Red Land will move on to compete for third-fourth. Photo: Bob Benscoter
LITITZ — Warwick needed one quarter to find its passing game.
And, once the Warriors found it, they also found their way back to the District 3 Class 2A field hockey championship game.
Kayla Gockley broke a scoreless tie in the second quarter, Taylor Hess added a backhand finish in the third, and Warwick held off Red Land’s late penalty corners for a 2-0 semifinal victory Wednesday.
The Warriors advance to face Palmyra on Saturday in the championship game.
Red Land established the early pace, using its speed to challenge Warwick’s defense and earning a penalty corner less than three minutes into the game. The Warriors did not get their first shot until 5:03 remained in the opening quarter, which ended scoreless.
Warwick adjusted by moving the ball wider and dropping its defense back to counter Red Land’s speed. The Warriors earned consecutive penalty corners early in the second quarter before Gockley sent an aerial into the back of the cage off a corner with 11:28 remaining.
Addie Martin earned the assist.
The passing lanes for the Warriors began to open up after that, though Warwick did not convert every opportunity. Three through balls floated through the circle without a finishing touch.
Red Land continued to threaten on the counterattack, but Warwick’s defense prevented a shot on a second-quarter penalty corner and carried the 1-0 lead into halftime.
Hess supplied the insurance goal with 5:37 left in the third quarter. The senior attacking center midfielder took advantage of space at the top of the circle, worked through traffic and sent a backhand shot into the lower corner for a 2-0 advantage.
“Taking more of those opportunities helps the team,” Hess said. “And I think, again, also, though, being part of those passing sequences is really important, helping to distribute the ball to my teammates.”
The Patriots kept pressing in the fourth quarter, earning penalty corners with 8:50, 5:13 and 1:33 remaining. A potential deflection on one attempt lacked the finishing touch.
One reason it took Warwick the first quarter to find its game was Danica Hobart, Warwick head field hockey coach Ron Stief said.
“We didn't have a mark on her per se, but we also knew where No. 3 was going to be,” Stief said. “We knew where Danica was. And, she still acted like we didn't have a clue who she was because she ran by us a few times. She's really good.”
On Red Land’s backline, Sophia Langan locked Warwick down on attempts to enter the circle from the left.
Gockley, who said Warwick played “phenomenally,” was an anchor like Red Land’s Langan, helping to counter Hobart’s feistiness.
“Gockley, our center back, is going to Penn,” he said. “You know, she's number one in her class academically. She's a smart kid. And I think she played a phenomenal game today and helped to calm our defense down sometimes and then save ourselves a few times as well.”
The loss ended Red Land’s championship run. The Patriots move into the third-place game against Elizabethtown.
For Warwick, the next challenge is a familiar one. Palmyra awaits in another district championship matchup, and Hess said the Warriors still have room to sharpen their finishing.
“I mean, 2-0 against a good team is great, but we always want more,” Hess said.
The loss hit the Patriots on a different level following the death of Rachel Apa. Apa, a former Red Land field hockey player, passed away while running the New York City Marathon on Nov. 1.
“So, the past two years, I've been with this crew,” Gini Brimley said. “I'm getting emotional because they mean so much to me. I've seen them grow, not only as players, but individuals and young adults. Seeing them fight through this because they haven't been to this part of the tournament. They haven't been in this high stakes of a game. I heard people in the stands; so many people out there. And I think, you know, they were nervous, and they rely on us, the coaching staff and each other to ground them and to keep them going. It's a hard battle against a great team, very well-coached team, and obviously congrats to Warwick on winning this, and good luck to them on Saturday, but we were in it.
“We just have to capitalize on our opportunities, but I'm proud of them for fighting through, you know, the adversity of this game, and, you know, maybe the calls didn't go our way, and that's life…that's the game of field hockey, and they just have to fight through it. So, I'm proud of them for doing that. I'm proud of them for getting this far, and we're not done yet. I'm excited to keep going.”
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