-1,” Terry said. Players such as senior captains Kelly Hanna and Lauren McNally have played Eastern numerous times and actually are teammates with some of the Vikings players during their club seasons. But for some of the younger players, facing Eastern was quite the initiation into top-level field hockey. “At first, I have to admit, I was a little nervous. But I thought that if everyone does their best and the team is always on the same intensity level we can give them their best game. I think we did that today. There were a few things we could have done better, but I thought everyone played great together,” Paone said. “We need to use them as something to look up to as something we want to be like, and I think if we are always practicing hard and going our hardest we have something to model ourselves after.” Nicholl Fenton, another sophomore, had a bit more trouble controlling her nerves. “I got sick before the game started. They had to calm me down a little bit, my heart was beating so much even during warmups. I couldn’t sit still in class all day,” Fenton said. Fenton said that despite the loss, she feels Ocean City’s young defensive unit stood up well to the pressure. Paone, Issy Gilhooley and herself all are sophomores, while Charity Beckert is a junior and first-year starter in goal. “It really makes our game better. When we play in the CAL we don’t really play our game because we get caught up in being able to score and sometimes we get lazy. And here, if you get lazy they are going to put it in the back of the net on you, so you have to pick it up,” Fenton said. “This was great. Our three backs, me, Alexis, Issy and Charity, we’ve been getting harped on during the season. They didn’t know how we are going to step up during playoffs and I think Friday night at Bishop Eustace and today proved that we are out here to win it for everyone. Ocean City begins defense of its South Jersey Group 3 crown as the No. 2 seed and will host No. 7 Mainland Regional on Thursday. Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays [adsense]