By LESLEY GRAHAM
The Ocean City High School field hockey team defeated visiting Mainland 8-3 for the third time this season to advance to the championship game in the South Jersey Group 3 tournament.
The Red Raiders, the No. 2 seed in the playoffs, will travel to face the top-seeded Clearview Pioneers on Friday afternoon. Clearview improved its record to 18-2-1, after blanking Gloucester Tech 9-0 in the semifinals.
Ocean City used a strong first half Tuesday to power past Mainland, which was unable to keep up with the offensive onslaught.
The Red Raiders took a hefty 7-0 lead into halftime behind four goals from Tara McNally, all in the first half.
Also notching points on the scoreboard were junior Nya Gilchrist with three goals and an assist, Chloe Prettyman with a goal and Sophia Run rounding out the scoring with an assist.
Mainland’s Mustangs attempted to mount a comeback in the second half, scoring all three of their goals in the final 30 minutes. But the Red Raiders kept them at bay with strong defense and decisive ball control. The Mustangs ended their season at 10-10.
Ocean City, currently ranked No. 15 in the state by NJ.com, is 17-5 on the season and looking to carry momentum into Friday afternoon’s championship game.
The matchup between Clearview and Ocean City is nothing new in the realm of South Jersey field hockey. This will be the third straight year that the two teams have met in the S.J. Group 3 finals.
The Red Raiders are looking to make it back-to-back titles, after defeating Clearview last year 3-1. The Pioneers took the title in 2017, defeating the Red Raiders 1-0.
Ocean City Head Coach Kelsey Mitchell said the team is looking forward to the championship showdown.
“Friday should be a great game as Clearview is a solid opponent with a strong program. We are looking forward to the opportunity,” Mitchell said.
The game starts at 2 p.m. at the William Wilt Complex in Mullica Hill.
