The penalty corners kept coming for St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes. Maybe the best way to tell the Saints were playing their first game of the season was that none of them actually found their way into the goal.
But they aren’t the four-time defending Independent Schools League champions for nothing. And Stone Ridge could only hold out for so long. In the end, senior forward Mia Hurrin finally connected on one of those confounding corners late in the first half to give top-ranked St. Stephen’s (1-0, 1-0 ISL) the only tally it would need in a 1-0 victory.
“I’m not sure if we came out with enough intensity in the first half,” said Hurrin. “We definitely should have finished a lot of those chances. But once we got one we played a little better.”
Hurrin took a penalty corner from teammate Micaela O’Toole and slipped a shot past Stone Ridge goalkeeper Mary Beckler with 2 minutes, 20 seconds left in the first half. It was the only one Beckler would allow in a 12-save performance that gave the Gators a fighting chance at the upset. When senior defender Kaitlin Keena moved to forward in the second half Stone Ridge even began pressuring the St. Stephen’s goal, sending a penalty corner of its own just wide with 15 minutes to play.
“We couldn’t seem to get anything past them,” said St. Stephen’s coach Marsha Way. “But it always seems to go like that against Stone Ridge. They’ve traditionally played us very hard. I’m just glad we found a way to win.”
Field day
» St. Stephen’s & St. Agnes senior forward Mia Hurrin is also a star lacrosse player. Last month she and lacrosse/field hockey teammate Liz Downs were chosen as finalists for the United States under-19 national team roster. Eighteen of the 24 players selected will represent the United States at the World Games next August in Canada.
» Stone Ridge (0-2, 0-1 ISL) was a tough-luck loser for the second time this season. Good Counsel beat the Gators in overtime last week, 1-0. Their next game is Thursday at home against St. John’s.
» St. Stephen’s leaps into the heart of its schedule this weekend at the Roland Park Tournament in Baltimore. The Saints could face both No. 5 B-CC and Anne Arundel County power Severna Park.
