The Middlesex girls’ varsity field hockey team traveled to Marion, MA on Saturday to take on the Seawolves of Tabor Academy.  From the moment each team stepped on the field, they were ready to battle.   The Zebras fought hard for the entire 60 minutes of play, and as a result were able to come away with the 2-1 victory.

Middlesex struggled to find their passing game in the first 10 minutes.  As they began to adjust to the longer turf surface, however; the momentum started to shift in their favor.  The latter half of the period was spent in the Seawolves' defensive end and although the Zebras had a six to three advantage on corners, they were unable to capitalize on their efforts. 

Middlesex came out of the gates on fire as they started the second half, and at 8:02 into the play they were finally rewarded for all their hard work.  After a corner was called in the Zebras favor, freshman Emma Fehnel picked up the loose ball in front of the net to score the first goal of her high school career.  Tabor responded moments later however with a goal of their own to tie the game at 1-1. For the next 10 minutes, the ball traveled between both ends of the field as each team struggled to take back control of the game. After a timeout, the Zebras regained their composure and started to shift the momentum of the play their way. With 2:58 left in the game, senior captain Clare Lyne fed the ball to junior Juliana Fiore who skillfully tucked it past the Seawolve’s goaltender to regain the lead.

As the final minutes ticked away on the clock, the entire forward and defensive line battled hard to protect the lead.  Sophomore Leah Olson was solid in net and ended the afternoon with eight saves.  The victory was a result of an entire team effort and gave fans plenty of reasons to be excited about the 2012 field hockey season.

Middlesex will return to their home turf on Wednesday, September 19 when they take on Worcester Academy at 3:30pm.