A reeling field hockey team was in desperate need of something big to spark a positive turn in the season. They may have gotten just what they were looking for in their intense, dramatic shootout win over Edwardsville. A win that could only come if the Cats were willing to dig deep inside and find something to fight for. It did not come easy, but as the saying goes, “they don’t ask how, they ask how many.” 

The game began, and it was a close one the whole way, neither team ever holding the momentum for long. Stringing multiple passes together consistently was a bit of a problem on both sides. But this was a positive for the Cats defensively and as another saying goes, “offense wins games, defense wins championships.” 

So let’s break down this battle. Starting with back and forth play, the first half culminated in a 1-0 lead for the Edwardsville Tigers. Senior Ava Bidner then scored two goals in less than a minute to give the Cats the lead with the majority of the second half still to be played. Edwardsville tied it up at two a few minutes later. As the clock continued to tick, the tension in the air could be cut with a knife. No one wanted to give an inch to the opponent and cost their team the game. 

The teams ended regulation in a tie, and per MSHSAA rule, the game dragged on into a ten minute overtime period with six players for each team on the field. The Wildcats benefited from the extra space as the Tigers seemed to be feeling the effects of low stamina. A dominating overtime period with many close calls to the Tiger goal came up empty. 

Next up, my least favorite thing in all of sports, came the shootout. In field hockey, five players from each team have ten seconds to try to get the ball in the goal, which is slightly different than ice hockey and soccer.

The teams traded goals in the first round, but in the second round, senior Sabrina Granata punted the ball away for a save following the first Wildcat goal by Alyssa Legters. Both teams were denied in round three, and the results were flipped in rounds four and five. Senior Bridget Sullivan scored the game-clinching goal in the fifth round to win the Wildcats the game. A moment of pure joy and jubilation erupted as the team surrounded their goal-scorer. 

Going forward, the team looks to bring this momentum into the final stretch of the season. The buffalo has been the topic of discussion around this team all year, and the team may have embraced the competitive ferocity that it brings. If this is the case, watch out for where Coach Nancy Schmer leads this group of Wildcats. The team gets to keep rolling next Tuesday against rival MICDS and Wednesday against Parkway West.