Highlanders ousted by Windsor 1-0 in overtime
Toolbox
By TOM HALEY RUTLAND HERALD STAFF - Published: October 23, 2009
WINDSOR — Megan O'Neill's name is up on the marquee at the entrance of Windsor High School's driveway, heralding her as Student of the Month. Maybe now, they will put it up in lights.
O'Neill popped in a goal with 3:36 left in the 7-on-7 sudden-victory overtime, saving Windsor from the penalty-stroke tiebreaker and sending the Yellow Jackets into the Division II field hockey semifinals on Thursday against rival Springfield.
O'Neill took a pretty pass from Kaitlin Callahan and slammed it past Harwood Union goalie Chelsea Delphia for the 1-0 victory.
Getting it past Delphia is no small feat. She was superb all game and during the overtime she deterred O'Neill on a breakaway, sprinting out of the net and making a spectacular pad save.
"She's first team all-league and one of the best goalies in our region," Harwood coach Heidi Hill said.
"I saw Megan over there and I knew she knew what to do with the ball so I gave it to her," Callahan said.
Taking three players off the field and playing 7-on-7 is quite a different game than the 60 minutes of regulation field hockey.
"I don't know how they had any gas left in the tank during the 7-on-7," Windsor coach Sandy Clary said of her players. "We don't have a lot of depth."
"It's definitely different. You just get by on adrenaline because you are so pumped up," O'Neill said. "It's wide open out there and you only have to get by a couple of players."
"We have played three overtimes this year," Hill said. "We don't have a deep bench, so they are used to running."
Third-seeded Windsor came out fired up and pressed the attack early, keeping the No. 6 Highlanders back on their heels. The Yellow Jackets got the ball in the circle nine times before Harwood finally managed to do it once.
But as the game wore on, Harwood became more assertive and dominated its own stretches.
"I thought things really started to shift in the second half," Hill said.
When Harwood began to get in its attacking mode, the catalyst was junior Sophia Lisaius. She grew up around the game, following sisters who went on to play at St. Michael's and Skidmore. Her hockey savvy showed as she made skillful rushes up the field, directed traffic and levied hard, accurate hits to set the offensive in motion.
The Highlanders had some good offensive forays in the second half, but Windsor goalie Sherrie McHugh was able to turn them back with some clutch defensive plays. Amber Heath, in particular, had some clears under heavy pressure.
Windsor also had some strong bids to score during regulation time. Some of them came off Shawna Pinsonault's pinpoint penalty corners. Kaitlin Callahan, O'Neill, Makenzie Callahan and Abbie Wright had some of the stronger bids to break the deadlock.
Hayley Spittle, along with Lisaius, had some of the better threats for the Highlanders.
But nobody could get the goal so Clary sent Heath, Wright, Makenzie Callahan and Kaitlin Callahan, Pinsonault and O'Neill, along with McHugh, to start the first 10-minute 7-on-7 stanza.
Hill selected Lisaius, Emily Reagan, Jillian Pierce, Sarah Reid, Sydnie Rutledge, Spittle and Delphia.
Both teams had some chances in the first 10-minute OT session and advanced a few more times in the second 10-minute period until Kaitlin Callahan and O'Neill worked their magic, sending the Jacks into a wild celebration.
The news that No. 7 Springfield had upset No. 2 U-32 only added to the festivity as it gives the Jacks another contest at the MacLeay-Royce complex.
"We have never seen U-32. We know Springfield and we know who their strong players are," O'Neill said.
The Jacks split with their rivals, losing the first game 1-0 and then beating them 2-1.
Clary said she was happy, win or lose, it did not get to the penalty-stroke format, pitting shooters against the goalie 1-on-1.
"That's a tough thing for the kids. At least this way, it's still a team," Clary said.
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