RallyNorth.net

Timberlane dominates, but Pinkerton holds on to force scoreless tie

Monday, October, 12 By By Mac Cerullo

PLAISTOW — Facing its biggest test of the season, the Timberlane field hockey team rose to the occasion and dominated Pinkerton in every way except the one place it counts. The scoreboard.
Despite controlling possession for nearly the entire game and taking four times as many shots as the Astros, Timberlane was unable to finish its chances and ultimately had to settle for a 0-0 tie. 
"This is probably the most competitive we've played a Pinkerton team in the 16 years that I've been here," said Timberlane coach Mim Ryan. "We just didn't get the lucky bounce here or there, but I'm very happy with the effort, it was a great game."
Had a bounce or two gone Timberlane's way, the Owls could have easily taken the Astros out early. Timberlane attempted 14 penalty corners compared to Pinkerton's three, and senior forward Courtney Sickel was a monster, creating havoc every time she touched the ball while serving up at least a half dozen shots towards the net that either just missed wide or were barely out of the reach of a charging teammate.
Timberlane's best two chances came in the opening seconds of overtime, when the Owls took the ball and sent it right down towards the net. The Owls had two great looks, including one bouncing shot from the outside by Sickel, but the Astros were just able to hang on. 
"She was right up there, a little inch here or there, how many shots were just wide of the post?" Ryan said of Sickel. "We have to get someone there to finish those out."
Though Timberlane had more chances, Pinkerton ultimately had the best one, and it nearly resulted in what would have been a catastrophic defeat for the Owls. 
With under a minute to play in overtime, the Astros stole the ball and got their first and only breakout of the game. Pinkerton gained a two-on-one advantage that ultimately led to a shot and a juicy rebound that settled right in front of an open net. After a brief scramble that probably felt like an eternity, Timberlane was able to clear it away to preserve the scoreless tie.
"That was really intense," Sickel said. "It's really tiring when you have to play in overtime but I think we handled it well."
Despite spending most of the game under siege, Pinkerton came away feeling encouraged by its performance as well. The Astros were coming off an overtime loss at Bishop Guertin last Tuesday, and coach Jen Resmini said the team hasn't quite been itself lately.
"It's a really big step in the right direction for us, especially after the last two weeks," Resmini said. "This is our third overtime game in a row and the fourth out of the last five, so I think it's a step in the right direction because we saw some good things that we haven't seen."
Timberlane (10-1-1) is now tied with Winnacunnet for the best record in Division 1 and will look to wrap up the regular season with wins against Bedford on Wednesday and Concord on Friday. Pinkerton (8-2-2) isn't far behind, and now the Astros will face Concord today and Exeter on Friday.