Somers Chase Falls Short versus Fox Lane

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After overcoming an early 3-0 deficit last week versus North Rockland, the Tuskers were in trouble early again when they hosted Fox Lane on Wednesday April 2. Down 4-0 this time, the girls still didn’t give in and eventually took a 9-8 lead. But the chase wasn’t over.

Fox Lane scored the next four goals and held on for a 12-1l win.

Back on the other end, the Foxes spread the wealth. Cora Moore, Michaela Kaltsas, Zoe Stonecipher and Phoebe Fisher found the net, and only 20 seconds remaining in the first didn’t seem like enough time to let the home team dent the scoreboard before the respite.

Oblivious, Somers was in no mood to waste time. Caitlyn Mayfield sent the draw to Emma Barton, and the sophomore played to one of the game’s strengths for Somers.

Drawing penalties, Coach Deb Daly highlighted the positive, and Mayfield had two in the short time frame. Good for the first goal at 1.6, the game was officially on.

Still, Fox Lane obviously wanted to keep the margin four, and Kaltsas initially filled the bill by scoring on a penalty shot at 9:42. Even so, Somers was not obliging, and the comeback began with the nitty gritty.

The Somers defense converged on Moore, the ball came loose, and Meadow Dondl got the scoop. Off to the races, the ball went to Sydney Ingraham, and after drawing a penalty, the senior’s low backhand across her body made it 5-2.

In at 7:54, another ground ball had the elephants on the stampede. Mayfield picked up the 50-50, she caught Jocelyn Klein on the express and she punched her ticket right in front of the goal. The shot off, Sara Renz twirled her stick, and the goalie’s catcher did the rest at 6:30

Defense did not turn into offense, though. The Somers middies went into a frenzy instead, and Mia Paulmeno won the scramble. She then got it to Isabella Mancini, and splitting the defense had Kate Barton receiving at point blank. Not this time, Renz was a sitting duck.

The first of Barton’s two goals at 5:40, Somers stole the momentum - or they thought they did. Taylor Webb scored a wrap-around at 3:57, and after Renz denied Ingraham on the penalty shot, Stonecipher was unbothered by the Somers wall she ran into on the right. The attacker swung overhand, and as she fell to the ground, the Foxes regained their four goal lead.

7-3 with 51 seconds left, the time again wasn’t short for Somers. The fact that Fox Lane won the face-off didn’t derail the expediency either.

Somers forced a turnover, and Ingraham got on her elephant to play a little give and go. Into the zone, she passed to Lyla Mancini behind the goal line, and received back out front, where Renz was forced to tip her cap.

29 seconds left, Mayfield won the draw and found Klein. Surrounded by Foxes, she moved left, got the shot off and her overhead found the net.

Intermission next, Somers was not slowed by the respite, but speed was not the factor after Mayfield sent the opening draw to Dondl. Eventually getting the ball up top, the sophomore muscled her way through a swarm of Foxes, and once in deep, she fired away for a 7-6 game.

At 11:28, Ingraham ran under Mayfield’s push, and the momentum seemed to continue. Sorry, Renz faced down Barton on the side, and another stick twirl sent play back the other way at 9:36.

The Foxes made the most of their goalie’s good work when Stonecipher drew a penalty in deep. Teeing it up, the attacker went sidearm, and beat Emma Donaldson to regain a two goal lead at 8:18.

Now it was Donaldson’s turn to contain the score and spark offense. At 6:23, the Tusker snared Stonecipher penalty shot, and putting a pep in Somers step, Mayfield was the beneficiary. Playing tall, she received the ball inside and shot downward to beat Renz at 4:29.

8-7, the tie would have to wait until the fourth quarter, and it began in the middle of the field. Mayfield scooped up her own draw and paired up with her running mate. The tall middie swung right, flipped over her defender to Ingraham, and after the penalty whistle, the Notre Dame commit knotted the score.

The duo remained connected for the lead too. Up from Mayfield and Ingraham running under put the Tuskers on the set up. There, Mayfield drew a crowd to the left of Renz, dumped back to an open Ingraham, she juked her defender, and Somers took a 9-8 lead.

Unfortunately, Fox Lane responded and left Somers trailing 12-9 with 4:51 remaining. So Somers went back to the beginning.

In other words, they fought back, and Ingraham led the way by taking the draw. Taking it from the top, Ingraham hit Paulmeno to the left of the goal, and she fired away for a 12-10 game.

4:28 left, Ingraham remained at center stage. She landed her own upheaval, got on the gallop and quickly found Lyla Mancini in the same position as Paulmeno.

Renz got the better, though, and Fox Lane kept the clock ticking with possession. A shot clock violation resulting, Somers got the ball with 2:21 remaining, and the Tuskers made the most of the stall

Once getting the ball up field, Lyla Mancini dropped a pass into Barton, and after being aggressively accosted on the left, the sophomore made it 12-11 on the penalty.

70 seconds to go, the face-off was obviously crucial. Ingraham drawing duty, the ball went up and Moore raced in to catch the short hop. The rest was running out the clock, but the loss still had Daly praising her team. “Somers highlighted some fantastic individual efforts. Sydney Ingraham had a standout performance, scoring four goals and successfully securing four draw controls. Caitlyn Mayfield also shined, contributing three goals and two assists and demonstrating great offensive skills, while Kate Barton did an excellent job defensively, causing a turnover and scoring two goals,” the coach concluded.