The Pulse special: South Jersey Group III field hockey preview

What: South Jersey Group III field hockey championship Who: (2) Mainland vs. (4) Ocean City When: Monday, 2 p.m. Where: Mainland Regional High School, Linwood By DAVE O’SULLIVAN Publisher It seems it was destined to come down to this. Upstart Mainland Regional vs. perennial powerhouse Ocean City in the South Jersey Group III field hockey championship. Could it have been any other way? Ocean City is the Yankees of South Jersey field hockey. The Red Raiders have so many titles they are running out of room on the side of the elementary school behind which they play to display them all. They went 21-1 last year, winning the state championship, as expected. They came into this year with similar expectations. Then, Mainland (16-3-2) came along and knocked them on their heels. The Mustangs edged Ocean City 2-1 in Linwood on Sept. 20 and Kailey Stangle is one of the leading scorers for Mainland Regional, which comes into the sectional final with a 16-3-2 record. (Glory Days Magazine photos/Dave O’Sullivan suddenly the Red Raiders were in unfamiliar territory. They lost twice more before September was through and entered October with a pedestrian 5-3 record. Meanwhile Mainland was rolling. The win over Ocean City was the Mustangs’ first since the 1993 season, well before any members of this year’s team were even born. Second-seeded Mainland has produced one of its best seasons ever in 2013, posting 16 wins, including beating No. 10 seed Triton 2-1 and No. 3 Central Regional 1-0 to make it to its first sectional final since 1998. But like a true champion, Ocean City (16-5) rallied in October, going 9-2. The fourth-seeded Red Raiders then beat Hammonton 4-1 in the second round of the playoffs after a first-round bye. The Red Raiders then upset top-seeded Kingsway 2-0, setting up the showdown with Mainland. There should be a huge crowd for this game, and Mainland coach Jill Hatz said her team is ready for it. “I think we are very prepared. We’ve worked hard all season, we know what we are doing, and it all comes down to how tough they are on that field (Monday),” Hatz said. The win over Ocean City certainly was a highlight of the season for Mainland, but Ocean City got its revenge at home on Oct. 18, running away with a 6-0 victory. Hatz said at this point there isn’t a whole lot of scouting to be done and the game plan won’t be any different than it has been all year. These teams are very familiar with each other. “We just have to play together as a team, do all the little things and make sure we get that ball in the back of the net,” Hatz said. “We are very excited. The girls want it. It’s huge. We haven’t been this far in a very long time and it’s my first time experiencing it as a coach. It’s exciting and nerve-wracking, but the girls aren’t letting anything get in their way.” Kelly Hanna leads an Ocean City offense that has scored 102 goals in 21 games this season. The key for both teams might be the first five minutes of the game. Ocean City is known for applying relentless pressure with players such as Leah Davies and Kelly Hanna directing the offense, and Mainland will need big games from upperclassmen such as Sydney Losco and Kailey Stangle to counter that pressure and help the less-experienced Mustangs settle into the game. “Right before the game starts the girls will be nervous and anxious and not knowing what to expect, so the first five minutes are crucial,” Hatz said. “We have to play together, stay composed and play like we know how and make sure we don’t get into our own heads.” Hatz said she is proud of her senior class, a group of players who have really helped put Mainland field hockey on the map, and she would love to see them go out with a championship. “I love my seniors. This is the second group I’ve had for all four years and more than anything these girls want it so bad,” Hatz said. “We tell them that as long as they want it just as bad as we do, we’re going to be able to work together and get it. These girls want (to win) more than you can imagine … It comes down to them performing and they have been very consistent in everything they are doing. “That consistency and the positive attitude we’ve had on our team this year has been crucial to our success.” Contact Dave O’Sullivan: sully@acglorydays.com; on Twitter @GDsullysays.