The Zebras came out ready to compete against a talented Rivers squad.  With heart, teamwork, and grit all over the field, the team came together today and played valiantly until the final seconds of the game.  The Red Wings scored in the first minute off a quick draw and break, but the Zebras answered three minutes later thanks to a free position shot by Carly Tilson.  Rivers won key draws and went on a 3 goal scoring streak to take 4-1 lead with 18:43 remaining in the half.  The Middlesex defense fueled the team with key knockdowns and transitions to the midfield, and the attack remained poised and athletic, making smart decisions.  The Zebras scored two unanswered goals due to excellent connections between Al Fehnel, HB Barron, and Lizzie Ayer, bringing the score to 4-3.  Rivers notched another goal to take the 5-3 lead at the 10:39 mark, but the relentless Zebras continued to fight.  For the remainder of the half, the defense stiffened and the attack went on a scoring streak, notching six unanswered goals thanks to goals and/or assists from Ris Hurley, Syd MacKeigan, Hayden Monahan, Ayer, Barron, and Fehnel. 

In the second half, the game went back and forth but both defensive units made big plays, limiting the scoring from both teams.  Rivers notched two goals to bring the Zebras lead to 2, but Monahan answered with 12:14 remaining from a HB Barron pass to maintain a three goal lead.  Rivers answered with two more goals, but Monahan struck again off a feed from Ayer to take an 11-8 lead with 6:09 left on the clock.  Rivers rallied in the remaining time, scoring two goals, including a 10-11 tally with 0:58 seconds left.  In that time, goalie Austen was relentless in the cage making incredible athletic saves to stymie the Rivers attack.  The draw controls won by Tilson and Daisy Boynton were crucial in the final minutes, and the Zebras maintained possession in the final seconds for the win.  Captains Hurley and Fehnel controlled the tempo of the game and were outstanding leaders on the field today.