Ocean City Field Hockey Beats Rival Mainland

By LESLEY GRAHAM The Ocean City field hockey team defeated Mainland 4-1 on Thursday afternoon in front of their home fans for their annual pink game to raise awareness for breast cancer. The victory extended their winning streak to 11 games and improved their record to 14-1. Mainland dropped to 8-7-1 on the season. Julia Neff led all scorers with one goal and two assists. Sophia Tucker, Camryn Flynn and Carly Hanin each added a goal, while Nicole Carey contributed an assist. Emily Smith scored the lone goal for Mainland on an assist from Julianna Medina. Ocean City was able to score quickly in the game with a penalty stroke from Camryn Flynn, giving the Red Raiders a 1-0 advantage in the first quarter. The Red Raiders would score again in the opening quarter to jump to a 2-0 lead. As the second quarter got underway, both teams were able to find the back of the net off of penalty quarters, giving Ocean City a 3-1 lead going into halftime. The Red Raiders were able to control much of the possession time, allowing for several offensive opportunities in the second half of play. The team gets a pep talk during quarter intermission. Senior Sophia Tucker scored her third goal of the season, giving Ocean City a three-goal cushion heading into the fourth and final quarter. Both teams stepped up their defensive efforts, with Mainland’s goalkeeper Farley O’Brien recording 20 saves on the afternoon from an onslaught of shots by the Red Raiders. Neff, a sophomore forward for the Red Raiders, was pleased with how her team played. “We did a really good job of using our teammates, connecting our passes and creating opportunities on cage,” Neff said. “We also were playing against our rivals (Mainland), so that makes it more exciting.” Ocean City Head Coach Kelsey Burke was happy to get the win against Mainland. “It is always a tough game when we play Mainland, so coming out with a victory is a nice feeling,” Burke said. “I was also very happy to see our attack stay so balanced. Julia (Neff) played a great game and Sophia Tucker came in with a nice spark off the bench,” she added. The Red Raiders will return to action on Saturday when they travel to Haddonfield for a non-conference matchup. The Red Raiders move the ball ahead in transition.