By Lesley Graham
Despite the cool temperatures, Ocean City’s field hockey team was off to a hot start Thursday afternoon with a dominant 10-0 win over Cherry Hill West in the second round of the playoffs.
Chloe Prettyman led all scorers with two goals and two assists. Reese Bloomstead contributed two goals and an assist, while Jaclyn Charbonneau chipped in a goal and two assists. Tara McNally had two goals and Nya Gilchrist, Molly Reardon and Sophia Gresham each tallied one goal.
The Red Raiders opened up the scoring within the first two minutes of the game and had a 3-0 lead with only five minutes off the game clock. Cherry Hill West then called a timeout to try to settle down, but Ocean City responded quickly and often. Ocean City had a 7-0 lead going into halftime.
Ocean City Head Coach Kelsey Mitchell was pleased with how the team attacked their first playoff game this season.
“I was very happy with how we came out. The kids were ready to go,” Mitchell said. “We got a few quick goals in early that helped us be able to do what we wanted the rest of the game.”
An early lead helped the Red Raiders stay focused and on top of the game plan, which allowed for multiple substitutions and fresh legs throughout the game.
The second half was no different, with Ocean City finding the back of the cage three more times, although Cherry Hill West did have a few scoring opportunities. But thanks to great heads-up defensive play and goalie Maddie Kahn’s stoic presence in the cage, Ocean City was once again able to keep its opponent scoreless. This was the 15th time Ocean City has recorded a shutout this season.
The Red Raiders will be back in action on Tuesday at 2 p.m. at home at Carey Stadium. The opponent is still to be determined.
