Marianne Killackey – Special to Register Citizen
Lewis Mills’ Julia Arel and Thomaston’s Alexa Milius battle for the ball Tuesday afternoon. Lewis Mills won 1-0.
Marianne Killackey – Special to Register Citizen
Lewis Mills captain Sadie Robinson attempts to gain possession against Thomaston’s Nicole Schaefer.
THOMASTON >> Good things happen to people who consistently get to the right place at the right time.
Lewis Mills junior forward Heather Carmody scored the only goal in a 1-0 Spartan field hockey win at Thomaston High School just that way.
“Everyone worked really well on our passes,” Carmody said. “To tell you the truth, I was trying to pass it and just tipped it into the goal.”
In a game in which the Golden Bears often gave as good as they got, a little luck doesn’t happen without teamwork.
“We just work really well together,” said senior midfielder Sadie Robinson, who passed into the circle for the assist.
“We’ve been practicing our crossing pattern,” said defensive back Emma Kryzanski.
“We try to always be aware of where everyone is,” said midfielder Kelly Winterbottom.
This was a huge game for both sides.
“I’ve been looking forward to it since the end of softball season,” Kryzanski said.
The Golden Bears (2-1-1) came very close to toppling Nonnewaug’s three-year reign in the Berkshire League last year, then played through to the Class S semifinals.
The Spartans, 1-0 winners at Nonnewaug two weeks ago, are 5-0, the team to beat in the league so far.
“It was our composure,” said Mills coach Maggie Tieman after her team’s second big win of the young season. “The kids did a nice job of taking what they practice and putting it up against a very talented team.”
“They’re disciplined,” said Golden Bear coach Brooke Holway, whose team lost big players to graduation. “We’re young. We didn’t do the small things – win the ball, make the easy pass…”
That’s what the Spartans did extremely well, turning the ball at midfield, then pushing the attack for an 8-2 advantage in shots, 14-5 in penalty corners.
“If we lose the ball, we circle back to regroup at another position,” said Kryzanski.
When Thomaston drove deep, center back Andie Stone was usually on hand, pounding the ball way downfield to speedy forward Alicia Jackson, waiting to start another attack.
The Spartans, on a quest, dominated the first five minutes of the game, including two penalty corners.
Then Thomaston responded with the game’s first shot and dominance of their own for several minutes.
Eleven minutes in, Mills had its first bona fide chance in a melee in front of the Thomaston goal.
The ball slipped out.
Seconds later, Mills’ Jackson struck a ball from just outside the circle straight to the back of the scoring box.
No Spartan stick touched it in the circle; the goal counted only as a shot across the bow.
Seven minutes before the end of the half, Robinson and Carmody connected on their lucky, well-disciplined break.
Mills had the only two shots in the second half, repelling charge after charge by the Bears.
“Don’t give up, White,” hollered a Thomaston coach with 15 minutes to go.
The game was still within reach on the scoreboard.
With seven minutes left, Thomaston’s Gabby Hurlbert made two charges down the right sideline. The first time, Spartans surrounded her crossing pass in the final third.
In the second, Mills sophomore Abby Hoekman challenged, making the stop.
Circling back to another position, Hoekman also made the final stop ending the game.
Lewis Mills 1, Thomaston 0
At Thomaston High School
Lewis Mills 1 0 – 1
Thomaston 0 0 – 0
Goal: LM – Heather Carmody. Assist: LM – Sadie Robinson. Shots: 8-2 Lewis Mills. Penalty corners: 14-5 Lewis Mills. Saves: LM – Jillian Mazon 2; T – 7.
Records: Lewis Mills 5-0; Thomaston 2-1-1.
